<![CDATA[Sage]]>
sagecanada.substack.com]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/podcastSubstackWed, 26 Aug 2026 14:54:13 GMThttps://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/7789596.rssSageWhere experience meets Canada’s future.episodicSagesagecanada@substack.comNo<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: A Trade Deal Could Buy Stability. It Won’t Restore the Old Canada-U.S. Relationship.]]>At what may be a make-or-break moment in the trade talks, Canada must decide how much it is willing to concede in exchange for greater economic stability. Would Ottawa accept some tariffs in return for more predictability on steel, aluminum and autos? How will Mexico and deeply integrated North American supply chains shape the outcome? And if the talks fail, should Canada walk away, retaliate, pursue a legal challenge or wait for the U.S. midterm elections?

Canada-U.S. relations expert and former U.S. diplomat Scotty Greenwood, and Senator Peter Harder, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Senator Peter Boehm, former Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, join host Allan Gregg to discuss what Canada might gain, what it may have to give up and whether an agreement would provide a platform for moving forward—or merely another pause in an increasingly adversarial relationship.

Listen to the latest episode of the Sage Podcast, and please share it with your network.

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Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-a-trade-deal-could-buysubstack:post:212091243Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTSAGENo2623<![CDATA[It’s a Cliffhanger For Sure: Will August 19 Throw the Canada-U.S. Relationship Over the Edge]]>With President Donald Trump’s August 19 tariff deadline just days away, Canadian negotiators have remained in Washington trying to avert a show-stopping escalation in the trade war. But despite the rightful attention, these are not yet CUSMA renegotiations. They are a narrower — and increasingly urgent — battle over steel, aluminum, autos, alcohol, dairy and other irritants.

Will Trump delay the new tariffs while talks continue? Does Canada have more leverage than generally thought? And if the deadline passes without an agreement and perhaps with new tariffs, should Canada continue trying to grind it out, walk away or retaliate?

Andrei Sulzenko, a principal negotiator of the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement, Marta Morgan, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Senator Peter Harder, also a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, join host Allan Gregg to discuss Canada’s options at the tariff cliff—and why the real CUSMA negotiations may be better left for later.

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Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/haggle-now-negotiate-later-canadasubstack:post:211320571Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:51:47 GMTSAGENo2525<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: We Made Health Care Sustainable by Brute Force. Now We Have to Make It Work. ]]>Canada’s universal healthcare system remains a major social and economic asset. But years of tightly controlling costs have also left it with too few beds, too little resilience, burned-out health professionals and patients rationed through wait times. We may have made health care financially sustainable, but is it still sustainable from the perspective of the people who depend on it?

Sage contributors Peter Nicholson and Peter Wallace join host Allan Gregg to debate why reform has proved so difficult and what should come next. Can expanding the responsibilities of nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals improve access? Would private investment provide a much-needed safety valve—or merely siphon workers and easier cases out of the public system? And can AI and Canada’s vast stores of health data finally help spread better practices across hospitals and provinces?



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-canadas-health-caresubstack:post:210275391Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTSageNo3000<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: Forest Fires Are Normal and Necessary. We Just Have to Stop Making Them Worse]]>Canadians need to reckon with growing wildfire footprints, including more frantic evacuations, more community destruction, and smoke infesting urban areas and even crossing international borders. As wildfires dominate the headlines, Sage explores the decades of misguided fire suppression practices, the complications from climate change, and the policy solutions available to resilient societies to both manage and combat the blazes,

Kelsey Winter, Executive Director at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and JP Gladu, an Anishinaabe leader from northwest Ontario educated as a forester, join Sage hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to answer these questions and offer some surprising perspectives.

Please listen now on the podcast provider of your choice. And please subscribe to Sage and share with your network.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-what-wildfire-seasonsubstack:post:209405506Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTSageNo2880<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: Let's Not Forget the Ticking Time Bomb of Affordability or It Might Blow Up Our Politics]]>The affordability crisis goes well beyond the monthly inflation rate. It’s about cost of living, for sure, but also low productivity, stagnant wages, and wounded spirits. On the latest episode of the Sage Podcast, former Newfoundland and Labrador Finance Minister, Cathy Bennett and former B.C. Cabinet Secretary Don Wright join hosts Edward Greenspon and Allan Gregg to talk over this unfolding economic, social, and political tragedy, and the staying power of rebate and subsidy responses. While governments need to focus on geopolitical threats, they risk long-term generational unrest if they don’t also get with the program on affordability.

Listen today to this essential discussion, and let your network know that Sage is digging into these big, hairy issues.

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Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-short-term-pain-longsubstack:post:208401532Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMTSageNo2599<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: Davos Six Months On, Carney's Diagnosis is Holding Up But Can the Middle Powers Live Up to Billing?]]>Six months after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s landmark Davos speech turned him into an international “rock star,” how well is the vision managing contact with reality?

Janice Stein, Founding Director at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and trade and global-governance expert John Hancock join host Edward Greenspon to assess how the Davos vision is doing and probe its inherent contradictions and still-untapped potential. Can middle powers really work together—or is that idea actually “close to fantasy?” The conversation criss-crosses the globe, with stopovers in Washington, Beijing, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo, Seoul, Kyiv, Moscow, and back to Ottawa.

We hear that we’re living in a world in which controlling chokepoints - the Strait of Hormuz, critical mineral processing, semiconductors, AI, etc. - confers real power. Where’s Canada’s leverage? How do we get more? Where do our interests really lie?

Listen to a stimulating and scintillating conversation. If you enjoy the discussion - and you will - please share it with your friends and colleagues.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-carneys-davos-speechsubstack:post:207565629Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMTSageNo3298<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: NATO Isn’t Out of the Woods Yet. Nor the Woodshed. But Its Rebuild Is Picking Up Pace.]]>NATO’s leaders left Turkey declaring unity—but did the alliance emerge stronger, or simply avoid disaster? As allies commit to historic defence spending and Canada embarks on its biggest military procurement in history, is the country finally becoming a serious defence player? And has Ukraine gone from needing NATO to becoming indispensable to its future? Sage contributors Kerry Buck, Canada’s former ambassador to the alliance, and Senator Peter Harder join host Edward Greenspon to unpack what the summit achieved, what it left unsaid, and what Canada’s growing defence commitments mean for the future of the alliance.

In case you missed it, check out last week’s Sage Podcast, when Kerry Buck was joined by former Deputy Minister of National Defence and National Security Advisor Jody Thomas to discuss expectations ahead of the leaders’ summit in Turkey.

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Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-nato-isnt-out-of-thesubstack:post:206633315Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMTSageNo2329<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: With a Volatile Adversary and Capricious Partner, NATO is On Course for A Different Future. But Where is it Headed Exactly?]]>As NATO leaders gather for their annual summit, attention will be on defence production and procurement as a unifying theme. The North Atlantic alliance is managing not just Donald Trump’s erraticism but also massive changes in the nature of warfare as well as the enormous economic impacts on members of conflict far from its borders.

Two Sage regulars, former Canadian Ambassador to NATO Kerry Buck and former National Security Advisor and Deputy Minister of Defence Jody Thomas, tell host Edward Greenspon that Canada comes to the table more committed and more appreciated than in decades. They argue that Canada’s greatest contribution lies in doubling down on our software strengths while the next step toward a 3.5% spending target needs to place greater emphasis on NATO’s role in defending the Arctic.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/nato-podcastsubstack:post:204993954Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMTSageNo2896<![CDATA[‘China Syndrome’ No More: Nuclear’s Remarkable Comeback and Canada’s Supply Chain Advantage]]>Nuclear power is back at the centre of Canada’s energy debate. AI is driving huge new demand for electricity, governments are racing to build, and Canada may have a rare advantage: CANDU technology, uranium, skilled workers, and decades of nuclear know-how. But can Canada turn that head start into a global industry? Can the public be brought along? And can nuclear become not just a source of power, but a nation-building project? Listen as nuclear experts Rick Anderson and Michelle Leslie join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to answer these questions and more!



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/if-canada-wants-to-be-an-energy-superpowersubstack:post:203850184Sun, 28 Jun 2026 14:31:00 GMTSageNo2981<![CDATA[Sage Podcast: Trump Got Managed. China Got Warned. Ukraine Got Respected. AI Got Too Big to Ignore]]>The G7 was built for a different world, but this year’s gathering showed it’s far from dead yet. Fifty years on, it still tries to manage the biggest global risks: China, Ukraine, Iran, AI, critical minerals and “the boss” in the room, Donald Trump. Is the summit still a serious tool of global governance — or just simply an opportunity for keeping disruption from spinning out of control? Sage’s own Peter Harder, Marta Morgan and Miville Tremblay join host Allan Gregg to tackle these questions and more. Listen now!



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/sage-podcast-trump-got-managed-chinasubstack:post:202860351Sun, 21 Jun 2026 14:10:00 GMTSageNo2532<![CDATA[The Sage Podcast: The Prime Minister is revving up his Ford Cobra while many Indigenous partners are stuck in broken-down jalopies. What now?]]>Canada is putting policies in place to build at maximum speed. These Indigenous leaders, advisors to the Major Projects Office, tell hosts Edward Greenspon and Allan Gregg too much speed could put the project at risk. That’s the $500-billion question: can Canada move quickly without alienating Indigenous rights holders? How? Are we on track?

Tune in!



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/the-sage-podcast-indigenous-leaderssubstack:post:201878516Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:09:00 GMTSageNo2907<![CDATA[The Sage Podcast: Keep Calm and Carry On, Canada ]]>Parliament is getting ready to break, but summertime living definitely won’t be easy. In this episode of the Sage Podcast, Senator Peter Harder and former Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay tell hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon that our ‘Opposable Prime Minister’ needs to keep his eyes fixed on his big priorities without getting overly distracted by the inevitable creep of other matters. They discuss how a CUSMA deal is unlikely until U.S. politics settle down; that the real audience for Carney’s New York City speech was those back home conflating pro-Canadianism and anti-Americanism; and that those who complain most vocally about federal roadblocks to energy development in Alberta now are the ones discouraging investment.

Oh yea, they seem to think a bit more empathy and explanation can go a long way.

Where experience meets the future.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/the-sage-podcast-the-opposable-primesubstack:post:200800002Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMTSageNo2983<![CDATA[The Sage Podcast: Knives to the Throat, Trips to the Dentist – The Neverendum is Back.]]>Is Canada too tolerant of separatism? What would Quebec or Alberta independence actually look like? Will a no vote put the matter to rest? How do Indigenous rights factor in? Should other Canadians have a say? What would negotiations look like? Is Brexit a good comparison?

Two of Canada’s most prominent federalists, former Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and former Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, join hosts Edward Greenspon and Allan Gregg on this week’s episode of the Sage Podcast to discuss these questions and more.

Where experience meets the future.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/canadas-never-ending-unity-debatesubstack:post:199927373Sun, 31 May 2026 14:29:00 GMTSageNo3794<![CDATA[Two Ex-Ministers Return From China Convinced It Has to Be Part of Canada’s Play]]>Former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan and former foreign affairs minister John Baird join Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to recount recent candid exchanges with Chinese counterparts and reflect on three fascinating decades of ups and downs in Canada's second-most important bilateral relationship. Amidst our troubles with the U.S, how can today’s policymakers find a path between foreign interference and forced labour on one side and the most viable economic alternative on the other



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/has-canada-moved-from-chinas-penaltysubstack:post:199003860Sun, 24 May 2026 14:30:00 GMTSageNo3272<![CDATA[Can the Carney government cut approval delays without cutting corners - and how?]]>In this episode of the Sage podcast, Donald Wright and Janet Annesley join hosts Edward Greenspon and Allan Gregg to talk about one of Canada’s hardest policy questions: why is it so difficult to get major projects built? As Mark Carney’s government signals a new push on regulatory reform, the group explores whether Canada’s approval system has become a barrier to investment, productivity and growth — or whether the real challenge is balancing speed with environmental protection, Indigenous consultation, legal accountability and public trust.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/can-canada-build-again-carneys-regulatorysubstack:post:198059999Sun, 17 May 2026 14:30:00 GMTSageNo2825<![CDATA[Canada’s Productivity Problem Is a Paycheque Problem]]>From the shortage of “backhoes” to the struggle to scale Canadian startups, this conversation asks why Canada has spent decades diagnosing the problem — and why fixing it remains so difficult.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/canadas-productivity-problem-is-asubstack:post:197035934Sun, 10 May 2026 14:10:00 GMTSageNo2648<![CDATA[The CUSMA Clock Is Ticking, but Canada Isn’t Rushing]]>Senator Peter Harder and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marta Morgan join host Allan Gregg to discuss Trump’s tariff pressure, Canada’s negotiating leverage and why rushing into a deal may be the wrong move.

Is July 1 really a deadline or just the beginning of a longer CUSMA fight? Can Canada preserve trade stability with the U.S. without making early concessions? Are tariffs, supply management and Trump’s pressure tactics pulling Canada into something bigger than a routine review?



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/the-cusma-clock-is-ticking-but-canadasubstack:post:196262520Sun, 03 May 2026 14:04:00 GMTSageNo2295<![CDATA[If we don’t cut old spending to make room for new spending, do tax hikes become inevitable? ]]>As the Spring Economic Statement beckons, Canada’s top economic minds- turned Sage contributors, former Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge, McGill Economics Professor Chris Ragan, and former B.C. cabinet secretary Deputy Minister Don Wright join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to discuss Canada’s creeping fiscal complacency.

They like the federal government’s growth agenda, but aren’t convinced Ottawa is ready yet for hard fiscal arithmetic. And don’t even ask about the provinces!



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/if-we-dont-cut-old-spending-to-makesubstack:post:195524793Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:57:25 GMTSageNo3360<![CDATA[Does AI Frighten You? There's No Relief in Sight.]]>Sage regular Peter Nicholson and guest Janice Stein, Founding Director at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to talk about AI through a geopolitical lens. We are at a point in the development of AI where even creators like Dario Amodei and Sam Altman are anxious about its expanding powers. But global competition makes it difficult to imagine any introduction of major guardrails. Janice and Peter say they’re skeptical that China and the U.S. would negotiate some kind of nuclear non-proliferation treaty equivalent for AI.

Listen to Sage to hear Canada’s top minds tackle our biggest challenges.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/if-ai-frightens-you-we-offer-no-realsubstack:post:194625172Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:14:27 GMTSageNo2225<![CDATA[NATO at 77… and Feeling Its Age in the Strait of Hormuz]]>Sage contributors Senator Peter Harder and former Deputy Minister of Defence Jody Thomas join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to discuss the future of the West’s security architecture in the aftermath of the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Could Canada help secure the Strait of Hormuz? Can NATO survive Trump 2.0? What happens post-Trump? Listen to hear Canada’s foremost experts answer these questions and more.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/nato-at-77-and-feeling-its-age-insubstack:post:193921165Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMTSageNo2250<![CDATA[Canadian Angles on the Strait of Hormuz]]>As a key deadline in the Canada-Alberta MOU came and went without drama, and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz continued to hold global energy markets hostage, the Sage podcast this week discussed what this all means for future developments in the Canadian energy industry and Canada’s potential as an energy superpower. Do we have the capacity to produce more oil and gas? Do investors have enough confidence in the longevity of fossil fuels as an energy commodity to increase production, and what does electrification contribute to competitiveness? And what about carbon taxes?

Janet Annesley, CEO of Ti-Di and a former top executive in the Canadian energy industry and Canadian government, joins hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to answer these questions. Please download, listen, and subscribe to Sage.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/canadian-angles-on-the-straight-ofsubstack:post:193099662Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMTSageNo3068<![CDATA[Canada Finally Hits 2%, Now Things Get Hard - Strategically, Industrially and Politically]]>Is defending the Arctic alone realistic? Is NATO salvageable? Will politics deny the best plane? Will Canadians support defence spending increases all the way to 5%?

Earlier this week, NATO reported that Canada (finally) met the alliance’s defence spending target of 2% of GDP. Twelve years after committing to the benchmark, Canada now aims higher: five per cent by 2035. How do we get there? What are the trade-offs? Is it politically viable? Sage contributors Peter Harder and Jody Thomas, former deputy ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defence, join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to tackle these questions and more.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/canada-finally-hits-2-now-thingssubstack:post:192369365Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:00:00 GMTSageNo3542<![CDATA[Going for Bronze: Canada Has Settled for Third on the Global Economic Podium]]>Are we poorer than we think? Do we need to consume less? Are we scared enough?

Sage contributors Martha Hall Findlay and former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge join hosts Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon to debate whether Canadians are ready for short-term financial pain in exchange for long-term economic gain—and whether Mark Carney is the one to lead the way.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/going-for-bronze-canada-has-settledsubstack:post:191584739Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:59:33 GMTSageNo3708<![CDATA[Canada's (Changing?) Role in the World]]>How is Canada confronting the challenges of a changing world order? Where is Canada leading? Where is it falling behind? Sage contributors Cathy Bennett, Dale Eisler and Peter Nicholson join host Allan Gregg in the second episode of the Sage podcast.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/canadas-changing-role-in-the-worldsubstack:post:190869703Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:38:42 GMTSAGENo2856<![CDATA[Carney's One Year Anniversary: Looking Ahead]]>Guess whose anniversary is coming up? Mark Carney’s. One year as Prime Minister. What’s he done well? Where is there a need for improvement? What’s year two likely to look like? Join Sage contributors Janet Annesley, Don Wright, Peter Harder, Allan Gregg and Edward Greenspon as they answer these questions.



Get full access to SAGE at sagecanada.substack.com/subscribe]]>https://sagecanada.substack.com/p/carneys-one-year-anniversary-lookingsubstack:post:190159354Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTSAGENo3282