Let's stand up for the thousands of Ukrainian children abducted from their homes and forced to become Russian. In the background, a photo of my grandmother and aunts and uncles who came to Canada from Ukraine in search of freedom from the Soviet state. Family is sacrosanct, Mr. Putin. #BringKidsBack

It's hard to imagine with the US crisis that any government is going to double the Parliamentary appropriation for CBC. CBC is critical to the news ecosystem but the route to political inoculation is reform not more funding. Let's have a real debate.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Amazing how little public debate about the future of the CBC considers genuine reform of the institution. Thanks to @torontostarunit.bsky.social for space to describe a radical decentralization strategy in response to the defunding threat. Makes for a better CBC.

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

This is six weeks old and even more on the mark today!
How Canada Should Respond to Trump open.substack.com/pub/dgardner...

Party leadership comes and goes. WONK-iness holds steady through the ups and downs.

@cdnpoli.bsky.social I first met Chrystia Freeland in Ukraine in August 1989. She was hanging out with dissidents and defying Soviet authorities. Showing up for caucus is not something I imagine she wrestled with #cdnpoli

I made the mistake of assuming it would be easier getting up and down Yonge Street today on subway than car. But that wasn't to reckon with the competency race to the bottom between the TTC and the city roads department.

@KellyleeEvans killing it (as always) at a Christmas concert at Hugh's Room

Especially now that I'm finally on the ground after flying from Toronto to Dulles, not being able to land because of wind, running low on fuel and having Pearson(!) as our alternate airport, returning home and starting over!

At a time when we need a proactive Canada-US strategy, I am looking forward to bringing @ppforumca.bsky.social's #MatterMore to @wilsoncenter.org in Washington Thursday with the Munk School's @Janice Stein. Thanks to Chris Sands

This week on WONK, an all-star panel — Janice Stein
of @uoft.bsky.social's Munk School, Canada’s former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul and @thestar.com columnist Andrew Phillips — discusses Trump’s tariff threat and what’s next for Canada with host @egreenspon.bsky.social:

I learn so much from this crew of Friends of PPF.
As Politico said this morning: The topic of discussion: DONALD TRUMP‘s tariff threat — and how Canada should deal with it. Our ears perked up throughout.....

Been watching The Fifth Estate 50th anniversary documentary. Both a great reminder of what great journalism looks like and what it takes (smarts, determination, guts) to do it.

I had the pleasure of covering the making of the child benefit in the late 90s. Ken and Sherri Torjman designed Canada's biggest social policy innovation in a generation. It took kids off welfare and had and has universal buy-in. I recall Ken telling me his biggest critics were his pals on the left

As per @ppforumca and @munkschool's Matter More paper, it is imperative for Canada to initiate a substantive strategy for doing things together for mutual benefit and the good of other friends - Auto Pact 2.0s. Dithering puts us behind the 8-ball
ppforum.ca/publications...

Chuffed @ppforumca podcast WONK has been nominated by the Canadian Podcast Awards in the Outstanding News & Current Affairs category along with PressProgress Sources, Speaking Municipally, Speaking of Business with Goldy Hyder and The FEED. I think you all get to vote for the People's Choice, ahem!

Played P-Ball for the first time today at a facility called The Jar, as in Pickle Jar

The outbreak of violence in Montreal isn't an aberration. It is the product of a new permisiveness toward disorder. If violence and intimidation are unacceptable, as we often hear, what is Cdn society doing about it? #justwatchme
montrealgazette.com/news/local-n...