Politics Is Broken

Is Canada trying to protect kids online... or just trying to regulate the internet after it has already escaped the barn, stolen the tractor, and opened a TikTok account? This week, Stewart and Lisa talk Bill C-34, the proposed under-16 social media ban, age verification, Ai safeguards, deepfakes, online harms, and why protecting kids online will take more than just telling Big Tech to behave. They also get into Canadian content rules, streaming giants, the CRTC, Netflix, TikTok, Canadian creators, and whether Canada should be investing in its own culture instead of hoping American platforms fund it for us. Plus: butter tarts, migraines, Yik Yak, and the eternal truth that humans are garbage.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Peter Hoekstra is back in the headlines after reposting Donald Trump’s “51st state” comments... because apparently diplomacy now comes with a retweet button and no adult supervision. This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa B talk about Hoekstra’s latest Canada-sized diplomatic faceplant, Trump’s ongoing 51st state nonsense, and why Canadians are getting tired of being treated like a Costco sample the U.S. can just grab on the way by. They also dig into Alberta separatism, Danielle Smith’s referendum drama, Wab Kinew’s blunt response at the Western Premiers Conference, tariffs, Canadian sovereignty, and whether Hoekstra is a real problem... or simply an ambassadorial buffoon with excellent job security. It’s Canada-U.S. relations, Alberta politics, Trump chaos, and one very simple message: Hoekstra go home.

Is politics getting nastier... or just more honest? This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa talk about the collapse of political decorum, the rise of insult politics, and whether it’s sometimes okay to meet bad-faith nonsense with a little verbal fire. From Alberta separatism and anti-separation rallies to Pierre Poilievre’s media scrums, Mark Carney, Stephen Miller, Gavin Newsom’s online trolling, and the occasional political F-bomb, they ask whether political discourse can get messy without completely losing the plot. A funny, sharp, very Canadian conversation about anger, authenticity, media, rallies, and how to keep one hand on decorum while the other one reaches for the emergency swear jar.

This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa take on Alberta separatism... the political idea that sounds simple until someone asks, “Okay, but who’s paying for the borders?” With a referendum question now in play, Stewart and Lisa break down the facts, myths, and very expensive realities behind the idea of Alberta leaving Canada. They look at the big claims around Ottawa, oil, transfer payments, pipelines, federal taxes, and Alberta’s place in Confederation... then compare those claims to the actual costs of becoming a new country. They also dig into what Alberta currently receives from Canada, including healthcare transfers, federal benefits, disaster relief, national parks, trade agreements, military protection, pensions, and the many invisible pieces of federal infrastructure people tend to forget about when shouting “freedom” into the internet. It’s a conversation about frustration, misinformation, political theatre, and the danger of making massive constitutional decisions based on vibes, slogans, and Facebook comment-section economics. Because Alberta separation may sound like a breakup... but it’s more like trying to leave the house while still expecting to use the family car, fridge, Wi-Fi, and microwave.

Should we take Alberta separation seriously? On one hand, most Albertans still don’t appear to want it. On the other hand, separatists reportedly submitted nearly 302,000 signatures, there’s a voter data scandal, U.S. meetings, First Nations treaty challenges, foreign disinformation concerns, and a premier trying to balance “Sovereign Alberta” with “please don’t actually break the country.” This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa talk about why Alberta probably isn’t leaving Canada tomorrow... but why the anger, misinformation, political enabling, and machinery around the movement still matter. It’s a conversation about separatism, grievance politics, Danielle Smith’s balancing act, and the very Canadian question: “Can we please not set the country on fire just to make a point?” The episode transcript frames the central concern as not Alberta immediately leaving Canada, but the “machinery around the idea”... anger, money, data, foreign interest, and political enabling.

Is Mark Carney opening the door for the NDP? This week, Brittlestar and Lisa B talk about Carney’s economic update, the concerns raised in Althia Raj’s Toronto Star opinion piece, and whether cuts or stalled funding to pharmacare, child care, and health transfers could push progressive voters away from the Liberals. They also get into Stewart’s trip to Politics and the Pen, a surprisingly funny Melissa Lantsman, Alberta’s electoral-list breach, and why this may be the NDP’s best chance in years to become the “not Liberal” option... assuming they don’t find a way to fumble it directly into a shrub. Carney may be steadying Canada through a chaotic global moment, but the question is whether progressive voters will accept fiscal restraint when it starts touching the programs they thought they were voting to protect.

There’s a lot of “slop” online right now… and some of it is starting to shape real-world conversations. In this episode, Brittlestar and Lisa unpack the rise of AI-generated content pushing Alberta separation and 51st state narratives — much of it coming from inauthentic sources designed to generate clicks, not clarity. They explore how these videos work, why they spread so quickly, and how algorithms can blur the line between curiosity and influence. Along the way, they look at the broader context… including recent comments about Canada from high-profile figures, and what the data actually says about the country’s stability and quality of life. It’s a conversation about misinformation, motivation, and the very real consequences when people are sold simple answers to complex problems. Or, put another way… Who’s really benefiting from all this?

When political branding stops matching reality… what happens next? In this episode of Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa explore what they call a potential “Conservative Death Spiral” — a moment where long-standing messaging around fiscal responsibility and “common sense” begins to clash with real-world decisions and outcomes. From Doug Ford’s controversial government jet purchase to Pierre Poilievre’s attacks on Mark Carney’s credentials, and even contradictions within the MAGA movement, the conversation looks at how narratives can start to collapse under their own weight. They also dig into: The psychology of political loyalty Why supporters sometimes defend policies that hurt them And whether we’re seeing a temporary wobble… or a deeper structural shift A sharp, funny, and occasionally incredulous look at modern politics — and the risks of believing your own talking points for too long.

Canada’s political landscape just took a strange turn. In this episode of Politics Is Broken , we break down the wave of floor crossings that has pushed the Liberals to within one seat of a majority government — without an election . Are MPs switching sides out of principle… or pure political survival? We dig into: The recent Conservative → Liberal defections Why Marilyn Gladu’s move is causing backlash Whether Mark Carney is playing 4D chess… or making a risky mistake Why majority governments might be more dangerous than they seem And what this all says about the state of Canadian politics right now Plus… A little Trump-induced global anxiety, ketchup chips diplomacy, and why Canadian politics increasingly feels like a group project where nobody trusts each other.

What happens when the headlines are too chaotic to ignore… but too exhausting to fully process? You react. This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa react to the biggest, strangest, and most concerning headlines from around the world—because picking just one story feels impossible right now. From war-driven oil spikes to political chaos in the U.S.… to Canada’s policy curveballs… to a moon mission happening in the middle of it all… we break it down the only way we know how: by trying to make sense of it (and occasionally failing). In this episode: Reacting to rising global oil prices and economic fallout Breaking down Trump’s latest moves and loyalty drama Canada’s “30 days or free” passport policy The EV debate and what it means for Canadian industry And yes… reacting to humans heading back to the moon while everything else feels like it’s falling apart It’s real headlines, real reactions, and just enough humour to keep you from throwing your phone across the room.

What happens when you stop watching politics… and actually go see it? This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar heads to Ottawa to speak at Carleton University’s Kesterton Lecture… and ends up going behind the scenes of Canadian politics. From touring Parliament Hill and sitting in on Question Period… to meeting politicians in the hallway and eating in what may or may not be called “the cafeteria of power”… this episode is a firsthand look at how politics feels in real life. And the biggest takeaway? It doesn’t feel less broken… …but it does feel different. Less like chaos… more like choreography. Less like villains… more like very tired humans trying to do a very public job. Plus, an Alberta update featuring: The ongoing “Temu Tylenol” saga RCMP investigations And a golden cat that may or may not explain everything So… is Ottawa really a bubble? Or are we just watching it through one? If you want a slightly punchier version (or one with more humour baked into the first two lines), I can tighten it even further.

Ontario’s government says it wants to modernize transparency laws . Critics say it looks more like hiding the paperwork. This week on Politics Is Broken , Brittlestar and Lisa break down the Ford government’s proposed changes to Freedom of Information rules — which could exempt the premier’s office and cabinet ministers from requests while extending response times. The timing is raising eyebrows. Because the same government is also proposing a series of massive ideas — from the Greenbelt reversal to a $2.2 billion spa at Ontario Place and even a 50 km tunnel under Highway 401 . So what’s going on? Bold governing? Convenience politics? Or government by vibes ?

Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a week that somehow managed to get worse. From Mark Carney's principled Davos speech to his awkward endorsement of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Canada finds itself diplomatically sandwiched between its values and its geography. The hosts dig into why the timing of Operation Epic Fury feels suspiciously convenient — and what the avalanche of newly released Epstein documents might have to do with it. They break down the growing list of resignations and arrests tied to the Epstein files, why Prince Andrew's takedown was no ordinary trade-secrets scandal, and what it means that the US appears to be the only country where nobody powerful has faced real consequences. Plus: cornered-squirrel Trump, a congressman who can't spell "fury," Keir Starmer's deeply unhelpful anger origin story, and the impossible chess game facing a Canadian prime minister who can't afford to tell the truth — but probably can't afford not to. Funny where it can be. Worried where it has to be.

Science says we’re getting dimmer…and politics is sprinting to the cognitive bottom. In this episode of Politics Is Broken , Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa unpack the Reverse Flynn Effect (yes, it’s a real thing) and why critical thinking has been quietly leaving the group chat since the mid-’90s. We dig into “cognitive offloading” (Google, GPS, AI doing our thinking for us), the flood-the-zone strategy that keeps everyone overwhelmed, and how a world full of exhausted, distracted people becomes the perfect environment for bad ideas to look like leadership . Along the way: Sharpie hurricanes, disinfectant “solutions,” conspiracy nonsense, and one Canadian MP hunting for “Antifa members” like it’s a sandwich club with a loyalty card. It’s funny…until you remember these people run things.

The "Conservative Party of Canada" is leaking. In this episode of Politics Is Broken , Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa dive into the shocking news of Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux crossing the aisle to join the Liberals. Is this a "dirty backroom deal" as Pierre Poilievre claims, or a sign of a deeper rot within the CPC leadership? The truth may surprise you (if you were just born today).

A heavy week in Canada sparks a tough (and surprisingly data-filled) question: is Canada actually better than the U.S.? In this episode of Politics is Broken , Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa start by acknowledging a heartbreaking tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., and the wave of grief, misinformation, and opportunistic culture-war blame that followed. From there, they zoom out and do what Canadians do best… compare ourselves to our loud neighbour with receipts. They dig into the numbers on income, unemployment, healthcare costs, life expectancy, housing pressure, and gun violence , and ask what’s worth defending…and what we still need to fix. Along the way, they talk about political leaders showing unity, why scapegoating communities doesn’t solve anything, and how Canada can protect its “we’re in this together” instinct before it gets imported and ruined like acid-washed jeans. Content note: discussion of a recent act of violence and its aftermath.

What’s really happening in the United States…and how did American democracy get to this point? On this episode of Politics is Broken , Stewart and Lisa are joined by U.S. political analyst, bestselling author, and former congressional staffer Eric Ham for a revealing conversation about Donald Trump, American politics, and the structural failures that paved the way for the current crisis. Eric offers an unexpected and deeply informed perspective on how the U.S. drifted here over decades…from weakened democratic institutions and access-driven media, to the normalization of political extremism, racism, and fear as a governing strategy. He explains why Trump isn’t an accident or an outlier, but a symptom of unresolved American contradictions that many preferred not to confront. The discussion also explores U.S.–Canada relations, trade tensions, immigration enforcement, the future of free and fair elections, and why many Americans are quietly alarmed by what they’re seeing from their own government. Eric breaks down why global concern isn’t overreaction…and what happens when accountability disappears. A sobering, honest look at American democracy, Trumpism, political polarization, and the uncertain road ahead — with rare clarity from inside Washington.

The Conservative Party just held a leadership convention in Calgary and—surprise— Pierre Poilievre walked away with a huge vote of confidence. But was it unity…or just muscle memory? In this episode of Politics is Broken , Stewart and Lisa watch the convention so you don’t have to, unpacking Poilievre’s 87% approval, the party’s fixation on the “good old days,” and the increasingly polished attempt to soften a lifelong attack dog. We talk nostalgia politics, emotional messaging, selective history, and why “remember when things were better” is not actually a governing strategy. They dig into the numbers behind the applause, the age gap in Conservative support, the curious obsession with high-school mock elections, and why younger voters may be buying promises that don’t come with a “how.” Plus: smiling on command, Reagan jokes, used-car-salesman energy, and a political bus that may be heading confidently in the wrong direction. Funny, skeptical, and mildly concerned…just how we like it.

"Nostalgia is not a strategy." This week on Politics Is Broken , Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa dive into the fallout from Davos 2026, where Prime Minister Mark Carney finally took the gloves off. From rallying middle powers to reminding the world that Canada doesn't just "live because of the U.S.," Carney is drawing a line in the snow—and the "Board of Peace" is not happy about it.

Brittlestar and Lisa wade bravely into the comment section (together… for safety) to do a little “Reply in the Comments” palate-cleanse… because the world is a dumpster fire and sometimes it’s healthier to fixate on people’s gripes instead. Along the way: suburban snow rituals, the “grandma shuffle,” superbox mailbox rage, why Chinese EVs are both tempting and complicated, and the terrifying absurdity of Greenland becoming a geopolitical storyline. Plus, a few listener comments that hit hard, a quick group therapy moment about news anxiety, and one all-caps hot take that gets exactly the airtime it deserves.