47 episodes

Veteran journalist Paul Wells interviews the leaders and thinkers tackling the world's big problems — war and peace, democracy and dictatorship, making governments and communities work. Paul draws on decades of experience as a reporter and columnist at Macleans, the Toronto Star and elsewhere to bring you smart, intimate conversations with newsmakers and people who deserve a higher profile.

The Paul Wells Show is produced by Antica, in partnership with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

The Paul Wells Show Antica Productions

    • News
    • 4.7 • 98 Ratings

Veteran journalist Paul Wells interviews the leaders and thinkers tackling the world's big problems — war and peace, democracy and dictatorship, making governments and communities work. Paul draws on decades of experience as a reporter and columnist at Macleans, the Toronto Star and elsewhere to bring you smart, intimate conversations with newsmakers and people who deserve a higher profile.

The Paul Wells Show is produced by Antica, in partnership with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

    Did We Learn Anything from COVID?

    Did We Learn Anything from COVID?

    COVID-19 exposed some serious weaknesses in Canada’s public institutions. So what have our governments learned? There has been no official attempt to answer that question thoroughly across the country. So two think tanks decided to take it on. They invited experts including politicians, senior public servants, Indigenous leaders and others, to get together and talk about what happened during the pandemic. The Institute for Research on Public Policy and the Institute on Governance released a new report about what they learned.
    The IRPP’s President and CEO Jennifer Ditchburn and Charles Breton, who runs the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, join Paul to talk about it.

    • 46 min
    The War Inside Rogers

    The War Inside Rogers

    A new book takes us into the messy succession drama inside one of Canada’s biggest companies, Rogers Communications. It features family members fighting in public, two competing boards, and even actor Brian Cox from HBO's Succession.
    Globe and Mail reporter Alexandra Posadzki’s book Rogers v Rogers takes us behind the scenes of a company trying to find its footing after the death of their founder, all while navigating a high-stakes business deal.

    • 42 min
    Ukraine: Mr. Thorsell dissents

    Ukraine: Mr. Thorsell dissents

    In the two years since the Russian invasion, there's largely been a consensus in Canada about supporting Ukraine. Debates in Parliament and the media focus almost entirely on how to best help Ukraine, and not whether we should be helping in the first place. William Thorsell thinks that's a shame. He also thinks it’s time for the West to withdraw from the war and concede defeat.
    William Thorsell is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum. He’s currently a distinguished fellow at the Munk School.

    • 40 min
    Ranking Canada's Prime Ministers on Foreign Policy

    Ranking Canada's Prime Ministers on Foreign Policy

    How do Canada’s Prime Ministers measure up when it comes to foreign policy? Political scientist Patrice Dutil polled some colleagues to come up with a ranking. They placed Trudeau right near the bottom, alongside his predecessor Stephen Harper. Dutil joins Paul to break down the rankings and make the case that foreign policy needs to be taken more seriously in Canada. 
    Patrice Dutil is the editor of Statesmen, Strategists and Diplomats: Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy.

    • 52 min
    How did housing become a federal battleground?

    How did housing become a federal battleground?

    Housing policy has become one of the main debates among federal political parties. It wasn’t always this way, even as house prices were getting out of control. So why exactly did the housing crisis become such a prominent issue on the national stage? And can the federal government solve it?
    Mike Moffatt keeps a close watch on housing policy, and has advised the Trudeau Government on the issue. He is the founding director of the PLACE Centre at the Smart Prosperity Institute, and an assistant professor at Western University’s Ivey Business School. He shares his thoughts on the debate over housing playing out in Parliament.

    • 37 min
    A cop talks about policing protests

    A cop talks about policing protests

    Police have been facing heavy scrutiny lately over how they handle protests, from the convoy in Ottawa to pro-Palestine demonstrations. OPP Acting Superintendent Marcel Beaudin shares the police perspective on this issue. Until recently, Beaudin ran the OPP’s Provincial Liaison team that deals with demonstration and protests. He has also been a leader in the service’s Indigenous Policing Bureau. 
    This episode was recorded at the Munk School.
    Subscribe to Paul's Substack for a premium version of this show: paulwells.substack.com

    • 47 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
98 Ratings

98 Ratings

Fabriekstraat ,

Always worthwhile

I really appreciate Paul’s thoughtful interviews with a wide range of interesting guests, who usually have some valuable insights. The discussion with William Thorsell was one of the best.

JaneLesslie ,

A welcome respite

The interviews with Marc Miller and Andy Byford were illustrations of what thoughtful, multi dimensional and nuanced discussions should be.

Person 14p03 ,

CBC

This person is a real loser no wonder the CBC. Sucks

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