Expats & Allies

Last week, The Maple announced that we are merging with Passage. On this week's episode of North Untapped, Alex Cosh and Davide Mastracci, Passage's former managing editor and now The Maple's opinions editor, talk about why we decided to make this big change, address questions about it from our readers, and discuss whether either of us will ever be invited onto a CBC political panel.

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We spoke to writer Listen Chen about their recent article for The Breach examining how the current panic about alleged interference by China in Canadian elections is a troubling omen of a new Cold War.  We talk about the roots of the panic, how it puts ordinary members of the Chinese diaspora community at risk, and how it erases the diversity of viewpoints within that community.

Read Listen's article: https://breachmedia.ca/canadas-china-panic-is-an-omen-of-dangerous-cold-war-politics/

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We read out our recent scoop revealing that ahead of a meeting with Qatar’s minister of foreign affairs at the FIFA World Cup last year, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan was briefed to lobby for a potential deal between a Canadian light-armoured vehicle supplier and the Qatari military.

Read the full story: https://www.readthemaple.com/minister-lobbied-qataris-for-light-armoured-vehicle-deal-at-world-cup/

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We spoke to Passage's managing editor Davide Mastracci about the problems with Global News' reporting on MP Han Dong, who was accused by two unnamed sources of advising the Chinese government to delay the release of two Canadians from jail in that country in 2021. Dong has emphatically denied the allegation.

Read Davide's article: https://readpassage.com/i-dont-trust-global-news-reporting-on-han-dong/

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We spoke to B.C.-based journalist Emma Arkell about how for-profit corporations expanded into the province's long-term care sector, the consequences on public health, and how workers fought back against the changes.

Follow Emma on Twitter: @EmmaArkell7

Read Emma's recent piece for The Maple: https://www.readthemaple.com/how-for-profit-corporations-swallowed-up-b-c-s-long-term-care-sector/

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We spoke to Dru Oja Jay from The Breach about why a new bill proposing to make Google and Facebook share a portion of their profits with Canadian news outlets will likely end up subsidizing the profits and debt repayments of corporate media giants.

Support The Breach: https://breachmedia.ca/support-us/

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We share our readers' thoughts on whether we should continue tipping service workers more or demand that employers pay their workers better base wages, even if that means increasing costs for the consumer.

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We're joined by Peter Smith of the Canada Anti-Hate Network to discuss why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warmly congratulated far-right leader Giorgia Meloni's election victory in Italy last fall, and what newly obtained documents tell us about the balancing act between diplomacy and criticizing right-wing extremism on the world stage.

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This week, North Untapped host Alex Cosh went on the CJPME Debrief podcast to talk about The Maple's recent reporting on Canada's response to major incidents in Israel.

Subscribe to CJPME Debrief here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/cjpme-debrief/id1597601276

Learn more about CJPME: https://www.cjpme.org/

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We read out some of our readers' thoughts on a recent Statistics Canada report that showed one-in-five houses and condos were used as investment properties in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in 2020.

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We spoke to Jen Hassum, executive director of the Broadbent Institute, about the political threat posed by Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, and what progressives can do to harness public anger for positive change.

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We're joined by PressProgress reporter Stephen Magusiak and independent journalist Jeremy Appel to discuss the story about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office allegedly contacting Crown prosecutors to challenge its direction on cases involving members of last year's Coutts border blockade. 

We talk about the problems with the internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing, and whether this story is likely to harm the UCP's election chances in May.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyAppel1025

Follow Stephen on Twitter: @Magusiak

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We recap two recent stories from The Maple revealing that despite internal warnings about the dangerous behaviour and extremist views of newly appointed Israeli ministers,  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly warmly welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu's new government.

Read the articles:

• https://www.readthemaple.com/canada-welcomes-israels-new-government-despite-internal-warnings-of-far-right-extremism/
• https://www.readthemaple.com/canadian-diplomats-warned-about-israeli-politician-who-provoked-violence-against-civilians-then-trudeau-welcomed-his-government/

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We're joined by Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese to discuss Canada's deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase the F-35 fighter jet. We talk about the broken promises, about turns, ballooning costs and technical hiccups that led to the deal, and the lack of accountability in Canadian military procurement.

Follow David on Twitter: @davidpugliese

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We're joined by PressProgress editor Luke LeBrun to reflect on last year's 'Freedom Convoy' that occupied downtown Ottawa for a month last year, and whether or not there is going to be a second Convoy in 2023.

Follow PressProgress' reporting: https://pressprogress.ca/

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We bid farewell to 2022. To support our work in 2023, you can become a paid subscriber for just $7 per month: https://www.readthemaple.com/subscribe-options/

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This week, we spoke with Alberta politics writer and commentator David Climenhaga about why Premier Danielle Smith pushed ahead with the so-called Sovereignty Act, despite legal experts tearing it to shreds and predicting it will die in the courts.

We talk about the bill's likely unconstitutionality, Smith's political calculation in ramming it through the legislature anyway, and whether it will cost the United Conservative Party the next election.

Read David's blog: https://albertapolitics.ca/

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We spoke with Maple contributor Jeremy Appel about his reporting on the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) that took place last month. We talked about what HFX is and why it was founded, went over some of the more eyebrow-raising comments made by attendees at this year's event, and critiqued some of the corporate media coverage that came out of it.

Read Jeremy's two-part coverage:

https://www.readthemaple.com/peace-a-distant-prospect-at-the-halifax-security-forum/

https://www.readthemaple.com/panelists-extol-virtues-of-western-military-power-at-halifax-forum-lament-too-much-critical-thinking/

Subscribe to Jeremy's newsletter: https://theorchard.substack.com/

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith introduced Bill 1, the much anticipated "Alberta Sovereignty Act," Tuesday, prompting a stream of intense criticism from experts and analysts who say the bill is unconstitutional and undermines democracy.

https://www.readthemaple.com/alberta-sovreignty-a/

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We spoke to Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, about his recent trip to the occupied Palestinian territories, what he heard from Palestinians, and why Canada decided that an Amnesty International report on Israel's system of apartheid would not change its relationship with Israel.

Follow Michael on Twitter: @mbueckert

Follow CJPME: @CJPME

Check out Advocating for Palestine in Canada.

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A Canadian parliamentary committee report examining the international situation of human rights defenders and journalists is being criticized for not mentioning Israel’s killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and giving scant attention to Israel’s other abuses. We provide the full update.

Read the full story: https://www.readthemaple.com/parliamentary-human-rights-report-excludes-mention-of-shireen-abu-akleh/

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We spoke to labour researcher Adam D.K. King about the standoff between Ontario education workers and the Doug Ford government. We discussed the roots of the dispute, why Adam thinks CUPE was right to call off strikes in exchange for Ford promising to repeal Bill 28, and the lessons learned for future struggles.

Subscribe to Class Struggle: https://readpassage.com/category/class-struggle/

Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamDKKing1

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We spoke to writer Ibnul Chowdhury about the NDP's virtual lockstep with the Liberal government on the war in Ukraine, and its abandonment of calls to push for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Read Ibnul's recent piece for Passage here: https://readpassage.com/a-cowardly-ndp-has-abandoned-anti-war-politics-to-the-far-right/

Follow Ibnul on Twitter: @ibnulfc

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This week, we spoke to Jafrikayiti (aka Jean Saint-Vil), an activist and co-founder of the Canada-Haiti Action Network, about the reasons behind the current protests in Haiti against the US-backed government, and why the protesters strongly oppose the government's request for foreign military intervention.

Jafrikayiti's website: https://jafrikayiti.com/

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We interview BC NDP leadership candidate Anjali Appadurai about her plan to address the intersecting crises impacting British Columbia's public health system.

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This week, we read out an article written by Jeremy Appel about Canada's ongoing arms sales to Saudi Arabia, a theocratic monarchy and notorious human rights abuser.

The most recent data from Statistics Canada shows that in August 2022 alone, Canadian firms sold $132,445,056 worth of tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

Read the original article: https://www.readthemaple.com/its-time-to-rethink-canadas-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia/

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Check out Jeremy's newsletter, The Orchard.

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This week, we recap some of our reporting on Israel's killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh back in May, and Canada's subsequent refusal to condemn Israel or demand real accountability.

The articles we read out in this episode:
1.  https://readpassage.com/will-canada-ever-blame-israel-for-killing-shireen-abu-akleh/
2. https://www.readthemaple.com/new-investigation-shows-israeli-shooter-deliberately-killed-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh/
3. https://readpassage.com/i-asked-mps-why-theyve-ignored-reports-on-shireen-abu-aklehs-killing/

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Subscribe to Passage: https://readpassage.com/subscribe/ 

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This week, we spoke to PressProgress labour reporting intern Ashlynn Chand about her work covering the challenges faced by sex workers, and what advocacy groups are doing to fight for their rights and protections.

Follow Ashlynn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashlynnashc

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A read out of one of our recent articles, titled 'The Truth About Canada’s Involvement in Afghanistan,' written by Mitchell Thompson.

The piece explains: "2022 marks 21 years since Canada joined the U.S.-led War on Terror, and one year since the last U.S. troops exited Afghanistan. Today, a review of first-hand accounts authored by those involved in the operation dispels myths about the “humanitarian” nature of the war and occupation."

The article was read out by The Maple's managing editor, Alex Cosh.

Read the original article here.

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In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's passing, we spoke to policy analyst and writer Chuka Ejeckam about the bloody imperialist legacy that the monarchy represents. We also discuss some of the bizarre reactions to the queen's death in the UK and Canada, the case for why the monarchy should be replaced with a democratic alternative, and some of the obstacles that stand in the way of advancing such a project.

Follow Chuka on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChukaEjeckam

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We spoke to labour researcher Adam D.K. King about the causes behind the so-called "quiet quitting" phenomenon, what it means, the responses from the managerial class, and what this apparent trend could mean for advancing worker solidarity and labour rights in the long term.

Read Adam's recent piece for Passage on "quiet quitting" here: https://readpassage.com/dont-write-off-the-quiet-quitting-trend-just-yet/

Sign up for Adam's newsletter, Class Struggle, here: https://readpassage.com/newsletter/class-struggle/

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In this week's early-release episode, we spoke to Maple contributor Jeremy Appel and PressProgress reporter Stephen Magusiak in Calgary, Alberta about the UCP leadership race, whether any candidate can beat frontrunner Danielle Smith, and how the Alberta NDP might respond to a Smith premiership. We also talk about Smith's political history, and some of the policies she might try to implement if she wins the leadership.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyAppel1025

Follow Stephen on Twitter: @Magusiak

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This week, we spoke to Sean Orr, who is running for Vancouver City Council with Vote Socialist, a new organization that commits to restitution for Indigenous nations, promoting safe and affordable housing as a human right, making the rich pay their fair share for public services, and to defunding and disarming the police. We talk about why this new group was launched, how Sean's personal experiences inspired him to run for office, and how he would implement change as a lone Vote Socialist councillor.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seanorr

Read Sean's column, "Tea and Two Slices": https://scoutmagazine.ca/column/tea-and-two-slices/

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This week, we spoke to Dr. Amit Arya - a palliative care physician, board member of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, and advocate for those who live and work in the long-term care sector - about the Doug Ford government's plans to further privatize Ontario's public health system, and how this will impact health workers and patients. We also talk about better solutions to the provincial health system's current crisis.

Follow Amit on Twitter: @AmitAryaMD

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This week, we spoke to Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East about Israel's recent attack on Gaza, and the Canadian government's non-response. We also talk about the roots of the current situation in Palestine, and how Canada helps Israel act with impunity.

Follow Michael on Twitter: @mbueckert

Follow CJPME: @CJPME

Check out Advocating for Palestine in Canada.

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In this week's episode, we spoke to journalist Mitchell Thompson about his recent articles exploring the complex history of Canadian peacekeeping and examples of bloody interventions that are far out of step with rhetoric that pitches peacekeeping as a benign alternative to war.

Read Mitchell's articles:

https://www.readthemaple.com/the-bloody-history-of-canadian-peacekeeping/

https://www.readthemaple.com/canadas-modern-day-peacekeeping-is-war-making-by-another-name/

 Follow Mitchell on Twitter: @thompsonian_m

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This week, we spoke to Paris Marx about their new book, titled Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation. Paris' book argues that big tech companies are offering a future for transportation built on false promises that will not deliver an equitable version of auto-mobility simply by upgrading it with new technologies.

Buy the book here: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3995-road-to-nowhere

Subscribe to Paris' podcast, Tech Won't Save Us: https://techwontsave.us/

Follow Paris on Twitter: @parismarx

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This week, we spoke to Matt Hatfield, the campaigns director at OpenMedia, about the Rogers outage, the telecom giant's plan to takeover Shaw, and the failures of Canada's telecom oligopoly.

Learn more about OpenMedia: https://openmedia.org/about

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This week, we spoke to Vancouver-based activist, commentator and Ricochet Media co-founder Derrick O'Keefe about BC Premier John Horgan's resignation, his government's track record, the history of the BC NDP, and who might run to be the party's new leader.

Follow Derrick on Twitter: @derrickokeefe.

Check out Ricochet Media: https://ricochet.media/en

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A read out of one our favourite recent articles titled 'A History of Abortion Rights in Canada and Their Future,' by Jasmyne Eastmond. The article was read out by The Maple's managing editor, Alex Cosh.

Read the original article here.

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This week, we spoke to Yves Engler, a fellow with the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, about the Liberal government's $40 billion "modernization" plan for NORAD. We discuss the binational military command's history, how it undermines Canadian sovereignty, and how weapons dealers benefit from public spending on the program.

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In this episode, we spoke to John Cartwright, chairperson of the Council of Canadians, about a new organization called Community Solidarity Project that is helping to mobilize communities to counter reactionary groups linked to the so-called 'freedom' convoy, and to fight for a better future.

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The Maple's Ontario election reporter Nora Loreto returns to the show to discuss the key takeaways from Doug Ford's victory in a record-low turnout election, and what Ontarians can expect from the next four years of Progressive Conservative government.

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We spoke to eco-socialist lawyer and activist Dimitri Lascaris about why he has decided not to run again for Green Party leader, and the hostile atmosphere towards dissent on Western foreign policy that contributed to his decision.  We also talk about the response to Dimitri's decision from his supporters, and the future of the party.

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This week, we spoke to Matthew DiMera, founder and publisher of The Resolve, a new journalistic project that is building a platform for Black, Indigenous and people of colour journalists to tell their own stories directly to BIPOC audiences — not filtered through a white lens.

We discuss systemic racism in Canadian newsrooms — including those that purport to uphold anti-racist principles — and the challenges faced by independent media outlets.

Check out The Resolve: https://theresolve.ca/ and follow them on Twitter @TheResolveNews.

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This week,  we spoke to PressProgress reporter Stephen Magusiak about Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's surprise announcement that he is resigning as leader of the United Conservative Party. We discuss Kenney's grim record, and what's next for him and the UCP.

Follow Stephen on Twitter @Magusiak. Head over to PressProgress to follow his reporting, and sign up for PP's newsletter here.

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We spoke to Maple contributor and independent journalist Jeremy Appel about the six candidates running for Conservative Party leader, and the different factions of the party that they represent. We also discuss whether or not the winner will be able to hold together the Conservative coalition until the next federal election.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter @JeremyAppel1025 and subscribe to The Orchard.

Read Jeremy's latest article for The Maple here.

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We spoke to Joyce Arthur, executive director of Abortion Rights Coalition Canada (ARCC), about the U.S. Supreme Court's leaked decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and how this might influence the future of abortion access in Canada.

Follow ARCC on Twitter @AbortionRights or visit their website.

National Abortion Federation: https://nafcanada.org/

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights: https://www.actioncanadashr.org/about/what-we-do/our-issues

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We spoke with The Maple's new Ontario election reporter, Nora Loreto, about what we can expect from this election cycle as Ontarians get ready to head to the polls on June 2.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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A read out of one our favourite recent articles titled 'Poverty Wage Plutocrats: A Guide to Canada's Grocery Chain Oligarchs,' by Mitchell Thompson. The article was read out by The Maple's managing editor, Alex Cosh.

Read the original article here. Follow Mitchell on Twitter here.

Let us know what you think of this episode format by emailing us: [email protected].

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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This week, we spoke to Brent Patterson, executive director of Peace Brigades International - Canada, about the federal government’s plan to purchase 88 new F-35 fighter jets from American weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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This week, we spoke to Yurii Sheliazhenko, a peace advocate based in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, and Yves Engler, a fellow with the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and Canada’s role in fuelling the geopolitical tensions at the heart of the conflict.

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Why did police treat the far-right occupation of Ottawa and supportive convoys across Canada with kid gloves? We spoke to community organizers Audrey Redman and Jaggi Singh about their experiences countering the convoy protests in Edmonton and Montreal, and why police sympathy with the convoy's far-right politics highlights a systemic problem.

Follow Audrey, @AudreyJRedman, and Jaggi, @JaggiMontreal, on Twitter.

Follow No Borders Media, @NoBordersMedia.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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Police have moved in to clear the occupation of Ottawa by the so-called "freedom" convoy, but what was it really like for residents living in and around the downtown area, and what do the far-right politics of the convoy's leadership mean for the future?

We spoke with Riley, an Ottawa resident who has lived through the occupation, Maple contributor Cassandra Kislenko, and Humber College professor Tyler Shipley.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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In this week's episode of the Great Gilded North podcast series, we spoke to Cassandra Kislenko about Canada's role in the murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cassandra Kislenko is a non-binary settler journalist working and writing on Treaty 13 territory in Tkaronto. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. 
 
Read Cassandra's original article for The Maple here.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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This week, The Maple's managing editor Alex Cosh spoke to Passage staff writer V.S. Wells about the "partygate" scandal currently unfolding inside the U.K.'s Conservative government, whether this might be the end of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's career, and what the debacle tells us about so-called "populist" right-wing politics.

V. S. Wells is a writer and journalist originally from the U.K. They currently live on unceded Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh territory in Vancouver, B.C. Find them on Twitter at @vsmwells.

Sign up for Passage's newsletter.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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This week, The Maple's managing editor Alex Cosh spoke to health policy researcher Andrew Longhurst about the B.C. NDP's inadequate response to the Omicron surge, which has already driven short-staffed hospitals into crisis mode. We talk about whether the B.C. government is "following the science," whether it is doing any better than right-wing Conservative governments in other provinces, and the NDP's longer term record on protecting the public health system.

Andrew is a health policy researcher specializing in comparative health policy, political economy and health system reform. He is a Ph.D. student at Simon Fraser University, and a research associate with the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Find him on Twitter @a_longhurst.

Read Andrew's piece for The Tyee.

Reporting from Capital Daily.

Sound design by Sophia Sanford www.sanfordsanford.com; @_sanfordsanford.

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We're taking a short holiday break. See you in January!

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In this week's episode of the Great Gilded North podcast series, we spoke to independent journalist Jeremy Appel about how oil and gas barons are working behind the scenes to stymie Canada's climate goals.

Jeremy is a journalist based in Calgary, and his work has appeared in The Sprawl, CBC Calgary, Jacobin, Passage and the Forward. He also co-hosts the Forgotten Corner and Big Shiny Takes podcasts. Find him on Twitter @JeremyAppel1025.

Read Jeremy's original article for The Maple here.

Find out more about Jeremy's newsletter, The Orchard, here.

Music credit: "Fluidity," by tobylane.

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Warning: This episode contains references to acts of violence against Indigenous Peoples and may not be suitable for everyone.

Nova Scotia-born Izaak Walton Killam made his millions through pulp, paper and hydro-electric projects across Latin America. His Montreal-based International Power company controlled a monopoly on electrical power in El Salvador and charged extremely high rates on the country’s exploited workers.

When Indigenous peasants began an organized uprising in 1932, Killam called in a personal favour to protect his capital. This would end in a civilian massacre that would usher in decades of military dictatorship, and ultimately help establish prestigious cornerstones of Canadian arts, culture and academics.

We spoke with Kislenko about how Canada facilitated one of the worst acts of violence against Indigenous People in this continent's history.

This is part of our series as selected by Maple readers exploring how the ruling elite and the wealthy shape power in Canada. Read the entire series here.

Cassandra Kislenko is a non-binary settler journalist working and writing on Treaty 13 territory in Tkaronto. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.  Subscribe today and support independent journalism like this for as little as $1 per week.

Read Kislenko's article here.

Find Tyler A. Shipley's book Canada In The World here.

Further reading:

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/27/pacific-rim-lawsuit-el-salvador-mine-gold-free-trade

https://nbmediacoop.org/2011/06/16/student-anti-mining-activist-murdered-in-el-salvador/

https://canadians.org/analysis/anti-mining-activists-murdered-el-salvador

https://mediacoop.ca/story/2391

https://progressive.org/magazine/how-el-salvador-won-on-mining/

https://miningwatch.ca/news/2016/10/14/there-are-no-winners-after-seven-years-and-millions-dollars-pac-rim-mining-loses

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/06/bitcoin-city-el-salvador-nayib-bukele/ 

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The Canadian military’s efforts in the Second World War are often mythologized so as to portray opposition to fascism as a cross-class trait, shared by workers, bosses and politicians alike. The disturbing reality, however, is that well into the late 1930s, a significant section of Canada’s elite admired fascism in Italy and even in Germany.

We spoke to journalist Mitchell Thompson about his recent article digging into the history behind the rich and powerful figures who gave vocal support to Hitler and Mussolini in the run up to the war.

This is part of our series as selected by Maple readers exploring how the ruling elite and the wealthy shape power in Canada. Read the entire series here.

Mitchell Thompson is a writer with PressProgress, an occasional radio producer and a researcher based in Toronto. He tweets (also occasionally) at @thompsonian_m.Subscribe today and support progressive independent journalism like this for as little as $1 a week

Read Thompson's article here.

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Local news begins to disappear. Coverage on important issues wanes. Year after year, headlines emerge about which media giant is buying smaller outlets. Readers encounter the same stories in several community papers, only to discover the publications are all owned by the same company.

Writer Sam Smart joins Maple Managing Editor Alex Cosh to discuss her story for the Maple titled "The Ruling Class' Domination of Canadian Media" about how Canada's media is dominated and has been destroyed by wealthy few and elites in Canadian society.

This is part of our series as selected by Maple readers exploring how the ruling elite and the wealthy shape power in Canada. Read the entire series here.

Sam Smart is a Vancouver-based freelance journalist. She has a degree in English from UBC, where she served as blog and opinion editor at The Ubyssey.  You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/uglyblender

Subscribe today and support progressive independent journalism like this for as little as a $1 a week. 

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This week, Annamie Paul announced that she will be stepping down as leader of the Green Party, following months of infighting and disappointing results in last week’s election.

Paul described her embattled tenure as leader as “the worst period of my life,” and has blamed “racism” and “sexism” as underlying the attacks against her leadership. On the other hand, back in May, some in the party strongly criticized Paul’s lacklustre statements regarding Israeli airstrikes against the people of Palestine, and refusal to distance herself from a staffer who called for the replacement of Green MPs who called out Israeli apartheid.

Following this dispute, former Green MP Jenica Atwin crossed the floor to join the Liberals.

With so much division, it is perhaps not surprising that the Greens’ popular vote share plummeted to 2.3 per cent. And although the party picked up a seat in Kitchener, thanks largely to the withdrawal of the Liberal candidate in that riding, the Greens lost MP Paul Manly in Nanaimo-Ladysmith.

Questions remain about who will take over as the Greens’ interim leader, and who will enter the race to take over the party’s top job permanently. We spoke to former Green Party leadership candidate and self-described eco-socialist Dimitri Lascaris, who is considering running again for the party's top job.

Further reading:

Green Party members vote to support "bold" and "progressive" policies:

dimitrilascaris.org/2021/09/04/gree…ssive-policies/

35% of Canadians would like to see a move away from capitalism:

innovativeresearch.ca/non-partisan-c…n-initiatives/

Music credit: "Fluidity," by tobylane.

pixabay.com/da/music/flde-fluid…y-100-ig-edit-4558/

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As we rapidly approach election day on Monday, September 20, the polls indicate that Justin Trudeau’s early election gamble may have been a dud. As things currently stand, a majority seems to be out of reach for the Liberal Party.

The tightening of the polls in recent weeks has prompted some Liberal campaigners to plead with voters who identify as “progressive” to vote strategically for the Liberals in hopes of shutting out Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives.

In so-called British Columbia, however, it is the federal NDP who are the leading “progressive” party in opinion polls, running neck-and-neck with the Conservatives, while the Liberals are currently in third place.

In some regions, such as Vancouver Island, the Liberals have in recent elections fallen even further behind, finishing fourth in many ridings in the 2019 vote.

At the same time, however, we are in a time of reckoning over the need for decolonization, reconciliation and more Indigenous voices in Parliament.

We spoke to the Liberal Party’s North Island-Powell River candidate Jennifer Grenz, who is nlaka’pamux and whose family is from the Lytton First Nation, upon whose territory the village of the same name burned down in June amid record-breaking temperatures, driven by climate change.

In our conversation, we discussed decolonization, Indigenous representation and party politics.

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The Maple's managing editor Alex Cosh is joined by the Green Party’s Paul Manly. They discussed the situation at Fairy Creek, policing, international climate solidarity and whether the Green Party’s infighting is damaging its ability to impress the urgency of the global climate crisis onto national political conversations.

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Recently, The Maple spoke with Cheryl Cameron at Dogwood B.C. who said that the time for toeing party lines is over, and that instead voters should be looking for "mavericks" — people who are going to push federal parties to do better on tackling the climate emergency and hold them accountable in the House of Commons.

We sat down with filmmaker, educator and climate activist Avi Lewis, who is running for the NDP in the West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country riding.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Full interview transcript here.

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This election, party leaders are on the campaign trail pitching their plans to make life more affordable for Canadians. Amid a national crisis, unaffordability continues to squeeze working-class renters especially hard in the housing market.

This month, the parliamentary budget officer found that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national housing strategy is having only a “limited” impact on addressing housing needs. As well, the PBO said, the affordability gap – or the difference between the cost of a housing unit and the price a low-income Canadian can afford – is projected to rise by 24 per cent over the next five years.

All this, while rents across the country continue to rise.

But does the NDP's housing plan go far enough to address this crisis? I asked Singh what he thinks truly "affordable" housing means, whether 500,000 affordable housing units is enough to address current shortfalls and if his proposal for a $5,000 renter subsidy is just a bailout for landlords.

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