Futureproofing Canada

The political information landscape is being reshaped as social media influencers are increasingly at the heart of changes in how news is produced, how campaigns are run, and how citizens engage with politics. But how much do we know about their roles, and what should journalists, policymakers, and civil society make of them?  In this live episode of Futureproofing Canada, host Jennifer Ditchburn moderates a panel with leading researchers Elizabeth Dubois, Colette Brin and Arturo Arriagada. Together, they explore the opportunities and risks political influencers present for journalism and democracy, from changing ideas of credibility and expertise to questions about transparency, regulation and the growing power of digital platforms.

What Governments Get Wrong About Implementation by IRPP

New Brunswick is rethinking how it grows its economy in a more uncertain global environment. In this episode of Futureproofing Canada, host Jennifer Ditchburn speaks with Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick, about how the province is positioning itself for long-term resilience, from developing critical minerals and expanding deep-water ports to strengthening trade links beyond the United States. They also discuss the pressures shaping the province’s outlook, including labour shortages, shifting immigration patterns, and the need to modernize how government works.

Canada is preparing for a major shift in defence policy, one that could reshape not only its military capabilities, but also its economy and global partnerships. In this episode of Futureproofing Canada, host Jennifer Ditchburn speaks with Jeff Collins, a defence policy expert at the University of Prince Edward Island, about what’s driving Canada’s push toward significantly higher military spending and a new defence strategy . They discuss how renewed pressure from the United States, growing geopolitical competition, and the war in Ukraine have forced a rethink of Canada’s security assumptions. The conversation explores the challenges of defence procurement, the ambition to build a stronger domestic defence industry, and the realities of operating alongside, and increasingly independently from, the United States.

For decades, economists and policymakers have argued that internal trade barriers are holding Canada back. But tariff threats from the United States and global uncertainty have prompted governments across the country to act on lowering those barriers. In this episode of Futureproofing Canada, host Jennifer Ditchburn speaks with Ryan Manucha, one of Canada’s leading experts on interprovincial trade and the author of Booze, Cigarettes and Constitutional Dust-Ups, about the recent wave of legislation aimed at mutual recognition and internal trade reform. They discuss what mutual recognition really means, why implementation is harder than it sounds, and whether new federal and provincial momentum can translate into lasting economic gains.