The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Greetings and a happy 2026, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! What better way to kick off our podcast year than by convening the most popular panel we run at Air Quotes Media. So demanded by this listenership, we’ve welcomed back The Chiefs to give us their governance wisdom!

These are 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government: Ian Brodie, Brian Topp and Tim Murphy.

Today on the show, 3 core conversations:

• I want to talk about the enormously delicate task of managing the Canada/U.S. relationship.
• Ana Bailao, Douglas Guzman, and Dawn Farrell – 3 outsiders brought in by Prime Minister Carney – each charged with a key element of the government’s agenda. How’s it going to work? Is it going to work?
• And Prime Minister Carney’s time abroad and how to run a government while he's travelling.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. We’ll get right into it, because we have a Cabinet Minister on the Christmas pod today. And not just any Cabinet Minister ... The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Finance and National Revenue!

Today marks his 2nd appearance on The Herle Burly and you all know he delivered Budget 2025 in the House, just 7 weeks ago, so that’s what we’re going to talk about for the next 45 minutes, and, in the broadest sense: the state of the economy.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, CPA Ontario, and the Port of Vancouver.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. I’m looking for the most accurate adjective to sum up the year in Canadian politics. Watershed ... Pivotal ... Seismic.

They all fit to some extent. But they don’t really capture the whole of it, eh? So, the pod today is a Journalists Panel to do a fulsome Year in Review on all that went down politically across the country, in 2025.

Joining me are 3 titans of the Canadian political pen: Paul Wells, Tonda MacCharles, and Kathleen Petty.

When you’re a titan at something, and work in media to boot, you’re obviously pretty well known, so just as a primer:

Paul Wells – formerly at Maclean’s, the National Post and The Gazette. He now publishes his own brilliant and widely read newsletter: paulwells.substack.com.

Tonda MacCharles – Ottawa Bureau Chief and Senior Reporter for the Toronto Star. Spent nearly a decade on CBC’s The National and The Fifth Estate.

Kathleen Petty – Host of West of Centre Podcast. Host of Alberta at Noon. Former executive producer of CBC News Calgary and host of The House.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Port of Vancouver.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! We’ve got a special 2-part episode lined up for you today… a Canada-Alberta Pipeline MOU Double-Pod Double-Panel Policy & Politics Extravaganza!

Unwieldy name, I know. But it’s apt because we’re going to look at the thing through the lens of both policy and politics with 2 different panels for a wide-ranging discussion and a diversity of strategic perspectives.

First up ... our MOU Policy Panel:

• Rick Smith – President of the Canadian Climate Institute, and central to numerous policy advances, provincially and federally, over his 25-year career.
• Mark Podlasly – Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Major Projects Coalition.
• And Heather Exner-Pirot – senior fellow and director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa.

Then ... our MOU Political Panel: 

• Mike McDonald – Air Quotes Media alumnus, co-host of the Hotel Pacifico pod and Partner, Chief Strategy Officer at Kirk & Co.
• Cheryl Oates – Principal and advisor at GT&Co, and co-host of The Discourse podcast.
• And André Pratte – Strategist at Catalyze4, former non-partisan member of the Senate, and chief editorial writer at La Presse from 2001-2015.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Port of Vancouver.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. The Honourable Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick, the one and only remaining Liberal Premier in Canada, has graciously made time for us today.

I don’t want to give too much of this away because I want to talk more about her life and why she got into politics, but Premier Holt became the 35th, and the first woman Premier of New Brunswick, just over 13 months ago. Prior to that, she had been leading of the Official Opposition Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly since 2023.  She’s been a business leader. A champion of community involvement. And spent many years working with government on economic policy.

So again, we’ll do a deeper dive into Premier Holt’s bio today, and what animates her political life. We’ll talk about the front burner political issues in New Brunswick. I want to get her thoughts on Prime Minister Carney’s national economic plan and Budget 2025. And then we’ll do a bit on Federal/Provincial relations.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! So, about 8 weeks ago I started in on a book, and I could NOT put it down. What makes “The Coutts Diaries: Power, Politics and Pierre Trudeau” so compelling, is that it is what it says it is ... a written diary of exactly what when on in the backrooms of power during most of Pierre Trudeau’s 15 years as Prime Minister. 

It’s not conjecture. It’s not speculation. It’s the record. 

Meticulously transcribed – candid detail by candid detail – by Trudeau’s Principal Secretary, Jim Coutts, one of the most powerful men in Canada, in his private diary.

Today on the pod, the man who breathed life into those diaries over 40 years after the last entry, editing it all into one astonishing volume. Author and journalist: Ron Graham.

Ron is a multi-award winner and the man responsible for one of my favourite books on Canadian politics, “One-Eyed Kings”. Other notable works are “The French Quarter” and “The Last Act: Pierre Trudeau, the Gang of Eight, and the Fight for Canada.” He also edited “Straight from the Heart and My Years as Prime Minister, the memoirs of Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien”.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! This week – making their now regular quarterly appearance on the pod – I give you The Chiefs: Ian Brodie, Tim Murphy, and Brian Topp!

Ottawa is pretty much laser-focused on the budget these days – the substance and the politics surrounding it – and that’s what we’re primarily going to spend the hour on today. Plus, the resurgence of industrial policy, effectiveness of the Major Projects Office, managing floor crossers while in government, managing unrest in caucus, and leadership’s attempts to deal with it all.

So, join me in welcoming back 3 former Chiefs of Staff to some of Canada’s most accomplished heads of government:

Tim Murphy – former Chief of Staff to Paul Martin … now, EVP and Chief Strategic Affairs Officer at AECON.

Brian Topp – former Chief of Staff to Rachel Notley in Alberta … Deputy Chief to Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan … a co-architect of Jack Layton’s Orange Wave. Today ... he’s a founding partner at GT&co.

Ian Brodie – first Chief of Staff to Stephen Harper and central to the founding of the CPC.  Now … Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, and Senior Advisor at New West Public Affairs.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites, there’ll be no intro grasping at humour today. I can’t compete. Too intimidated. Because our guest on the pod is genuine Canadian comedy royalty: Mark Critch!

The co-creator, star and co-writer of the hit CBC series “Son of a Critch” based on his best-selling memoir. For 22 seasons, a cast member and writer of CBC's longest running comedy series, “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.”  The recipient of 6 Canadian Screen Awards and three Gemini Awards. A best-selling author, including the aforementioned “Son of a Critch” and “An Embarrassment of Critch’s” ... and he’s got a new book coming out later this month: “Sorry, Not Sorry. An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For” -- preorder here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/747434/sorry-not-sorry-by-mark-critch/9780735249547

So, we’re going to talk to Mark a little bit more about his background and how Canada has always punched above its weight, comedically. And, especially in light of today’s climate, I want to have a conversation about political humour and satire. Has it changed through the years? What’s its function in a healthy democracy? Does political humour have bigger role to play in what feels like a burgeoning autocracy? Trump pressure and fear got Stephen Colbert cancelled.  Kimmel teetered on the brink for about a week. But South Park has been relentlessly attacking Trump and his minions, weekly, and it’s never been more popular. Mark’s own Trump sketches on “22 minutes” have tens of millions views on Tik Tok. We’ll talk about all of that and more.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Tuesday this week was budget day, the Carney government’s long-awaited, first. And as we typically do when there’s a fresh budget to pick apart – we’ve assembled the policy panel for our very own Herle Burly Budget Lock-up.

 Dr. Jennifer Robson, Tyler Meredith and Ben Woodfinden are here to give us their review of Budget 2025.

You loyal Herle Burly-ites know Jennifer and Tyler well ... but Ben is new to the panel, so I’m going to start the bona fides with him.

Only one month ago, he joined Meredith, Boessenkool & Phillips as a Senior Advisor and Director of their new premium policy intelligence service, MBP Intelligence.  Over his career, he’s provided advice, translated policy and shaped messaging in the highest stakes political environments, most recently as Director of Comms for Pierre Poilievre. 

Jennifer has served in senior roles in policy development and research with the Federal Government. She’s now Program Director and Associate Professor of Political Management at Carleton University, and a fellow of the Public Policy Forum

And Tyler is the former Head of Fiscal and Economic Policy for Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers of Finance, Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. Today, he’s a Founding Partner at Meredith/Boessenkool & Phillips Policy Advisors.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Greetings, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. Remember about 15 years ago, when the publicly-troubled-at-the-time actor Charlie Sheen went viral for invoking the word “WINNING!” all over the place and in some pretty odd ways. Even when he wasn’t winning.

Charlie’s past that now. But let me submit our guest today has full rights to that word: Veteran PC and Conservative Party campaign manager, Steve Outhouse. 

He managed Premier Tony Wakeham’s majority winning campaign just a couple of weeks ago in Newfoundland. As well as Premier Smith’s UCP majority victory in Alberta.

Steve hails from Freeport, Long Island in southwest Nova Scotia. He worked in various comms roles in the Harper government before moving on to helm 3 federal CPC Leadership campaigns, as well as provincial leadership campaigns in Nova Scotia, PEI and the aforementioned Newfoundland and Labrador. He’s the founder of the “Just Campaigns” consultancy and says he’s “a bad business person”, but winning elections isn’t exactly bad for business. 

We’ll talk today a little more about Steve’s background about what animates his political life. Then we’ll do a deep dive into modern campaign mechanics: What works today? What doesn’t? I want his thoughts on “hot button” issues and how best to use them. Then, and this particularly relevant because he was Chief of Staff to Pierre Poilievre prior to 2015, what advice would Steve give to the federal Conservatives?

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail, PSAC, and the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council.

Alright, you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites! Another special LIVE podcast for you today: My interview with The Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba!

It was recorded on October 23rd with the Empire Club of Canada. And it felt really good – at least for a week – to trade in the ZOOM room for a big fancy BALLROOM with lots of engaged Canadians in attendance… and ready access to rum and coke.

Premier Kinew doesn’t need much of an introduction from me. He’s the 25th Premier of Manitoba, leading the NDP to a majority government in 2023, becoming the province’s first, First Nations Premier. First elected as the MLA for Fort Rouge in 2016.  He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manitoba and a master’s degree in Indigenous Governance.  From the Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario, he’s a bestselling author, former broadcaster, devoted dad and husband.

Premier Kinew joined me to talk a little more about his background and why he got into politics. His agenda for Manitoba. Charter rights and the notwithstanding clause. Nation building and the Churchill Project. Trade, tariffs and the state of our broader relationship with the U.S.

Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

The sponsored ads contained in the podcast are the expressed views of the sponsor and not those of the publisher.