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cover art for MBP Ep 17: Intelligence Briefing – Budget Season, Ontario’s Auto Anxiety, BC’s Debt Spike, and Ottawa’s Exchange Fund Debate (Free Version)

MBP Intelligence Briefing

MBP Ep 17: Intelligence Briefing – Budget Season, Ontario’s Auto Anxiety, BC’s Debt Spike, and Ottawa’s Exchange Fund Debate (Free Version)

Season 1, Ep. 17

The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.

Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.

Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.

This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.


You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.

Want the Full Episode?


Become a member to unlock:

  • The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)
  • Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newsletters
  • Invitations to private discussions and events
  • Access to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversation

Join MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/


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  • 22. Ep 22 MBP Intelligence Briefing: Parliament’s New Math, the Iran Oil Shock, and Carney’s Civil Service Reset (Free Version)

    14:35||Season 1, Ep. 22
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/
  • 21. Ep 21 MBP Intelligence Briefing: Carney’s Indo-Pacific Push, Poilievre’s European Pitch, and Alberta’s Fiscal Crossroads (Free Version)

    12:23||Season 1, Ep. 21
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/
  • 20. COMPLIMENTARY FULL EPISODE - MBP Ep 20: Intelligence Roundtable - Progressive Economics in the Carney Era: Poverty Reduction, EI vs CERB, the Care Economy, and Industrial Strategy

    56:42||Season 1, Ep. 20
    Ep 20 MBP Intelligence Briefing – Progressive Economics in the Carney Era: Poverty Reduction, EI vs CERB, the Care Economy, and Industrial StrategyIn this week’s MBP Intelligence Briefing, Shannon Phillips and Tyler Meredith are joined by economist Armine Yalnizyan - Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, for a wide-ranging conversation on what Canada gained in the Trudeau years, what’s at risk (or stalled) under the Carney government, and what a genuinely “progressive” industrial strategy would prioritize—especially the care economy, ownership, and the future of work in an AI- and services-heavy country. In this episode, they discuss· Meredith: The most consequential legacy of the Trudeau years was poverty reduction, driven in large part by the Canada Child Benefit alongside other targeted transfers.· Yalnizyan: CERB was globally unusual and highly effective, allowing people to stay home safely and supporting a rapid economic rebound.· Meredith: Pre-pandemic labour market tightening created more inclusive job gains for women, racialized workers, and people with disabilities.On Trudeau-era legacy: Poverty, labour markets, pandemic response· Meredith: Poverty fell significantly during the Trudeau era, with the CCB accounting for a major share of measurable gains.· Meredith: Strong pre-COVID labour markets pulled historically sidelined workers into better employment outcomes.· Yalnizyan: Pandemic supports like CERB stabilized households in ways traditional social insurance was never designed to do.On resilience now: EI, coverage gaps, and economic shocks· Meredith: Avoiding recession so far has mattered enormously because many households cannot meaningfully survive on EI alone.· Meredith: Canada needs modernized labour market institutions that reflect gig work, uneven hours, and technological disruption.· Yalnizyan: EI is social insurance; guaranteeing people don’t become destitute is a different policy objective and requires different tools.On the care economy: Guardrails and industrial strategy· Yalnizyan: Care is not a residual sector — it is one of the largest engines of employment and GDP in Canada.· Yalnizyan: Without regulatory guardrails, private equity will move quickly into publicly subsidized care sectors and extract value offshore.· Yalnizyan: A real care strategy must include workforce recruitment, retention, skill ladders, and immigration pathways to stabilize the sector.On industrial strategy: Investment, AI, and ownership· Yalnizyan: An investment-first strategy without conditions risks Canada becoming economically dependent while wrapped in a Canadian flag.· Meredith: Canada’s services-heavy economy makes it uniquely exposed to AI disruption and requires deliberate skills and commercialization strategy.On pensions, power, and worker agency· Yalnizyan: Unions should push harder for governance — trustee seats and deeper literacy — because today’s pension investment model can create a dynamic of “preparing tomorrow’s retirees by squeezing today’s workers.”· Meredith: “Fiduciary” language can become a shield against accountability, allocation decisions, fees, and public-purpose alignment, even though pension wealth is a strategic national asset if governed transparently.· Yalnizyan: Canada once deployed CPP savings directly into municipal infrastructure and housing; liberalized post-2000 rules expanded offshore investing and weakened the link between collective savings and domestic public purpose.Armine Yalnizyan – Atkinson Fellow on the Future of WorkersWebsite: https://atkinsonfoundation.ca/atkinson-fellows/atkinson-fellow-on-the-future-of-workers/LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/armine-yalnizyan-a32b42264Youtube Credits: CBC News, CTV News, Global News, 4K Films By Adnan, Videoscape, Pierre Poilievre, balcony et-al, Luis Vega, Shape Properties, GommeBlog, Exploring Stunning Landscapes From Above, Motion Array
  • 19. MBP Ep 19: Intelligence Briefing – B.C.’s Budget 2026, Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, and the Supreme Court Tariff Shock (Free Version)

    16:09||Season 1, Ep. 19
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/
  • 18. MBP Ep 18: Intelligence Briefing – Canada’s AI Strategy, Sovereignty, and the Commercialization Crossroads (Free Version)

    11:33||Season 1, Ep. 18
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/
  • 16. MBP Ep 16: Intelligence Roundtable – Poilievre’s Leadership Review, Trump’s Shadow, and the Conservative Coalition Question (Free Version)

    12:59||Season 1, Ep. 16
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/
  • 15. MBP Ep 15: Intelligence Briefing – Carney’s Davos Speech, the Quebec City Values Pitch, and What to Watch as Parliament Returns (Free Version)

    12:06||Season 1, Ep. 15
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/
  • 14. MBP Ep 14: Intelligence Briefing – Canada’s China EV Quota Deal, Quebec’s Leadership Reset, and Life Inside Federal Politics (Free Version)

    13:15||Season 1, Ep. 14
    The MBP Intelligence Briefing delivers exclusive, insider insight into the policies, decisions, and dynamics shaping Canada’s political and economic landscape.Hosted by Ben Woodfinden, Director of MBP Intelligence and Senior Advisor at Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips, the series features weekly conversations with MBP partners Ken Boessenkool, Tyler Meredith, and Shannon Phillips, along with a monthly guest bringing fresh perspective from business, media, or public policy.Listeners can expect a mix of roundtable discussions unpacking the week’s biggest developments and in-depth interviews exploring emerging ideas and long-term trends. From fiscal outlooks and trade strategy to the forces influencing governance, regulation, and public life, each episode delivers context and clarity rooted in real experience inside government, policy, and politics.This is your exclusive MBP Intelligence Briefing, context, clarity, and strategy for Canada’s evolving political economy.You’re listening to the first 10 minutes of this week’s episode, the full one-hour roundtable is now available exclusively to members of MBP Intelligence.Want the Full Episode?Become a member to unlock:The full, ad-free weekly MBP Intelligence Briefing podcast (1-hour roundtable)Exclusive reports, policy briefings, and member newslettersInvitations to private discussions and eventsAccess to a growing community of policymakers, business leaders, and thinkers shaping the national conversationJoin MBP Intelligence here: https://mbpolicy.com/intelligence/