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The Munk Debates Podcast
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Canada's two competing priorities and the new U.S. Fed Chair signals compliance to Trump
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Andrew and Rudyard open the show by examining the competing priorities confronting Prime Minister Carney's government. On one hand is the immediate geopolitical imperative: reducing Canada's dependence on a U.S. trading partner that President Trump has shown a willingness to weaponize, making export diversification an urgent national priority. On the other is the growing threat of climate change, underscored by devastating wildfires in Canada and across Europe. Carney appears to have concluded that geopolitical security must come first, pushing climate policy down the agenda. But can he do so without alienating a significant portion of the Liberal coalition, for whom climate action remains a defining issue?
In the second half of the show, Andrew and Rudyard turn to new U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's first significant decision: keeping interest rates unchanged for a seventh consecutive month. Markets reacted sharply, with investors selling off 30-year Treasury bonds and pushing yields to a 19-year high. While former Fed Chair Jerome Powell won praise for defending the Fed's independence in the face of pressure from President Trump, Warsh's decision has reinforced critics' fears that he is too closely aligned with the White House. Has the Federal Reserve begun to sacrifice its independence—or is Wall Street overreacting?
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Be it Resolved, don't trust mainstream media
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Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Trump doubles down on the Iran war and tariffs, and an AI model escapes the lab
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Be it Resolved, this is America's golden age
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Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Trump undermines his own party and the crisis of Canadian conservatism
17:38|Rudyard and Andrew unpack President Trump's speech last night, in which he cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections and alleged foreign interference ahead of the midterms. Will this strategy backfire by depressing Republican turnout? And how far might Trump go in attempting to shape the outcome in November?In the second half of the show (for paid subscribers), Rudyard and Andrew are joined by special guest Sean Speer to reflect on the state of conservatism in Canada. Andrew argues that too many Conservatives have substituted outrage and attitude for serious policy ideas—a symptom of a movement that has lost confidence in its purpose. He also delivers a blunt message to those who have grown pessimistic about the Conservative cause. What kind of leader does the party need to restore energy, direction, and confidence to its base?
Be it Resolved the capitalist system is broken, it's time to try something different
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Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: the Iran-U.S. ceasefire unravels and Alberta pulls ahead while Ontario and Quebec fall behind
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Be it resolved, it is in Israel’s interest to support a two-state solution
01:37:07|This special episode features the full Munk Debate on the Two-State Solution, held before a live audience of 3,000 at Toronto's Meridian Hall in December 2025.The debate resolution was: Be it resolved, it is in Israel’s interest to support a two-state solutionArguing in favour of the resolution was former Israeli prime minister, finance minister, and mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert. His debate partner was Tzipi Livni, who served as Israel's justice and foreign minister and the country's chief peace negotiator in 2008 and 2014. Arguing against the resolution was the celebrated historian, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Michael Oren. His debate partner was Ayelet Shaked, who most recently served as Israel's justice minister and minister of the interior.
Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: The American Experiment at 250 and Canada's pipeline gamble
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