BRITTLESTAR

•

Channel • 2 Shows

Government

Government

Updated Weekly
Comedy

Comedy

Updated Semiweekly

4D AGO

The 12 Months of Crisismas - 2025 Canadian Politics Review

It’s the year-end wrap for Politics is Broken… and it’s festive in the way a tire fire is festive when someone tosses a candy cane into it. In “The 12 Months of Crisismas”, Brittlestar and Lisa rip through 2025 month-by-month… Trudeau stepping aside, Doug Ford’s third majority, Carney’s technocratic pivot, election anxiety, internal trade “why didn’t we do this 100 years ago,” Poilievre’s by-election comeback, Alberta’s culture-war legislation, and the ongoing “are we a country or are we a condo America is trying to buy” vibe. Then… the 12 Quotes of Crisismas (a reminder that the things leaders said this year were not normal), followed by the game Folks or Fiction, where you try to guess if a quote came from Doug Ford or a fictional character… and honestly, that’s harder than it should be. Take a breather, laugh a little, remember to vote like it matters (because it does)… and welcome to the year-end episode that politely asks: “Can we all calm down for five minutes?”

4d ago

•

1h 12m
DEC 14

What the US National Security Strategy Means For Canada (and Alberta Too)

This week on Politics Is Broken, Danielle Smith becomes the first Alberta premier in nearly 90 years to face a citizen-led recall petition... and the UCP’s own recall law starts doing exactly what everyone warned it would do (just not to the people who wrote it). Then we pivot south, where the U.S. releases a new “National Security Strategy” that reads less like policy and more like a world dominance mood board... complete with America First everything, Europe-as-a-warning-label, and a not-at-all-chill vibe about the “Western hemisphere.” Plus: the new U.S. visitor rule demanding five years of social media history, and what Canada should do when the neighbour starts acting like the whole street is his driveway.

Dec 14

•

53 min
DEC 7

FIFA FOE TRUMP

Canada’s back in the global spotlight… and this time it’s not for policy, it’s for pop. In this episode, Brittlestar and Lisa start with the truly urgent question of our time: is Justin Trudeau actually soft-launching a relationship with Katy Perry, complete with a former Japanese prime minister accidentally hard-launching it to the world? From there, they dig into FIFA’s World Cup draw, the eye-rollingly absurd “Peace Prize” nobody asked for, and what hosting the tournament is really worth to Canada once you factor in copyright goons, bylaw cops, and the joy of not being allowed to say “World Cup.” Back home, BC’s Conservatives implode in a “professionally incapacitated” leadership crisis, while Alberta pulls the plug on two big private surgical contracts at the centre of a growing procurement scandal, raising fresh questions about conflict of interest and who the system is actually serving. Finally, they turn to the most serious story of the week: the deadly U.S. strike near Venezuela, the alleged “kill 'em all” order, and what it says about power, impunity, and where the line actually is for American voters. It’s politics at its most surreal and most dangerous… and as always, Politics Is Broken is here to make sense of the stupid.

Dec 7

•

1h 10m
NOV 30

ALBERTA: TOTAL RECALL

In this week’s Politics Is Broken: The death of “statesmanlike” behaviourTrump’s “quiet, quiet, piggy” moment and Ford’s “get a job” clapbackHow recall actually works in Alberta (and why there are so many petitions)What other countries do with recall… and why it’s so rareWhether recall is a dangerous precedent or a much-needed pressure valveAnd why this all “smells a little like hope” in a grim political year

Nov 30

•

47 min
NOV 2

The Cheese Slipped Off the Cracker (and Into the Classroom)

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa ask if America’s chaos has finally spilled into Canada. From Trump’s revenge tariffs to Alberta’s teacher strikes and a white supremacist tantrum outside the CBC, it’s all cheese, chaos, and constitutional clauses. Perfect for fans of smart, unhinged politics. Politics Is Broken. A weekly podcast where Brittlestar and Lisa B attempt to make Canadian News and Politics funner. The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers. Find the podcast here: https://pod.link/1730993828

Nov 2

•

55 min
NOV 16

Is Canada Safe from the Epstein Scandal?

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a topic that makes you want to wash your hands just for saying it out loud: Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that won’t die has become a mirror for power, privilege, and the myth that Canada’s too polite for corruption. They dig into how systems protect the powerful, why accountability in Canada feels so slow, and whether or not we’re just naïve enough to think “it couldn’t happen here.

Nov 16

•

55 min
OCT 26

Red Hats, Red Tape, and Blue Jays

Big week. Trump’s thrown his toys out of the NAFTA crib, a Canadian MP’s doing his best Charlie Kirk cosplay, and the Blue Jays are suddenly making us believe in something again -which, frankly, is dangerous. Today we’re asking whether American-style politics can actually work here, what ‘ending trade talks’ really means when your biggest customer lives next door, and whether baseball can unite a country that mostly only watches it when we’re winning. The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers. Find the podcast here: https://pod.link/1730993828

Oct 26

•

53 min
NOV 9

Is Anger Politics Over? CARNEY'S BUDGET, MAMDANI WINS

Is anger politics finally over? … and If it is, where do we send the people who still want to yell on Facebook? This week, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into MP jumping parties, a democratic socialist win in New York City, and a federal budget that might have been written entirely by ChatGPT with a positive attitude problem.

Nov 9

•

59 min
NOV 23

What The Hell, Alberta

Brittlestar and Lisa tackle Alberta’s chaos spiral - from the government using the notwithstanding clause to target trans kids, to a $125M privatization disaster, to a “not two-tier” healthcare plan that sure feels like two tiers. What the hell, Alberta?

Nov 23

•

58 min
OCT 5

Carney’s Pivot (?) : Climate, Energy & the Service Recession

Mark Carney built his reputation as the climate banker who’d and help save the planet. Now, as Prime Minister, he’s scrapped the carbon tax, fast-tracked oil exports, and promised “balanced growth.” Gas is cheaper, Alberta’s smiling, but Canada’s services economy — where most people actually work — is shrinking fast. This week, we dig into whether Carney’s pivot is pragmatic politics during turbulent times and tariffs - or a slow-motion betrayal. Can a “dual-energy” Canada work when the climate math doesn’t add up and the barista can’t pay rent?

Oct 5

•

51 min

Brittlestar (Stewart Reynolds) offer a selection of podcasts talking about comedy, news, politics and more

Website

BRITTLESTAR

Top Shows

The 12 Months of Crisismas - 2025 Canadian Politics Review

What the US National Security Strategy Means For Canada (and Alberta Too)

FIFA FOE TRUMP

ALBERTA: TOTAL RECALL

The Cheese Slipped Off the Cracker (and Into the Classroom)

Is Canada Safe from the Epstein Scandal?

Red Hats, Red Tape, and Blue Jays

Is Anger Politics Over? CARNEY'S BUDGET, MAMDANI WINS

What The Hell, Alberta

Carney’s Pivot (?) : Climate, Energy & the Service Recession

About

BRITTLESTAR

Top Shows

Top Episodes

About