inFocus on the Conservative Party of Canada's rocky road to another majority

Are you a political hobbyist? Do you read the Hill Times or iPolitics just for fun? Do you tune into the Sunday morning political shows and talk about politics with your friends or families – like if you were talking about your favourite sports team? Well, if you are – you might be hurting democracy.   On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Dr. Eitan Hersh, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. His research focuses on civic participation, voting rights, and the relationship between election rules, strategies, and the behavior of voters. In January 2020, he published his second book “Politics is for Power” - A groundbreaking analysis of political hobbyism—treating politics like a spectator sport—and an urgent and timely call to arms for the many well-meaning, well-informed citizens who follow political news, but do not take political action. In this interview, we discussed his research and the findings of his book and what they mean for American and Canadian politics and the future of our democracies. I hope you find my interview with Eitan Hersh useful and informative. ...

Every day, we use something that was created using a forest product. Yet, rarely do we think about where those products come from and how they are produced. With 9% of the world’s forests and growing demand for forest products, there is a big opportunity for Canada in forestry. As our country moves to meet zero-emission targets by 2050, Canada has the potential to be a bioenergy and biomaterials powerhouse on the world stage.  The sector has embraced the emerging cleantech, low-carbon era using innovation and new technology to create new opportunities and jobs. And yet, the road ahead is not without its challenges. Welcome to season 5 of inFocus with David Coletto. On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Derek Nighbor, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Forest Products Association of Canada. Derek and FPAC have been a long-time client and this week, we released some new public opinion data on what Canadians know and think about forestry in Canada. Derek and I spoke about forestry in Canada, the debate about its future, and the challenges facing the industry all in the context of the climate crisis, global supply chain disruptions, and geo-political conflict.This episode will be of interest to anyone working in government relations, political strategy, natural sources, or climate change/sustainability advocacy. ...

The COVID-19 pandemic, like all crises, put a bright spotlight on political leadership. Political leaders, at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, were tested in ways few ever imagined when they first ran for office. The past 13 months have forced leaders to communicate and engage the public more frequently and in a different manner than normal. In this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by two people who know a lot about communications, leadership, and political branding. I wanted to get their takes on how our political leaders have done, how leading through a crisis is different, and what it all means for the future of Canadian politics. Jeni Armstrong is an instructor at the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University. For 20 years she has been a leading communication professional most recently serving as Director of Communications for former Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Before that, she served as the lead speechwriter for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Dr. Alex Marland is a professor of Political Science at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dr. Marland is an expert on Canadian politics, communications, and political branding. His book, Brand Command: Canadian Politics and Democracy in the Age of Message Control published by UBC press in 2016 won the Donner Prize for best public policy book by a Canadian. ...