The Backbench

The Backbench has moved!

Episodes of The Backbench have been available on the Canadaland feed for a few months now, alongside lots of other great content — from original reporting to media criticism to our brand-new support-only show.

Starting now, The Backbench feed (this one!) will no longer be publishing new episodes, but the show lives on! You can still find new episodes of this show every Tuesday on Canadaland.

Just ...

Since the end of last year, episodes of The Backbench have been available on the Canadaland feed, alongside lots of other great content — oftentimes featuring voices you may be familiar with from The Backbench. Starting in July 2025, The Backbench feed (this one!) will no longer be publishing new episodes, but you can still find new episodes of this show every Tuesday on Canadaland.

Just search “Canadaland” in your podcast playe...

 Mark Carney promised one Canadian economy. Now, his signature bill is one step closer to law as Bill C-5 rocketed through parliament with some amendments. The changes haven't quelled concerns from Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who broke ranks in the final vote. Host Noor sits down with MP Erskine-Smith to talk about why he voted no, and what he really thinks of Carney’s CEO-style politics.  

And, you’ll hear con...

Canada is hosting the G-7 in Alberta, one of the most consequential meetings yet. Is this Carney’s moment to become a world leader, reorient our economy, and possibly the world order? 

With the predictably unpredictable Trump, growing regional wars, rampaging wildfires, and some controversial invitations, there’s a lot of room for error. Could Carney play the role of global power broker? 

And the latest on Pierre Po...

The Liberals’ first piece of legislation, Bill C-2 is a sweeping 139-page omnibus bill.

It would allow police to open and inspect mail from Canada Post, restrict cash transfers over $10,000, bolster surveillance, and expand what law enforcement can do…without a warrant.

But it will also overhaul our asylum-seeking process. And with the riots below the border, we can’t but ask: are we going down the same path?

Host: Noor Az...

Political divides are growing, and it’s not just over basic issues anymore. Increasingly, people are feeling differences in basic conduct, morality, and how they approach discussions. These divisions feel too big to ignore.

How do you go about fixing that divide? This week host Sam Konnert sits down with Ryan Broderick to iron things out.

And the latest on the grand meeting of the Premiers in Saskatoon, Carney’s new chief of ...

Earlier this year, Jagmeet Singh laughed off the idea of losing. Now, he’s out and the NDP is in free fall. They lost official party status. They lost ground with key voters, organized labor, and their traditional strongholds in B.C. and the GTA. So, did the NDP learn anything from this catastrophic loss? To answer that question, host Noor Azrieh asks Heather McPherson, one of the 7 NDP MPs left. 

And, the latest on King Ch...

After a couple of weeks of pats on the back and trying to find Pierre Poilievre a new home, we’re finally seeing how Mark Carney’s government plans to tackle the country’s biggest problems and who he’s putting in charge to do it. Next week, King Charles is set to kick off parliament with the throne speech, and we’ll finally have MPs back in the House of Commons after months of parliamentary paralysis. We’re at the top of the hill b...

Mark Carney promised tougher bail and more police – a “get tough” agenda that the Liberals shoplifted right off the Conservative shelf. Host Noor sits down with Adelina Iftene, a criminal law professor, who calls Mark Carney’s revival of “tough on crime” a “slippery slope”. Will Mark Carney’s revival of “tough on crime” fix anything? What actually makes communities safer? And what happens if we get this wrong?

And...

Pierre Poilievre is packing his bags to rural Alberta, after losing his seat to Bruce Fanjoy. How the hell did Fanjoy do it? We asked him.

Plus, pollster David Coletto breaks down things you may have missed in the election results.

Host: Sam Konnert

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio)...

Carney wins, Poilievre loses, Jagmeet steps down. What went down? Politico’s Mickey Djuric breaks it down for us, way past bedtime.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Mickey Djuric

Background reading:

• Poilievre...

Today we are bringing you a great episode from our friends at Canardian!

Sault Ste. Marie. Population 71,000. A place best known as the hometown of Roberta Bondar, the first woman in space, Treble Charger, and countless NHL players. Douglas Soltys, host of The BetaKit Podcast, joins the show (instead of going to therapy) to discuss the best pizza in town, being a 90s indie rock kid, destructive hockey teams, and WAY m...

It’s the final election stretch, and the vetting continues. This week we talk conversion therapy, million-dollar pyramid schemes, & the dangers of doorbell cameras

Host: Sam Konnert, Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor)

Hosted on Acast....

While most Canadians are gearing up to head to the polls, some are looking for an escape plan. This week, we’re examining the deep roots of Western alienation, Danielle Smith’s separatist flirtations, and what could erupt if Mark Carney’s Liberals sweep to power. To do that, producer Sam Konnert heads out to Alberta to talk to some voters, and calls up Preston Manning, the man behind the conversation. Later, host Noor Azrieh sits d...

There are 1959 people running to represent YOU in this federal election in the year of our lord 2025 - and we’re looking for dirt. 

This week - a liberal candidate that didn’t want to be a distraction was replaced by an EVEN bigger distraction, a far-right media personality has some INSANE takes, and independent candidate Elliot Moose is on the loose.

Host: Sam Konnert, Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer)...

With two weeks out from election day, Ottawa is buzzing. Staffers are partying late into the night and reporting to work at 7 a.m., Chipotle’s are turning into war rooms, and the polls are telling stories.

We went to three party-specific events in Ottawa for a pulse check on how people feel in the nation’s capital. From 11-year-old door knockers to Jagmeet Singh to Trump’s former trade representative, we heard a LOT of opinions.

It’s an election, we’re googling your candidate.

There's a candidate for the Green Party who’s actively campaigning for the Conservative Party. There’s a famous YouTuber candidate with an icky social media history, there’s a guy who is promising to fix housing problems that HE created. And then we’ll get to the explicit Garfield porn. It gets crazy.

Host: Sam Konnert

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/...

Last week, Pierre Poilievre said tick tock goes your biological clock. This was the first time that host Noor Azrieh noticed, during the campaign, that someone (anyone!) was speaking to women directly and explicitly. And it prompted a wave of pushback…and some praise. 

The gap between men and women is widening. If the election happened today, and only women voted, Mark Carney would be on track for the biggest landslide in C...