No Second Chances

In this episode, host Kate Graham looks at the experiences of women in politics - then and now. To set the scene, she speaks with: veteran journalists Robert Fife and Susan Delacourt, former federal Conservative Party interim leader Rona Ambrose, current Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and University of Toronto Professor Dr. Sylvia Bashevkin.

We start where all good stories do: the beginning. In this episode, host Kate Graham speaks with Canada's 12 female first ministers about their childhoods, whether politics was a lifelong dream, and who shaped them along the way.

A journey of a thousand miles (well, kilometers in Canada) begins with a single step. That’s true for the 12 women who would become Canada’s sole female first ministers. Find out what led them to take that first big step and run for public office.

Election night came and went, and the twelve women have all been elected for the first time. Find out more about the experiences they faced as rookie politicians: what hurdles did they confront, who supported them, and what surprised them about those early days?

In this episode, we take a break from our series on Canada’s female first ministers for a special discussion focused on the 2019 Alberta general election. Premier Rachel Notley is quite literally the last woman standing when it comes to Canada’s female First Ministers, and the election outcome will be historic, one way or another.

Running in a leadership race isn’t for the faint of heart. There are upsides, like working to make a difference in the lives of constituents, and there are downsides, like opening yourself up to fierce criticism. What compelled these twelve women to take the leap? What was the experience like?

Only twelve women have ever led Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments. For almost all, it was the first time a woman took the post. What did they bring to the table, how did their styles differ from the men that came before them, and what was the reaction?

Female first ministers in Canada tend to last about half as long as men. They reach the top only to fall back down, often because they enter into their roles when chances of failure are highest. In this episode, we explore what happened when things took a turn for the worse.

Canada’s female first ministers have weathered the rise and fall of Canadian politics - and emerged from it as changed people. What has post-politics life looked like for these women? What did they learn during their time in office that paved the way for what came next? Most importantly, what do they want to see for the future of women in Canadian politics?

Two of these stories are not like the others. Eva Aariak and Nellie Cournoyea are both Indigenous women, leading within consensus-style governments. In this episode, host Kate Graham examines whether this political environment is more conducive to women's leadership.

Listen to a conversation from International Women’s Day 2021 featuring Caroline Cochrane, Premier of the Northwest Territories and Canada’s only current sitting female premier, and Kathleen Wynne, former Premier of Ontario, on female leadership and the future of women in politics.

No Second Chances is back, and we’re taking the show on the road. Well, sort of. Join host Kate Graham for a (virtual) world tour, exploring what’s worked in countries around the world towards getting women into the top political roles. Hear stories and voices that you may not know yet -- but that we should all be paying attention to. Pack your bags. Our journey starts on January 10, 2022.

Happy New Year! Before we take off on our virtual world tour, let’s take some time to check in on the home front. 

On this episode of No Second Chances, host Kate Graham talks to Jacqueline O’Neill, Anjum Sultana, and Melanee Thomas to take stock of the past two years in Canadian politics, and how we can - and must - do better.