Dialogue with Drake and Daboo

It’s our last episode for 2021 and we’re doing things differently this time! This episode is divided into 4 parts: The #PEIPOLI roundup, the gifts panel for last minute shopping, a list of places to donate to this winter, and finally, things to do on the sandbar these next few weeks. Thank you for tuning in these last months, we'll see you next year!

Healthy democracies rely on transparency and accountability to keep the public informed of government policies and programs. For specific information, folks can submit an Access to Information request to have access to government files and records. When talking about transparency, PEI has furthermore seen heavy discussions around NDAs in the last few weeks. To talk to us today about everything access to information, from the process, and costs to its importance, as well as NDAs, with us today is Provincial Affairs Reporter, Kerry Campbell.

The power of journalism can be best explained by its informal title, the Fourth Estate, giving it as much power as the other three estates: for olden times, these were the clergy, nobles and the commoners, while for modern times we tend to see the first three estates as the three branches of government, or the legislative, executive and judiciary branches. Investigative journalism includes in-depth reporting and detailed investigative pieces, beyond every day happenings. In November 2021, an investigative article was published on CBC PEI, entitled “Rash of drink-spiking incidents goes unchecked by police in Charlottetown”. This article uncovers survivors’ experiences with drink tampering, sexual assault, and access to justice. Nationally, CBC’S Fifth Estate produces a number of documentary-format news reports that provide a detailed perspective on a number of issues. To chat all things investigative reporting, with us today is author and journalist, Kate McKenna.

Today we will be talking about Truth and Reconciliation. We discuss the mandate and role of the organization L'nuey,  the 94 calls to action in the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report, the meaning of the September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Residential schools, Bill C-15: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, Treaty Rights, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and two-Spirited people, Mi'kmaq History Month, and more. Our guests are Jenene Woolridge, Executive Director of L'nuey, and Julie Pellissier-Lush, Knowledge Keeper with L'nuey.

The climate crisis is not new to PEI. High winds, waves, tides, and changes in sea level, are contributing to coastal erosion and coastal flooding. This means PEI is especially vulnerable to the climate crisis - but it also means PEI is in a strong position to lead the country in research and policy action. There is however an underexplored component to climate action on PEI: the intersectionality with climate justice, and anti-oppression movements. Our guest today is a PhD candidate at UPEI, researcher with the UPEI Climate Lab, and Board member with BIPOC USHR: Stephanie Arnold.

Anti-racism work on PEI has been going on for decades, but only really gained traction, and legislative support, as from summer 2020 when the Black Cultural Society and BIPOC USHR tabled a petition with a number of recommendations to the legislative assembly of PEI. One of these recommendations was the creation of a provincial anti-racism advisory position that would analyse all legislation from an anti-oppression lens.

In September 2021, this advisor was finally hired, and additionally, an anti-racism table was created to provide on-the-group perspectives and expertise to the executive council.

Here to talk about all things anti-racism and the path forward, with us today is PEI’s Anti-Racism Advisor, Human Rights Commissioner, co-founder of BIPOC USHR, and community organizer, Danté Bazard.

PEI has been in the midst of a housing crisis for the last number of years. This is a multi-factorial problem that involves several puzzle pieces, from lack of legislation, to short-term rentals, to increasing unaffordability. Our guest today is uniquely situated to cover the state of housing in all its facets. He is the Tenant Coordinator with PEI Fight for Affordable Housing and the Cooper Institute, Connor Kelly.

In honor of the Capital Budget being released today, here is the third and final installment of our Lead-Up to the Legislature series- and a few days earlier than expected! This is the mini-series where we talk with government, opposition and the third party about their Fall sitting priorities. Today, we will be chatting about the Capital Budget, the Income Tax Act, COVID19 Recovery, Islander Resilience. Our guest for today is the MLA for D4 Belfast-Murray River, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Darlene Compton.

This is part 2/3 of our Lead up to the Legislature series! Over three episodes, we will be chatting with the Third Party, Opposition and Government about their priorities for the Fall sitting of the PEI Legislative Assembly. Today, we are chatting about COVID19 & Education, Tissue and Organ Donation, Anti-Racism and Homelessness, with our special guest, the Liberal MLA for D14 West Royalty, Gord Mcneilly.

Our Lead-Up to the Legislature mini-series is back! Over the next three episodes, we will be chatting with the Third Party, Opposition and Government about their priorities for the Fall sitting of the PEI Legislative Assembly. Today, we are chatting about poverty, COVID19 recovery, policing and pay recovery, and our first guest is the MLA for Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke, and and Opposition Critic for Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture, Trish Altass.

On September 20, 2021, Canada went to the polls for the Federal General elections, less than 2 years since the last general elections. This is on par with the average duration of minority governments. What was unusual, however, was that this election occurred during a pandemic, and indeed COVID19 was front of mind during the campaign season. To chat with us about the #Elxn44, from the campaign, to the political climate to big policy questions, with us today is freelance journalist and journalism instructor at Holland College, Teresa Wright.

June was the International Pride Month, but on PEI, Pride Week is typically celebrated in July. Today, we are chatting about 2SLGBTQIA+ issues including making our schools and other institutions more inclusive, conversion therapy, and Pride Week with the Secretary and Director of Advocacy of Pride PEI, Andrea MacPherson.

The PEI Counselling Association has been advocating for the regulation of this profession in the province since 2006. Now, in 2021, they are closer than ever to their target, working with the provincial government to establish a college of counselling therapists. Eileen Conboy, Treasurer and Membership Coordinator with the PEICA joins us today to talk about the regulation of this profession, the evolution of therapy during COVID19 and barriers existing for those looking to access this service.

COVID19 has irreversibly changed the fabric of society, not just from a health perspective, but also economically, socially and culturally. Over the last year, we have had to adapt quickly to an ever-evolving pandemic, and have relied on expert medical advice across the country. Within PEI, the reins have been in the hands of the Chief Public Health Office, with Dr. Heather Morrison taking on a public-facing role including daily press briefings, weekly appearances on television and more. She joins us on this episode of Dialogue to discuss COVID19, and share her perspectives on how major decisions have been made this last year.

Migrant workers form the backbone of two of PEI's biggest sectors, seafood and agriculture, and yet are faced with subpar living conditions while in the province, a report shows. From inadequate housing to lack of access to settlement services, myriad challenges exist for this vulnerable part of the population. With us today to chat about migrant workers on PEI is the Migrant Worker Program Coordinator with the Cooper Institute, Fallon Mawhinney.

Climate change has for the last few decades been recognised as the biggest threat we are faced with. Today's episode of Dialogue provides a look at the history of climate change action, innovation and developments being made on PEI to research and mitigate this phenomenon, and public policy measures going forward. Our special guest is Dr. Adam Fenech, Associate Professor at UPEI.

May 2021 has been eventful for the City of Charlottetown, starting with City Council bringing an end to a year-long debate on the future of the Sir John A. MacDonald statue on Victoria Row by voting to accept recommendations from the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils to amend the statue. Following this, on May 17th, the public consultation process for regulation of short-term rentals resumed with a public meeting at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. With us today, to talk about these issues and more, is City of Charlottetown Ward 1 Councillor Alanna Jankov. 

The Spring Session of the PEI legislative Assembly has just wrapped up, after 11 weeks. This was an unprecedented sitting due to many factors including a brand new parliamentary calendar, planning weeks, and no evening hours. In addition, this was a COVID sitting, with the many restrictions that are applicable. Legislative Reporter Kerry Campbell joins us this episode to reflect on this session: we discuss prominent themes throughout, the evolution of the different aspects of the legislative assembly and more.

“NIMBY” is an acronym standing for “not in my backyard”. This term, and its associated movement, NIMBYism, is characterized by residents’ opposition to a certain development in their community, with a general consensus that the development in principle is sound of logic, just not in their locality. The YIMBY movement, meaning "yes in my backyard" is in direct opposition to NIMBYism and originated to show support for increases in housing supply and developments matching community needs. It is particularly popular in cities facing a scarcity of housing and high cost of living. Within PEI, NIMBYism has gained traction over these last few weeks when discussing the relocation of the Community Outreach Centre, which provides essential services to PEI's homeless population, to a new area. To discuss YIMBYism with us today is our panel: Matt Pelletier is an urban planning and policy enthusiast, and Sarah MacEachern is a front-line worker at the Community Outreach Centre, as well as the originator of the YIMBY t-shirt fundraising campaign.

Almost a year after the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, we revisit the events of the last year, as well as the follow-up since, with our guest Tamara Steele. The first Executive Director of the Black Cultural Society of PEI, she chats with us about the incorporation of BCSPEI, anti-racism policy priorities, working with government to change the school curriculum, provincial and federal budgets, and more!

Nurses are one of the most in-demand professionals on Prince Edward Island, with the province experiencing a chronic shortage over the last several years. This episode will discuss being a nurse on PEI from a policy perspective, going over issues around recruitment and retention, shortages, Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Teams, as well as the future of the nursing profession within the evolving healthcare system. Our guest is Barbara Brookins, President of the PEI Nurses' Union.

(tw: sexual violence, rape). Sexual assault refers to any sexual contact made by a person towards another where consent is not first obtained. It is characterized by a broad range of sexual acts, carried out in circumstances in which the person has not freely consented to or is incapable of consenting to sexual activity. PEI is no stranger to sexual violence or the traumatic impacts it makes on individuals, families, and communities. To talk to us today about sexual violence, the shortcomings of existing systems, and avenues for more trauma-informed practices, with us today is Dr. Rachael Crowder, Executive Director of the PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre.

The Election Age Act is a Bill that has been presented to the PEI Legislative Assembly in Fall 2020 then Spring 2021. It deals with the lowering of the voting age from 18 to 16 in Municipal and Provincial elections on PEI. As this Bill undergoes debate, this week we look at the history of voting enfranchisement in Canada, as well as discuss the reasoning behind extending this franchise to youth, and try and clarify the various misconceptions around 16 and 17 year olds being able to vote. Our guests for today are MLA Karla Bernard, who introduced this Bill to the floor, and Nate Hood, who did significant research on the matter. 

The Government of PEI presented its budget on March 12, 2021. Some anticipated items on the budget have been: mental health, clean technology, universal pre-k, as well as economic recovery. As the House begins debating the budget on March 23, today we are chatting about what this budget means for PEI, as well as whether Government has met expectations of Islanders. Our guest is the political reporter for The Guardian, Stu Neatby.

A short-term rental is all or part of a dwelling unit rented out for less than 28 consecutive days in exchange for payment. In 2020, the City of Charlottetown tasked Dr. David Wachsmuth, Canada Research Chair in Urban Governance, to determine the impact of STRs on the housing market in Charlottetown, as well as put forward recommendations to regulate these. The first draft of regulations was presented at City Council on March 13, 2020, but further consultations were halted by the pandemic. With us today is our first Dialogue panel, comprised of strong STR regulation advocates: Jonathan Greenan, Robin Graham and Nathan Hood.

This is the third and final part of our "Lead Up to the Legislature" series, where we chat with Government, Opposition and Third Party MLAs on PEI on their priorities for the Spring 2021 sitting. Our policy themes for the day are Affordable Housing, Green Economic Recovery, Social Justice and Equity and Poverty Reduction. Our guest is MLA for Charlottetown-Belvedere, Hannah Bell.

We're back with a Saturday Special and this time, we're not talking politics or policy, but music! Shane Pendergast is a folk singer and musician, and the artist behind our intro and outro music. Shane joins us this episode to chat about all things Second Wind: his creative process, his favourite song, how it feels to be an artist during COVID19, and amateur cider-making.

n this 3-part "Lead Up to the Legislature" series, we chat with Government, Opposition and Third Party MLAs on PEI on their priorities for the Spring 2021 sitting. This second episode tackles Mental Health, Safer Consumption Sites, the Economy, COVID19 Recovery and the provincial budget. Our guest for the day is Third Party MLA Heath MacDonald.

In this 3-part "Lead Up to the Legislature" series, we chat with Government, Opposition and Third Party MLAs on PEI on their priorities for the Spring 2021 sitting. This first episode tackles Basic Income Guarantee, the Residential Tenancy Act, Climate Action and Mental Health. Our guest for the day, who submitted these priorities, is the Premier of Prince Edward Island, the Hon. Dennis King.

Black History Month was first celebrated in February 1996 in Canada, after Dr. Jean Augustine, the first Black female MP and Federal member of Cabinet introduced a motion in the House of Commons in December 1995 to recognise the contribution of Black Canadians to the development and growth of Canada. Since then, the month has only gained in significance, with more events and education being done over the month regarding the elimination of barriers to success of Black folks, but also the celebration of achievements thus far. Daniel Ohaegbu, Board member with the Black Cultural Society of PEI, chats with us today about the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement on PEI, as well as the work being done by the organization, both in February and the rest of the year.

Safer consumption sites are locations that aim to provide a hygienic and safe environment for drug users to consume or inject substances, while under the supervision of trained staff. They are widely regarded as a good public health resource, increasing safety and filling in a significant gap in harm reduction policy. There is currently multi-partisan support for the set up of a safer consumption site on PEI. Angele DesRoches and Arthur Sherren from PEERS Alliance join us this week to chat about safer injection sites and answer some of the questions islanders have been having about safer consumption sites.

According to the Federal government, "homelessness is the situation of an individual or family who does not have a permanent address or residence; the living situation of an individual or family who does not have stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it." This is often a symptom of numerous issues, from a lack of affordable and accessible housing to individuals facing physical, mental or cognitive challenges. On PEI, with a low vacancy rate and rapidly climbing rent prices, affordable housing is increasingly scarce. Add to that a global pandemic where the primary public health directive is "stay home" and we get a situation where those living with homelessness find themselves in a precarious situation. To offer an on-the-ground perspective to homelessness and its various intricacies and linked factors, with us today is Sarah MacEachern, front line worker at the Community Outreach Centre.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that severely impacts the ability to breathe over time, and causes multiple persistent lung infections. This is one of many rare diseases in Canada- and the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. While there is no cure at this time, a novel gene modulator drug, Trikafta, is available in a number of countries which drastically improves lung function and life expectancy of those living with CF. This drug is currently under review federally and, if approved, will be available in Canada. 

CF advocate Hunter Guindon chats with us today about CF, as well as the drug approval process in Canada.

Lobbying is an essential tool to any advocacy work. It involves trying to influence policies and decisions of elected officials, members of regulatory bodies and other public officials. While often related to corporate lobbies for increased profit, lobbying is also an essential tool employed by grassroots movements, professional and labour unions, and various equity-seeking groups. Brianna Workman chats with us about all things lobbying and policy in Canada.

This episode of Dialogue delves into the many forms of diabetes, the options available to monitor and manage the disease, current PEI provincial policy on diabetes, and what can be done to provide more support to those living with diabetes. Taking part in this discussion is avid curler, fashionista and diabetes advocate Brooks Roche.

Surprise! It’s a Saturday Special. One new initiative we will be exploring in this new year is Saturday Specials: episodes that fall outside our Monday 8am posting time and instead get posted on Saturday mornings. These episodes will deal with major events during the week that deserve an episode but are currently not in the lineup, any unusual topic we would like to chat about, and more!

Our topic for the day is Art and Politics. Indeed, the two have been closely intertwined, with one drawing inspiration from and in turn influencing the other. Art is furthermore a crucial political tool: from partisan pieces of media, to political symbols, to satirical caricatures, art is an often-overlooked piece of the political puzzle.

Over the last few weeks, Edmonton political artist Reed Larsen has released a number of illustrations that serve as reflections on current political events and scandals. Today he'll be chatting with us about his illustrations and more!

This episode of Dialogue is focused on three major policy areas: the Canada Youth Policy, which aims at informing the federal government on youth priorities and doing work on these, the 2019-2022 Anti-Racism Strategy, which takes a holistic look at federal anti racism work, and Bill C-6: An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), which protects children and adults from conversion therapy. To discuss these, and more, with us today is Hon. Bardish Chagger, the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Youth of Canada.

A quick look at history shows us that discussions around transportation in Canada date back to pre-Confederation days, when the railway and boat were the primary modes of transport. Since then, transportation has greatly evolved, but with the same emphasis on free, accessible transport between provinces. COVID19, while grounding everyone in place, has also seen quite some discussion on how transportation will look in a post-pandemic world, with questions surrounding remote access, the future of public transportation and the role of the government in public transportation. With us today is policy whiz Matt Pelletier to chat about Federal Transportation Policy, COVID19, and what effective transport looks like on PEI. 

COVID19 has raised multiple questions on healthcare, including what exactly are the roles of the federal government and the different provincial and territorial governments, what would a vaccine distribution look like, how to best tackle the pandemic, what has the healthcare system looked like historically and how does this compare to now. To answer these questions and more, with us today is Travis Gordon, former Senior Policy Advisor of the federal Minister of Health.

The Black Lives Matter movement gained significant momentum in the spring of 2020, with protests held throughout the world. This was visible in Atlantic Canada as well, with PEI seeing its largest protest in history in June to support Black Lives Matter, and thousands of people attending multiple marches throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Now that we are a few months in, we are taking a look back at the movement, and how this grassroots movement has translated to policy. With us to chat this episode is Black Lives Matter organizer, Husoni Raymond.

Impaired driving has been on the rise in 2020, which is especially worrying as large gatherings, typically seen as catalysts to impaired driving, have not been happening. On Thursday November 12, a motion was made in the PEI legislative assembly to address impaired driving, to multipartisan support. Lacking from conversations around impaired driving, however, is a proactive approach towards prevention. Today, we are chatting about impaired driving, what it looks like, and how it can be prevented

Canada saw 2 provincial general elections and a provincial by-election in the ten-day period between October 24 and November 2: BC held snap elections, Saskatchewan had scheduled general elections, and PEI had a by-election in its District 10. These elections differed in many ways, but were also similar in that they were pandemic elections, held in the midst of COVID19. Political scientist Dr. Don Desserud is with us today to chat about what these elections look like. 

Over the last decade, basic income has come up multiple times in conversations, not only within Canada, but globally. COVID19 has however led to an amplification of those discussions as light was shone on the weaknesses in social nets in the midst of a global crisis. Basic Income has received  multi partisan support federally over the last few years, and provincially within Prince Edward Island as well. To discuss basic income with us is Charlottetown MP Sean Casey. 

With the cost of postsecondary textbooks increasing at a rate much higher than inflation over the past few decades, these learning materials have become a very tangible financial barrier to access to education. The alternative? Open Educational Resources, or OERs. These are freely available materials that may be modified, distributed and utilised under a creative commons license. To chat with us about what this means and how to implement OERs is Clancy McDaniel, Executive Director of StudentsNS. 

Our guest for Episode 1 is Jane Ledwell, Executive Director of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women. We'll be discussing gender-specific impacts of COVID19, and what a sustainable, inclusive recovery looks like. 

We are in an era of quantity over quality when it comes to information. While this means that we obtain news from diverse sources, it also means we are unable to delve as deep as we would like into the many intricacies and implications of the dozens of decisions we have to process daily. This is where Emma Drake and Sweta Daboo come in, providing a progressive, in-depth analysis of many, many issues, mingling seriousness with good humour and pop culture. This is Dialogue, the progressive podcast on policy, politics, and pop culture.