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It’s a laundry list of names vying for the votes of Ottawa residents for the top job in municipal politics in the Capital. Fourteen in all are looking for your vote to put them in the Mayor’s chair for the next four years. Jim Watson had announced late last year that he would not seek re-election. There will also be a number of new faces around the Council table as many have decided not to run again. Coming up on the show we will take a look at the candidates running to lead the City of Ottawa over the next four years. Of the fourteen candidates, some names are familiar. Catherine McKenney, the former councillor for Somerset threw her hat in the ring early. So did former Regional Chair, Mayor and MPP, Bob Chiarelli. Long-time broadcaster and entrepreneur, Mark Sutcliffe has waded into the election waters for the first time and Mike Maguire, who finished second to Jim Watson in 2014 has jumped back in again. Nour Kadri is doing surprisingly well for a first-time candidate if Mainstreeet’s last poll is any indi

It was a 7-month scorched earth strategy that led Pierre Poilievre to the top spot in the Conservative Party as leader. Can he turn that into a federal election victory?The member from Carleton was first in the race and had an insurmountable lead he would not relinquish. Almost 70 percent of members supported him, giving a first ballot victory. Let’s face it. Poilievre was in control from the outset drawing big crowds and training his eye not only on the other contenders, but of course the Prime Minister as well. Our Unpublished poll question asked: Can a Pierre Poilievre led Conservative party win the next federal election?76.87% = Yes20.56% = No2.57% = UnsureHowever, you’re watching and listening to our show, whether through our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or on our podcast channels—iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more—I would like to remind you that you can still “cast your vote” on this topic and email your MP to tell them why. Click on the link below to do so. Gue

The day is drawing near for the federal Conservative Party to choose a new leader. September 10th in Ottawa delegates will gather to cast their ballot for the person to lead them into the next federal election, whenever that may be. Pierre Poilievre has led from the beginning and shows no sign of easing up. Jean Charest is a distant second in the race leaving Leslyn Lewis, Scott Aitcheson and Roman Baber in the dust. Former Ontario PC leader, Patrick Brown was turfed from the contest over the summer for what the party called initially, “improper corporate donations”, which then became “suspicious memberships”. That move has drawn legal action from Brown. The Party has been unable to knock Prime Minister Trudeau out of office three times despite ample opportunity to make their case with the electorate. In our last show before the Summer, we asked you which candidate would win the Conservative Crown and Pierre Poilievre was overwhelmingly the favourite. Our Unpublished Vote question today asks: Can a Pierre Poi

Another month and another eye popping inflation number for Canadians. The cost of living rose 7.7 percent in May, a 40 year high. It won’t surprise anyone who has filled up the tank or shopped for groceries in the last few months.  It has money minds worried about the economy running off the rails.The Bank of Canada has moved to curb inflation by hiking interest rates with further increases on the horizon. Fully three quarters of Canadians feel we are headed toward recession or are already there. This is more than a Made in Canada problem as the issues sparking it are global. Supply chain breakdown, Covid lockdowns in China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have all thrown fuel on the red hot economy.Is Canada headed for a recession?Our Unpublished Vote question asks: Do you feel the Canadian economy is heading for a recession?Audience Response: 88% = Yes6% = No6% =  UnsureJoining us to discuss the potential for a global recession and the impact on Canada: Jim Stanford Director, Centre for Future Work @Jimb

The price of everything is at a 30 year high in Canada. Record setting prices at the pump and on grocery store shelves have us clinging to our cash and eliminating all but the necessities. The Bank of Canada has moved with interest rate hikes to cool down the economy. But this is far from a “Just in Canada” type of thing. So many other dominoes had to fall into place to get us here. Recently, a survey of economists found that half felt Canada was heading for a recession while the other half did not. Our Unpublished Vote question this week asks: Is the Canadian economy heading for a recession? YesNoUnsureYou can log on and vote right now at Unpublished.vote and have your voice heard. Guests: Ian Lee, Associate Professor at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University Moshe Lander, Economics professor at Concordia University

You’d be hard pressed to recognize them as on the same team, but that is the picture before us of the federal Conservative leadership race. Six in all have lined up to present their case as best choice to lead the party into the next election. Will they tack even further to the right? Hello and welcome to Unpublished TV. It’s been a bare-knuckle brawl in two debates so far. The party reports a record 600,000 party memberships sold, giving those people a say in who will capture the leadership. First to declare was Carleton MP, Pierre Poilievre, in the middle of the trucker protest in Ottawa. He has grabbed the most attention and support thus far. But it’s a long campaign with the vote not coming until September 10th in Ottawa. Our Unpublished Vote question asked: Which candidate will the Conservatives select? Our audience responded:Pierre Poilievre = 83.02%Jean Charest = 4.72%Leslyn Lewis = 3.30%Patrick Brown = 5.19%Roman Baber = 3.77%Scott Aitchison = 0% However you’re watching and listening to our show, whet

With the nasty barbs, the explosive rhetoric and sucker punches to personality, Conservatives are lining up behind six potential candidates to lead them out of Opposition and into the government. Which way will they go? Animosity is driving the bus in the Conservatives largest leadership race ever. More than 400,000 memberships have been sold according to the Party leadership committee, with the closing deadline today. Six candidates in all are looking to lead the party into the next election with Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre siphoning off most of the air in the room. Former Quebec Premier and leader of the PC Party, Jean Charest is on the list, along with former Brampton Mayor and Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown and former leadership candidate, Leslyn Lewis in the ring. Roman Baber, a former Ontario MPP, and current Conservative MP Scott Aitchison round out the list. Two debates are behind us with the leadership convention set for September in Ottawa. Our Unpublished.vote question asks: Which candidate will

The finish line is in sight for Ontario’s political parties as we round into the last few days of the Ontario election campaign. Which way will the province go?  Boring, bland and blah have been the descriptors of this campaign. Not a lot of fireworks on the campaign trail. But around it? Severe thunderstorms raked the southern and eastern part of the province, leaving hundreds of thousands in the dark. Factor in the sky-high prices for everything, a war in Eastern Europe and another school shooting in the US, and the electorate could be forgiven for being distracted from the election. When the writ dropped, Ford’s PCs were in the lead and in majority territory. They haven’t relinquished much of it since. Our Unpublished Vote question this week asked: What do you think will be the outcome of the Ontario election?PC Majority: 56%PC Minority: 20.5%Liberal Majority: 0%Liberal minority: 7%NDP minority: 4%Other: 12%However, you’re watching and listening to our show, whether through our social media channels on Fac

Advanced polls are now open in Ontario for the provincial election. And with less than two weeks to go in the campaign two party leaders have been diagnosed with Covid and are isolating. Andrea Horwath and Mike Schreiner are off the trail for precautions. Which way will Ontario go on June 2nd?The final debate was Monday, the last chance for leaders to make an impression and perhaps a knockout punch. This campaign appeared to be a referendum on Doug Ford’s handling of the pandemic. But the skyrocketing cost of living has surged to the top of the list of concerns of Ontarians, distracting from the last four years. Our Unpublished Vote question asks: What do you think will be the outcome of the Ontario election? You can vote in our weekly poll by clicking the link below when it appears, and then comment on our site and email your MP to have your voice heard! Coming up on the Unpublished Cafe, we’ll chat with Andrew Enns, Vice President of Leger360 about how Ontario views the candidates. As well, Genevieve Tellie

In the “fog of war” the number of casualties of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is difficult to account. It is safe to say though the destruction of cities and infrastructure in Ukraine has been extensive. Targeting of hospitals and schools by Russian troops have come with the cry of war crimes and the town of Bucha, is ground zero for mass graves of Ukrainian civilians. Is Russia committing genocide in Ukraine? Seven weeks and counting since Russia invaded Ukraine all in the name of “deNaziifying” the country. Just over a year ago, Russian troops and equipment began to amass along the border with Ukraine all in the name of “training”. Since Russian troops crossed into Ukraine, they have been met with fierce resistance. NATO and European countries have been outraged by the invasion and attack, but NATO has not enforced a no fly zone over Ukraine for concern of broadening the conflict. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks, Does Russia’s war on Ukraine amount to genocide?YesNoUnsureLog on and vote right now at U

Six weeks of bombing and shelling by Russian forces in Ukraine continue unabated. Ukrainian cities lie in ruins while mass graves have been discovered. The town of Bucha is ground zero for the call of “genocide”m which now echoes around the world. Is it genocide? Canada’s MP’s unanimously approved a motion to call Russia’s attack, genocide. US President Biden and other world leaders have made the same accusation. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said it as well, citing “attacks on Russian speaking people in the eastern party of the country by Ukraine” as genocide against Russia. The term itself is very political and in need of thorough investigation. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks you: Is Russia’s attack on Ukraine genocide? YesNo UnsureLog on and vote right now at Unpublished.vote and have your voice heard. Listen to the podcast, read the articles, cast your vote, email your MP to tell them why, and then take a moment to check out the new Unpublished.ca portal for politics and current affairs in

Canada’s most populous province is one month away from going to the polls. The PC’s are looking to continue in power, while the official Opposition the NDP is looking to build on it’s previous success while the Liberals, are trying to find their way out of the woods. Which way will voters go this time?  Four years after Doug Ford landed at Queen’s Park, he is looking for another mandate. The party’s just announced platform comes with some big spending, more than $198 billion. A return to balance will be further down the road. The NDP platform focuses on healthcare with promises of more nurses and PSW’s although there was no price tag. The Liberals have announced a pay transparency plan and “before and after “ school care to run in line with the feds child care plan.  Our Unpublished dot vote question asks you: If the election was held right now, which party would you vote for? PC’s. 50 percentLiberals. 20NDP. 15Green. 15 Log on and vote right now at Unpublished.vote and have your voice heard.  Listen to the p

We’re about five weeks out from heading to the ballot box in Ontario. Between now and June 2nd, the candidates will be trudging the sidewalks, knocking on doors, or at least as much as they can in the sixth wave. Will the Province have new leadership on June 3rd? The last time Ontario went to the polls, the governing Liberals were reduced to a rump party of just seven seats. The N.D.P made gains and became the official Opposition. Midway through the mandate, the pandemic arrived turning everything upside down. As we grapple with a sixth wave while politicians try to turn the page on Covid, Russia has invaded Ukraine and the price of a home in Canada is the highest it’s ever been. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks you. If the election was held tomorrow, who would you vote for, PC, Liberal, NDP, or Green? YesNoUnsureLog on and vote right now at Unpublished dot vote and have your voice heard. Listen to the podcast, read the articles, cast your vote, email your MP to tell them why, and then take a moment to

Affordability. It is the number one concern of Canadians. Inflation is running at 5.7 percent this month following a five percent jump in March. Gas prices have never been this high, fuelled in part by the war in Ukraine. Supply chain disruptions are also having an impact on the cost of everything. The 2022 Federal budget was expected to give us a path out of the pandemic and on to the road to recovery. Does this budget tackle the costs? When we talk about about affordability, by far the biggest concern is the cost of buying a home. Prices were high before the pandemic, but they rose 20 percent last year, putting the average home at $816 thousand. Hardly chump change. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks you; Does the 2022 Federal budget address your economic concerns?0 Yes100 No0 UnsureHowever you’re watching and listening to our show, whether through our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or on our podcast channels—iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more—I would like to remi

This is the first budget after the Liberals and NDP announced their supply and confidence agreement, which would see them prop up the government until 2025. In terms of new spending, this budget comes with much less than previous as Covid support programs come to an end. Just over 31 billion over the next five years. This budget will also see the deficit drop to $52 billion, down half from last year. That windfall comes in the form of higher oil prices and revenues. While the country has more than made up for lost jobs that evaporated during the pandemic, some money minds are looking for growth. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks: Does the 2022 federal budget address your economic concerns? YesNoUnsureYou can log on and vote right now at Unpublished dot vote.Listen to the podcast, read the articles, cast your vote, email your MP to tell them why, and then take a moment to check out the new Unpublished.ca portal for politics and current affairs in Canada, as we roll it out one section at a time in the comi

Will The Liberal -NDP Supply and Confidence Agreement run it’s full course or will the honeymoon end before 2025? Hello and welcome to Unpublished TV. About two weeks ago, the parties unwrapped their agreement which would see the NDP support the minority government for progress on some NDP priorities, namely dental care and a pharma program. This is different than a coalition government which it is often referred. For one, no NDP members would be in Cabinet which is often a result in a coalition. The Conservatives, whom are in the middle of a leadership race, call it “backdoor socialism” and “undemocratic “. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks, Will the supply and confidence agreement between the two last until 2025? Yes, No or Unsure.The results of our survey find0% Yes88:46 No11.54 UnsureHowever you’re watching and listening to our show, whether through our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or on our podcast channels—iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more—We would like to

The whispers circling around Parliament Hill became louder this week as the federal Liberals and NDP announced a “supply and confidence agreement”, which could keep the Liberals in power until 2025. Will it last that long? The talks were off and on since January and really ramped up during the Ottawa occupation by the so called trucker convoy. The deal means the NDP will support the Liberals on a number of policies they mutually agree upon. Think dental care and pharmacare. It will also see the NDP support the Liberals on confidence votes like budgets. It could spare Canadians a trip to the ballot box for three years. Our Unpublished dot vote question asks:Will the supply and confidence agreement between the two last until 2025? Yes, No or Unsure. You can log on and vote right now at Unpublished dot vote and have your voice heard. GuestsLydia Miljan, Professor of Political Science at the University of Windsor.Karl Nerenberg of Rabble who covers the Hill. Karl Bélanger, President of Traxxion Strategies

More than 10 million Ukrainians or 1/4 of the population, have fled their homeland nearly a month after Russia began shelling its neighbor. It has created a humanitarian crisis. While not referred to as a war in Russia but rather a “special military operation”, the aim is to remove the current Ukrainian government. While most of the West has levelled punishing economic sanctions on Russia, others have stood by Russia’s aggression. Ukraine has made no qualms about joining NATO which Russia sees as provocation, despite Ukraine being a sovereign nation. NATO members have rejected a no-fly zone over Ukraine for fear of being dragged further into the fray. Our Unpublished Vote question this week asks: Should NATO put boots on the ground to defend Ukraine? Our audience voted: Yes = 59%No = 35%Unsure = 6%However you’re watching and listening to our show, whether through our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or on our podcast channels—iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more—We would li

In the early morning of February 24th the world woke up to an invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Almost 200,000 Russian forces had been congregated along the Russian—Ukrainian border under the claim of “military training”. For some, it was a signal that an invasion was imminent. Where will it lead the world? All apologies to those who thought the Cold War was over, but here we are. While Russia has the numbers and firepower, the Russian army is being held back by Ukraine. And, while Vladimir Putin watches from the Kremlin, Ukraine President Voldimir Zelensky has taken up arms with his forces, while still communicating with world leaders. The scenes of destruction are devastating for those on the outside. NATO members have been offering assistance in the form of equipment but will not enforce a No-Fly Zone out of fear of escalating the conflict. Our Unpublished Vote question asks: Should NATO put boots on the ground to defend Ukraine? Yes, No or Unsure. You can log on and vote right now at Unpublished.vote and hav

Canadians like to think we’re more tolerant, nicer, more welcoming than our American neighbours. The images of racial conflict in the US are prevalent, but when something like that occurs north of the 49th parallel, we’re shocked. Should we be? The freedom convoy is out of downtown Ottawa but the 3-week occupation is something the residents won’t soon forget. As the collection of truckers made their way across the country, there were rumblings that other groups were using the movement for their own gain. The Confederate and Nazi flags that were seen on the first weekend solidified that view for many. Extremism in Canada has increased 320% over the last 5-years according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Our Unpublished Vote question this week asks: Do you feel “extremism” is on the rise in Canada? Our audience responded: Yes      = 41.6%No        = 56.4%Unsure = 2.5% However you’re watching and listening to our show, whether through our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or on our