Left East to West

Weekly check-in on top political stories across Canada, interviews for people building this country

Left East to West is a news podcast hosted by Nikki Hill & Tom Parkin, with 33 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Nikki Hill & Tom Parkin hosts Left East to West, a news show with 33 episodes published.

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  Left East to West

  Candidate on the doorstep

  Sep 28, 202654 min

  Shannon Devine joins us to talk about her doorstep experience as the NDP's candidate in the April 2025 general election and the August 2026 by-election in Beaches-East York. Shannon talks about the different strategic conditions, the improvement in volunteers, what voters want to talk about on the doorstep, and how she tried to get voters to engage. Also, Nikki reflects on recent comments from the prime minister that revealed the Canadian military has developed plans for a Trump invasion. Tom digs into the Quebec election and how the "reasonable accommodation" debate that all parties have toyed with is now fueling a culture war from the Quebec Conservative Party. Support the show

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  Episode #30

  Canadian labour amid Trump's attack and Carney's investor agenda

  Sep 21, 202648 min

  Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, joins Left East to West to talk about the trade war that President Trump has declared on Canadians and about Prime Minister Carney's investor agenda. Bea tells us workers are worried about the impact of Trump's attack on them, but also expresses labour's concern that Carney's investor agenda will limit worker rights and privatize key public infrastructure. Also, Nikki gives us the latest on the BC Conservatives' turmoil and the likelihood of Premier David Eby calling a snap election. Tom looks at the European far-right, its supporters in Premier Danielle Smith's office and their shared focus on taking away rights and benefits from immigrants or temporary workers. Support the show

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  Episode #29

  "When we lose jobs, Trump wins": union strategies protecting Canada's economic strength

  Sep 14, 202656 min

  USW District 3 Director Scott Lunny joins to talk about how Trump's economic attack is affecting workers represented by his union, particularly those in the forestry sector. Scott gives us an update on key USW initiatives focused on boosting jobs, including stronger buy-Canada procurement, bringing predictability to forest harvests, and taking on a stronger role in worker skills training in mining. With municipal elections in BC, Manitoba and Ontario next month, Nikki and Tom talk about party dynamics in Vancouver, where incumbent mayor Ken Sim is battling several candidates, and between Olivia Chow and her main competitor for the Toronto mayor's chair. Support the show

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  Left East to West

  Housing bubble and bust: can lower prices be the chance to fix housing affordability?

  Sep 8, 202656 min

  Jeremy Withers, senior researcher with the University of Toronto's New Housing Alternatives, sits down with Nikki to find out more about the causes of the 2020-2022 housing market bubble, its big pop in 2022 and the price collapse still going on in Toronto four years later. Jeremy shares his thoughts about government responses to the condo crisis in Toronto and Vancouver and falling home ownership rates as big investors take control of the housing stock. Also, Nikki and Tom talk about the on-going chaos in the BC Conservative Party, Marit Stiles' by-election success and the opening weeks of the Quebec provincial election. Support the show

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  Episode #27

  Extreme inequality: how we can reverse it and protect Canadian society

  Aug 3, 20261 hour

  Jared Walker, Canadians For Tax Fairness Executive Director, joins Nikki and Tom to talk about C4TF's recent report detailing growing extreme inequality in Canada, province by province. Jared believes a wealth tax on fortunes of $100 million and more and a new income tax bracket on annual income over $1 million will reverse growing extreme inequality while providing revenue to end cuts to key programs, like healthcare and schools Jared also outlines how we can put some money back in Canadians' pockets with a levy on the windfall profits oil companies are making off high pump prices during this US-Iran War. And according to C4TF research, unless repatriated by a windfall tax, most of that profit windfall from Canadian oil resources will flowing to investors in the United States. Nikki digs into some polling data suggesting wildfires across the world are pushing global warming up the priority list of Canadians and asks if the Mark Carney government or Avi Lewis' NDP will address that re-emerging concern. Tom speaks with Toronto NDP MPP Chris Glover, who was in the trenches battling the plan by US bank JP Morgan to expand Toronto's waterfront airport. JP Morgan had Doug Ford's PCs and Mark Carney's Liberals onside. But Toronto City Council, community groups and the Ontario NDP fought the deal -- and for have won, for now. Support the show

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