Playbook Canada

Latest Episodes:

Carney’s big tent gets bigger | Philippe J. Fournier & Brian Gallant Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

POLITICO's Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Calder McHugh break down the latest Ottawa bombshell, as another Conservative MP crosses the floor to join Mark Carney’s Liberals ahead of the party’s convention in Montreal. Plus, a closer look at the Liberal mood on the ground as delegates gather for a high-energy weekend. Finally, what the U.S.-Iran ceasefire could mean next, including the potential fallout on gas prices in Canada.

Champagne problem | Sarah Chown Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric examine the latest developments in Canada’s deepening trade relationship with China, with Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and executives courting business in Beijing. Plus, a closer look at the Conservatives’ shift against high-speed rail. Finally, reflections on the life and legacy of NDP icon Stephen Lewis.

Sell baby, sell: Inside Canada’s energy pitch | Heather McPherson Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

POLITICO’s Deborah Kahn joins from CERAWeek in Houston to unpack Canada’s latest pitch to the global energy market with hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric. Then, as the NDP prepares to elect a new leader, Nick and Mickey dig into a race defined more by low energy than momentum, and Mickey speaks one on one with one of the front-runners, Edmonton MP Heather McPherson. Finally, the pair digs into the prime minister’s pick for parliamentary budget officer – and why it feels like déjà vu.

Is Trump making China great again? Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Hosts Mickey Djuric and Nick Taylor-Vaisey invite “China watcher” Phelim Kine to the show to discuss a stunning new POLITICO poll. The survey of thousands of people in Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., and the United States revealed how people around the world really feel about MAGA — and what is happening as a result. Speaking of polls: Will Carney’s soaring popularity hold? We discuss. Plus, Mickey talks truths and optics with Angus Reid president Shachi Kurl.

How close is Carney to a majority? Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

Co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric talk through the latest floor crosser, Lori Idlout, who abandoned Canada's progressive party this week to join the Liberals. Nick reflects on his recent trip to Washington and his conversation with U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer. Plus, Conservative MP Shuvaloy Majumdar joins for the 200-second interview.

Carney walks the Iran tightrope | Richard Madan Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

Co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric dig into the prime minister's latest thoughts on the strikes in the Middle East. Pierre Poilievre takes his first trip abroad as opposition leader and offers his best rebrand yet. And Manitoba's man in Washington, Richard Madan, joins the show.

Carney’s big trip, Gould’s tight ship | Karina Gould Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric break down Prime Minister Mark Carney’s latest global tour, starting with a politically delicate reset in India, followed by stops in Australia and Japan as Ottawa looks to diversify trade beyond the U.S. Plus: the Liberal government ramps up pressure on OpenAI over AI safety after the Tumbler Ridge shooting revelations.

And Finance Committee Chair Karina Gould joins for this week’s 200-second interview on the budget, Andrew Scheer’s nervous tell and whether she and Carney are actually pals.

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada

Cross-borders and floor crossers | Scott Aitchison Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

A new POLITICO/Public First poll finds what one pollster calls “a sort of unrequited hatred” shaping the Canada-U.S. relationship, with Canadians increasingly skeptical of Washington even as Americans maintain a warmer view of their northern neighbor. Meanwhile in Ottawa, another Conservative floor crosser shifts the balance in the House and revives fresh election speculation around Mark Carney’s minority government. Plus, Conservative MP Scott Aitchison joins from Milan to talk Olympic gold, housing lessons from Italy and the temperature on Parliament Hill.

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada.

200 seconds with Canada's No. 1 sports fan | Adam van Koeverden Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden joins Playbook Canada from the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, where he’s watching Team Canada compete and looking ahead to a potential Canada–U.S. hockey showdown. But back home, the mood shifts dramatically as news of a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., brings Parliament to a halt and forces Prime Minister Mark Carney to confront a national tragedy.

Also on the show: Donald Trump’s outburst over the Gordie Howe bridge, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani’s Washington trip and the leadership chatter it sparked, plus the debate over whether hybrid sittings in Parliament should come to an end.

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada.

Liberals flex, Conservatives reflect | Rachel Curran Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

It’s been referred to as “Harperpalooza” in Ottawa this week: a prolonged celebration of the 20th anniversary of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s first election victory. Conservatives celebrated past glories at reunions and a swanky gala, but present-day obstacles loom.

On this episode of the Playbook Canada podcast, co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric examine how Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party is still searching for a winning message, while Mark Carney’s Liberals project confidence — perhaps even hubris — by tapping MPs for diplomatic posts, brushing off House vacancies, and moving quickly to lock in candidates ahead of looming by-elections.

Also on the show: what that confidence could mean in the weeks ahead, from cross-party cooperation on affordability to Canada’s renewed focus on the Arctic. Plus, Rachel Curran, a former top policy adviser to Harper and now a senior executive at Meta, joins the podcast to reflect on working for Harper, the evolving tech-policy landscape, and whether news could soon return to Facebook and Instagram in Canada.

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada.