The LeDrew Three Minute Interview

John Rapley, contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss one of the biggest economic questions surrounding artificial intelligence: is the AI boom actually a bubble?Rapley argues that enormous amounts of money are flowing into AI infrastructure, data centres and technology companies, but the productivity gains needed to justify today’s valuations still haven’t clearly materialized.He says AI is already useful in many everyday tasks and can improve individual productivity, but questions whether those gains are large enough across the broader economy to support the scale of investment now taking place.The conversation also turns to data centres, credit, corporate losses and what could happen if the current AI investment boom slows sharply.Rapley’s view is not that AI disappears. Quite the opposite. He argues that a bursting bubble could ultimately redirect money toward more practical and commercially useful applications of the technology.LeDrew and Rapley also discuss another unexpected consequence of AI: as synthetic, created content and misinformation become more sophisticated, could trusted media organizations become more valuable again?Become a member to support the show and get access to longer interviews and additional content.TOPICS COVEREDThe AI investment boomWhether AI valuations are sustainableProductivity gains from artificial intelligenceData centre investmentCredit and financingWhat happens if the bubble burstsAI mistakes and quality controlPractical uses of AIWhether capital is being misallocatedThe future of AI startupsTrust in news and legacy mediaSynthetic content and misinformation

Catherine Swift joins Stephen LeDrew for a pointed discussion about political appointments, government spending and whether Canadians are demanding enough accountability from Ottawa.The conversation begins with Diana Fox Carney, the Prime Minister’s wife, who he has named Canada’s Ocean Envoy and Chair of the 2027 Our Ocean Conference ! The Carney Government says the position is volunteer and unpaid and describes Fox Carney as an economist with experience in climate policy, business and non-profit organizations. LeDrew and Swift nevertheless question the optics of appointing the Prime Minister’s spouse to a government role and argue that the decision deserves greater public and parliamentary scrutiny.They also discuss recent federal spending on ocean protection. Ottawa announced more than $740 million over four years for a range of marine conservation, safety, Indigenous stewardship, habitat and ocean-science initiatives; that funding is broader than Fox Carney’s role or the conference itself.The conversation then widens to healthcare benefits for asylum claimants, government spending and whether Canadians have become too accustomed to decisions that once would have produced much greater political controversy. The federal Interim Federal Health Program provides temporary coverage to eligible asylum claimants, including basic healthcare, prescriptions and some supplemental services that the average Canadian doesn’t receive! Since May 2026, co-payments apply to prescriptions and many supplemental benefits.Topics Covered:Diana Fox Carney’s Ocean Envoy appointmentPolitical appointments and perceptions of nepotismThe role being volunteer and unpaidFederal ocean-protection spendingParliamentary scrutinyGovernment transparencyHealthcare for asylum claimantsFederal spending prioritiesPolitical double standardsWhy Swift says Canadians should demand more accountability

In this Friday rant, Stephen LeDrew asks a question he does not ask very often: could Canada finally be starting to move in the right direction?LeDrew remains deeply critical of the federal government, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, government spending, bureaucracy and what he sees as continuing problems with accountability.But this rant is also about something bigger.After years of political division, a worsening drug crisis, battles over Canadian history and identity, frustration with immigration policy and a growing sense that the country had lost some of its social cohesion, LeDrew says he is beginning to hear something different from Canadians.People want accountability. They want responsible government. They want their communities to work. And they want to feel proud of Canada again.LeDrew points to municipal candidates, provincial leaders, MPs and ordinary Canadians who are increasingly demanding better government and stronger communities.Canada cannot simply turn the clock back. The country has changed.But LeDrew argues that it can move forward with more responsibility, more accountability and a renewed sense that Canadians still have something worth rebuilding together.Become a member to support independent discussion like this and help keep the show on the air.TOPICS COVEREDWhether Canada is starting to turn a cornerThe legacy of the Trudeau yearsGovernment accountabilityThe federal heat-pump rebate programCanada’s drug crisisImmigration policyRestoring social cohesionMunicipal and provincial leadershipPride in Canadian identityRebuilding trust in governmentResponsibility and civic participation

Economist and Globe and Mail columnist John Rapley joins Stephen LeDrew to ask why the war involving the United States and Iran is still dragging on months after it began.Rapley argues that Washington entered the conflict with powerful military capabilities but without a sufficiently clear political endgame.The United States and its allies have inflicted substantial damage on Iran’s military infrastructure, while Iran has suffered enormous economic pressure. Yet the government in Tehran remains in power and continues to pose a regional threat.Rapley argues that this illustrates an important difference between tactics and strategy: winning individual battles does not necessarily tell you how to end a war.The conversation also turns to Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, the reluctance of American allies to become more deeply involved, and the role of China and Russia, which have their own strategic reasons for preventing Iran from simply falling into Washington’s orbit.The fundamental question is simple: what outcome is the United States actually trying to achieve — and how does it get there?Become a member to support the show and get access to longer interviews and additional content.TOPICS COVEREDThe continuing U.S.-Iran conflictWhy Iran’s government has not collapsedMilitary tactics versus political strategyWhether Washington had a clear endgameThe Strait of HormuzIran’s military and economic damageIraq, Afghanistan and VietnamWhy American allies are reluctant to joinChina and Russia’s interests in IranRegime change versus containmentWhat it takes to actually end a war

Lawyer, columnist and Save Our History founder Mark Johnson joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss his campaign to make candidates take a public position on the future of Sir John A. Macdonald statues removed from public spaces.Johnson says Save Our History has contacted candidates asking a straightforward question: should Macdonald statues be returned to public view, or should they remain in storage?For Johnson, the argument goes far beyond statues. He sees the issue as part of a larger debate over how Canadians understand their history, whether the country should take pride in its founders while acknowledging their failings, and how much influence unelected institutions should have over public memory.Save Our History describes itself as a non-partisan grassroots movement dedicated to preserving Canadian historical statues and school names. The organization is currently campaigning for the restoration of Macdonald statues in several Ontario communities.LeDrew and Johnson also discuss education, colonialism, Canadian identity and whether candidates should be forced to tell voters exactly where they stand on controversial historical questions.Topics Covered:Sir John A. Macdonald statuesPutting candidates on the recordStatues currently held in storageMunicipal politics and historical memoryPride versus criticism of Canadian historyHow politicians handle controversial historical figuresSchool boards and Canadian historyColonialism and national identityImmigration and integrationWhether Canada should restore removed monumentsSave Our History: https://www.saveourhistory.ca/

In this Friday rant, Stephen LeDrew takes aim at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s governing ability - arguing that Canadians are hearing plenty from the Prime Minister on the international stage while getting too little debate, accountability and explanation at home.LeDrew points to Carney’s recent New York Times interview, where the Prime Minister discussed preparing for the remote possibility of U.S. military action against Canada. LeDrew argues that a more politically experienced prime minister might have used the question to emphasize the deep economic, cultural and security relationship between Canada and the United States.The rant then turns to Carney’s leadership at home. LeDrew questions whether too much power is concentrated in the PMO, whether cabinet ministers have any power and authority, and whether major announcements are creating measurable results.From pipelines and “Buy Canadian” procurement, to closer ties with Europe and another potential increase in immigration, LeDrew argues that Canadians deserve more than announcements.They deserve debate, Parliament and accountability.And if Canada is going to fundamentally change its economic and international relationships, Canadians should have a much bigger role in that conversation.Canada belongs to Canadians - not the Ottawa Elite.TOPICS COVEREDCarney’s New York Times interviewThe possibility of U.S. military actionCanada-U.S. relationsCarney’s international media strategyThe power of the PMOCabinet and parliamentary accountabilityMajor project announcementsBuy Canadian procurementCanada’s proposed closer relationship with EuropeImmigration and population growthWhether government announcements are producing resultsWhy Canadians need more political debate

Economist and small-business advocate Catherine Swift joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss the latest trouble facing Canada’s steel industry after Stelco announced layoffs affecting up to 500 workers.While Stelco has cited U.S. tariffs, weakened demand and import pressures, Swift argues that Canadians also need to look at global steel overcapacity and competition from heavily subsidized Chinese production.LeDrew and Swift discuss whether Canada’s trade protections are strong enough, why cheap imports can put domestic manufacturers under enormous pressure and whether Ottawa is too quick to blame Donald Trump for economic problems that have deeper causes.Swift’s argument: Canada cannot protect jobs simply by pointing at Washington. It also has to examine its own trade, industrial and economic policies.This is the first Three Minutes. Become a member to watch the full 10-minute conversation with Catherine Swift on small business, Canada’s slowing economy, productivity, the dollar and why she believes domestic policy is doing serious damage.Topics Covered:Stelco layoffsCanada’s steel industryChinese steel competitionU.S. tariffsGlobal steel overcapacityTrade protectionsCanadian manufacturingWhether Ottawa is blaming Trump too much

Former Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss Parliament, government accountability and whether too much political power has become concentrated around Prime Minister Mark Carney and the PMO.The conversation begins with Carney’s recent interview with the New York Times, in which he said Canada may eventually resume a “controlled increase” in population as the government prepares its next immigration levels plan. LeDrew and Ferreri ask why Canadians learn about significant government intentions through speeches and foreign media rather than through sustained debate in Parliament.Ferreri also draws on her experience as an MP to criticize Question Period and argue that parliamentary committees can provide much more meaningful scrutiny — through witnesses, testimony and detailed examination of government policy.That matters even more with the Liberals currently holding 174 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons, giving the government a narrow majority.The broader question: if Canadians want better government, where should the real accountability come from — Parliament, committees, the media or voters themselves?Topics Covered:Carney’s New York Times interviewImmigration and government communicationPower inside the PMOParliament and political accountabilityWhy Question Period frustrates votersThe importance of parliamentary committeesMajority government and scrutinyHow MPs hold ministers accountableTrust in political journalismVoters’ responsibility to seek information