The Backbench

Pierre Poilievre is packing his bags to rural Alberta, after losing his seat to Bruce Fanjoy. How the hell did Fanjoy do it? We asked him.Plus, pollster David Coletto breaks down things you may have missed in the election results.Host: Sam KonnertCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Background reading:How a political rookie wore out two pairs of shoes to unseat Pierre Poilievre | Globe and MailRe-elected Alberta MP steps down, allowing Pierre Poilievre to step up | CBCCarleton was Poilievre's riding to lose. When he did, it came as a shock to many | CBCThe Think Tank: Only Boomers are really concerned about Trump this election | The HubSponsors: Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and its long list of added-value features. Activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off and 10GB of free data. Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/backbench and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a great episode from our friends at Canardian! Sault Ste. Marie. Population 71,000. A place best known as the hometown of Roberta Bondar, the first woman in space, Treble Charger, and countless NHL players. Douglas Soltys, host of The BetaKit Podcast, joins the show (instead of going to therapy) to discuss the best pizza in town, being a 90s indie rock kid, destructive hockey teams, and WAY more.Listen to Douglas's podcast, The BetaKit Podcast, on your favourite podcast platform now!Find more from BetaKit here: https://betakit.com/Links:Home Slice: A Sault Pizza DocumentaryNorthern hockey association adopts rules of conduct for players during hotel staysJordan Nolan InstagramTurtles five feet across! Early animal oddities that made the Sault . . . er . . . famousFacebook: Idiots of Sault Ste MarieFacebook: Are We Dating The Same Guy? | Sudbury / North Bay / Sault Ste Marie OntarioCanardian is the flagship podcast of Pod the North, the newsletter for the Canadian podcasting ecosystem from Kattie Laur.Check out Pod the North at podthenorth.com and share your Canadian podcasting news!Follow Pod the North on Instagram @podthenorthEmail Kattie at podthenorth@substack.comThe Canardian theme song is by Mark Allin and Kattie Laur, mixed by Jordan White, with vocals including Shane Fester, Brad Cousins, Ben Cousins.The Canardian podcast artwork is by Brad Cousins and Kattie Laur. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While most Canadians are gearing up to head to the polls, some are looking for an escape plan. This week, we’re examining the deep roots of Western alienation, Danielle Smith’s separatist flirtations, and what could erupt if Mark Carney’s Liberals sweep to power. To do that, producer Sam Konnert heads out to Alberta to talk to some voters, and calls up Preston Manning, the man behind the conversation. Later, host Noor Azrieh sits down with Dr. Lisa Young for a serious reality check. And the latest on the utter sidelining of Indigenous issues, a polling update, and why you should get your arse out to the polls on April 28th. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Preston Manning, Lisa YoungFurther Reading on Our WebsiteSponsors: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadalandVisit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. Whether you'reprotecting your family’s health or their financial future, PolicyMe is reliable and makes iteffortless and fast.If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With two weeks out from election day, Ottawa is buzzing. Staffers are partying late into the night and reporting to work at 7 a.m., Chipotle’s are turning into war rooms, and the polls are telling stories.We went to three party-specific events in Ottawa for a pulse check on how people feel in the nation’s capital. From 11-year-old door knockers to Jagmeet Singh to Trump’s former trade representative, we heard a LOT of opinions.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Background reading:Liberals lead dips for 1st time in Canada election as Tories gain: poll | GlobalCarney apologizes for fake Trump-style buttons, Liberal staffers 'reassigned' | National PostRecord-tying number of candidates running in Ottawa riding of Carleton | CTVNDP Strategy in the Final Stretch of the Election | GlobalPierre Poilievre is sticking to his greatest hits. That’s the problem | Globe and MailSponsors: Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off & 10GB of free data. Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more! To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/BACKBENCH, and the discount will be automatically applied at checkoutIf you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Pierre Poilievre said tick tock goes your biological clock. This was the first time that host Noor Azrieh noticed, during the campaign, that someone (anyone!) was speaking to women directly and explicitly. And it prompted a wave of pushback…and some praise. The gap between men and women is widening. If the election happened today, and only women voted, Mark Carney would be on track for the biggest landslide in Canadian history. Gender gaps have been a mainstay of Canadian politics for years, but never quite like this. In this episode, we’re diving into the minds of voters. What are they thinking about when they head to the polls? And the latest on Trump’s tariff tantrums, Poilievre’s big news on drug policy, the NDP’s rent control dream, and is it defund the CBC or refund the CBC…we can’t tell anymore. Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Further Reading On Our WebsiteSponsors: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadalandArticle is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more! To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/BACKBENCH, and the discount will be automatically applied at checkoutVisit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off & 10GB of free data. If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With 78 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons, Quebec isn’t just a battleground…it could decide the entire election. And this time, the usual Bloc-Liberal-NDP tug-of-war is taking some unexpected turns. We hit the streets of Montreal to find out what is on people’s minds, and host Noor Azrieh sits down with Martin Patriquin to unpack what it all means. And, you’ll hear from Philippe J. Fournier, founder of 338, to talk about where the parties are at in the polls, and if we can even trust the polls…at all. Plus, the latest on tensions rising inside the Conservative party, and the phone call heard around the world between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Martin Patriquin, Philippe J. FournierFurther Reading on Our WebsiteSponsors: Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off & 10GB of free data. Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. Whether you'reprotecting your family’s health or their financial future, PolicyMe is reliable and makes iteffortless and fast.Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadalandIf you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is AI slop the ultimate weapon for foreign interference? Or are we spiraling into another internet-fueled moral panic?Last week several AI-generated photos of Mark Carney and Ghislaine Maxwell looking chummy went viral. It was easy to spot the fake, but it raised an important question: should we be worried about AI in this election?Ryan Broderick, author of the Garbage Day newsletter, and host of his own podcast Panic World, doesn’t think so.Host: Noor AzriehCredits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)Guests: Ryan BroderickFurther Reading On Our WebsiteSponsors: Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25$ off & 10GB of free data. Visit policyme.com to explore insurance plans that cover your needs. Whether you'reprotecting your family’s health or their financial future, PolicyMe is reliable and makes iteffortless and fast.Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more! To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/BACKBENCH, and the discount will be automatically applied at checkoutIf you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.