Progress Canada

Created and hosted by Theresa Lubowitz
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The Progress Canada Podcast explores the political, social, and policy transformations shaping the future of our country. Each episode brings thought-provoking discussions with policymakers, activists, and experts who are driving change across Canada. We explore what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be done next to deliver progressive change that builds a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for us all.

  1. From City Hall to Parliament Hill with MP Shannon Miedema

    2H AGO

    From City Hall to Parliament Hill with MP Shannon Miedema

    On International Women’s Day, Halifax MP Shannon Miedema joins the Progress Canada Podcast to reflect on her first year in Parliament. A former climate leader at Halifax City Hall, Miedema made the jump to federal politics during the high-stakes 2025 election.During our conversation, she shares how she co-founded the Environmental Caucus in Parliament and how she keeps climate action on the governing agenda at a time when national debates are often dominated by pipelines and trade wars.She also touches on how she is working with local partners in Nova Scotia to pursue a National Women's Health Strategy to begin addressing systemic gaps in research, diagnosis, and care.Topics include:Halifax Politics • Shannon Miedema • International Women’s Day • Women in Politics • Climate Action • Atlantic Economy • Housing Affordability • National Women’s Health Strategy • IWK Health • International Trade • Young Canadians in Politics • Environmental PolicyWhere to Find Us:Substack: https://progresscanada.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressCanadaPodcast/

    58 min

  2. MAR 2

    Protecting Canadian Agriculture with CFA President Keith Currie

    As Canada prepares for renewed trade negotiations with the United States and Mexico, Canadian Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie joins the Progress Canada Podcast to explain what’s at stake for farmers, food producers, and Canada’s economic sovereignty.We discuss how Canadian agriculture has fared under the current CUSMA agreement, why the sector is calling for a full 16-year renewal, and how trade uncertainty, dispute resolution, and political instability south of the border directly affect farmers’ ability to invest, grow, and compete. Currie breaks down why enforceable dispute mechanisms matter when dealing with much larger trading partners and what Canadian negotiators must get right to protect agri-food supply chains.The conversation also looks beyond trade to the structural challenges facing Canadian agriculture, including labour shortages, protecting prime farmland as national infrastructure projects expand, and the need to drive innovation in the face of climate pressures and rising input costs. Throughout, Currie makes the case for treating agriculture not just as an industry, but as a key pillar of Canada's national resilience.Topics include:Canadian agriculture • Canadian Federation of Agriculture • CUSMA • Canada–US trade • Agricultural trade • Food security • Dispute resolution • Prime farmland • Impact Assessment Act • Farm labour shortages • Temporary foreign workers • Agricultural innovation • Climate resilience • Economic sovereigntyWhere to Find Us:Substack: https://progresscanada.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressCanadaPodcast/

    1h 1m
  3. The Final Stretch of the NDP Leadership Race

    FEB 22

    The Final Stretch of the NDP Leadership Race

    Who will lead the federal NDP into its next era, and can the party rediscover the politics of possibility before the next election?With the NDP leadership race entering its final month, our National Wrap-Up panel convenes to dissect the state of the contest following the high-stakes debate in British Columbia. We break down the mechanics of the race, how momentum is shifting between the candidates, who won the final debate, and what it will take to organize a winning Get Out The Vote effort before the winner is crowned in Winnipeg.Topics include:NDP Leadership 2026 • Avi Lewis • Heather McPherson • Canadian Progressivism • Federal Politics • Political Fundraising • Digital Campaign Strategy • NDP Debate • Tanille Johnston • Rob Ashton • Preferential BallotingWhere to Find Us:Substack: https://progresscanada.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressCanadaPodcast/

    50 min

  4. FEB 16

    The Singles Tax with Renée Sylvestre-Williams

    As more Canadians live alone and shoulder rising costs on a single income, finance journalist Renée Sylvestre-Williams joins the Progress Canada Podcast to unpack what she calls "the singles tax."Drawing on her new book, "The Singles Tax," Sylvestre-Williams breaks down how Canada’s tax system, social norms, and cost-of-living crisis quietly penalize single adults. From paying more in rent and household expenses to missing out on the financial and social benefits extended to couples and families, she explains how these hidden costs compound over a lifetime.Topics include:Singles tax • Cost-of-living crisis • Housing affordability • Single-person households • Poverty • Canadian tax policy • Affordable housing • Aging in place • Food insecurity • Personal finance • Vienna housing model • Social policy • Economic inequality • The Singles TaxWhere to Find Us:Substack: https://progresscanada.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressCanadaPodcast/

    58 min
  5. The 2026 Ontario Liberal Leadership Election

    FEB 11

    The 2026 Ontario Liberal Leadership Election

    What does it take to lead the Ontario Liberal Party back to power, and can a nearly year-long endurance test actually build the muscle the party needs to defeat Doug Ford?Following the official launch of the 2026 OLP Leadership race, our Ontario Wrap-Up panel is back to break down the newly released rules, the shift to online voting, and the long road to November 21.Featuring Darrell Dean (former Digital Director for PM Trudeau), Theresa Lubowitz (former advisor to the Premier of Ontario and former OLP Communications Coordinator), Alex Mather (former advisor to the Premier of Ontario), and Jordan Ray (former OLP Organization Lead), the panel explores whether a year-long campaign is a necessary party building exercise or a risky recipe for organizational drift.The team dives into the logistics of the contest, the implications of a $1M spending cap, and how a new era of online voting might expand the party's tent. They also debate the authenticity required to offer a hopeful alternative to the current government.Topics include:OLP Leadership 2026 • Ontario Politics • Digital Campaigning • Online Voting • Political Strategy • Doug Ford • Progressive Messaging • Campaign Fundraising • Candidate Recruitment • Political Branding • Strategic Communications • Ontario Liberal PartyWhere to Find Us:Substack: https://progresscanada.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressCanadaPodcast/

    1h 31m

  6. FEB 9

    Rebuilding Provincial Liberalism in Canada with Former Ontario Premier David Peterson

    What does rebuilding the Liberal brand require today, and how should Liberals defend their values in an era of cynicism and polarization?As provincial Liberal parties struggle for relevance across Canada, former Ontario Premier David Peterson joins the Progress Canada Podcast to reflect on how he once led the Ontario Liberal Party out of the political wilderness—and what today’s Liberals can learn from that moment.Peterson explains how rejecting nostalgia, campaigning against cronyism, and drawing sharp contrasts with a long-entrenched Conservative government helped renew trust with voters. From restoring a sense of possibility to building a broad coalition of voters, he breaks down what it takes to create a credible Liberal alternative.With provincial Liberalism now at one of its weakest points nationally, Peterson defends liberalism itself—arguing that freedom, social justice, and economic prosperity are not competing ideas but mutually reinforcing ones. Topics include:Ontario politics • Provincial Liberalism • David Peterson • Ontario Liberal Party • Canadian Liberalism • Political branding • Coalition-building • Social justice • Economic prosperity • Campaign strategy • Progressive politics • Canadian democracyWhere to Find Us:Substack: https://progresscanada.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressCanadaPodcast/

    1h 8m
  7. On Message | Canada versus Trump

    JAN 26

    On Message | Canada versus Trump

    As Donald Trump asserts a more aggressive vision for U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere, our panel digs into where Canada fits in those plans—and where it doesn’t. We explore how Trump’s approach to trade, security, and hemispheric dominance challenges long-standing assumptions about Canada–U.S. relations, and what this moment means for Canadian sovereignty. How should Canadian leaders talk about independence, economic security, and democratic resilience when our closest ally is increasingly unpredictable? And what does defending sovereignty look like in what Prime Minister Mark Carney has dubbed the "new world order?" The #OnMessage Panel brings together experienced political communicators to break down Canada’s political headlines and examine how each party is framing the debate, what’s resonating with voters, and where our country’s political narrative will head next. Panelists include Michelle Johnston, Theresa Lubowitz, and Alex Mather. Where to Find Us:Social Accounts:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanadaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/progress_canada_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/progresscanadapodcastBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/progresscanada.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/progress-canada/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progress_canada_podcast Podcast Platforms:RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/1027adaac/podcast/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Etut7tXvL8yN4PjQ96pHH?si=7d80390f146a4f07Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8dfa624c-13a8-4268-a977-b3bc509b6cd7/progress-canadaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/progress-canada/id1802911774 YouTube Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressCanada/podcasts

    1h 8m
  8. The People's Opposition with MPP John Fraser

    12/15/2025

    The People's Opposition with MPP John Fraser

    In this episode, we’re joined by John Fraser — five-term MPP for Ottawa South and the Ontario Liberal Party’s Leader in the Legislature — for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of Ontario politics heading into 2026, what constructive opposition looks like, and the work required to rebuild public trust after seven years of Doug Ford.Fraser reflects on how this year’s campaign compares to past races and what lessons the Ontario Liberal Party should take from it. We talk about the return to official party status, how a larger caucus is changing what Liberals can accomplish at Queen’s Park, and the priorities the party has focused on this fall, from holding the Ford government accountable to putting forward legislation designed to help families hit hardest by the affordability crisis.We dig into the Ford Government’s mismanagement of the Skills Development Fund, the growing youth unemployment crisis, and the PCs’ pattern of siding with well-connected insiders over everyday Ontarians. Fraser also outlines the Ontario Liberals’ approach to tackling the province’s worsening health care and education crises, drawing on his experience as former Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and his current role as Education Critic.Finally, we explore Fraser’s unique tenure as Leader in the Legislature, the upcoming Liberal leadership race, and his advice for the next Liberal leader.Topics include:Ontario politics • John Fraser • Ontario Liberal Party • 2025 Ontario election • Queen’s Park • Doug Ford government • Skills Development Fund scandal • affordability crisis • youth unemployment • Youth Career Fund • health care crisis • education funding • student outcomes • official party status • legislative leadership • political accountability • provincial policy • Canadian politics 2025 • Progress Canada

    49 min
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About

The Progress Canada Podcast explores the political, social, and policy transformations shaping the future of our country. Each episode brings thought-provoking discussions with policymakers, activists, and experts who are driving change across Canada. We explore what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be done next to deliver progressive change that builds a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for us all.

Information

  • Creator
    Created and hosted by Theresa Lubowitz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Created and hosted by Theresa Lubowitz
  • Show Website
    Progress Canada

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