Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the headlines of the week. This week, the firestorm around electoral reform continues to burn, this week over the government’s online survey. The opposition has attacked the initiative as seriously flawed, and an attempt to rig the results. Mark Holland, the parliamentary secretary for democratic reform, joins the podcast.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Canada for the final time as Veep, just as our neighbours to the south make the transition to a Donald Trump presidency. Maclean’s Ottawa bureau chief John Geddes observed Biden’s visit—and the message he had for Canadian politicians.

Viola Desmond will be the first Canadian woman featured on a bank note. The Nova Scotian woman who challenged Canada’s segregation laws in the 1940s will be featured on a new $10 bill. We hear from Desmond’s sister and speak with University of Ottawa professor Constance Backhouse about how Desmond changed our country.

This week, the Governor General held a conference in which former pro hockey players called on the federal government to create a national protocol for dealing with concussions in sports. That’s exactly what it’s doing. To talk more about the upcoming new standards, and what symptoms parents should look out for if their child takes a hit to the head, Minister for Sport Carla Qualtrough joins the show.

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The full episode

Part 1. What’s next for electoral reform?

The firestorm around electoral reform continues to burn, this week over the government’s online survey. The opposition has attacked the initiative as seriously flawed, and an attempt to rig the results. Mark Holland, the parliamentary secretary for democratic reform, joins the podcast.

Part 2. Joe Biden comes to Ottawa

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Canada for the final time as Veep, just as our neighbours to the south make the transition to a Donald Trump presidency. Maclean’s Ottawa bureau chief John Geddes observed Biden’s visit—and the message he had for Canadian politicians.

Part 3. Why was Viola Desmond forgotten by history?

Viola Desmond will be the first Canadian woman featured on a bank note. The Nova Scotian woman who challenged Canada’s segregation laws in the 1940s will be featured on a new $10 bill. We hear from Desmond’s sister and speak with University of Ottawa professor Constance Backhouse about how Desmond changed our country.

Part 4. Ottawa talks concussions in sports

This week, the Governor General held a conference in which former pro hockey players called on the federal government to create a national protocol for dealing with concussions in sports. That’s exactly what it’s doing. To talk more about the upcoming new standards, and what symptoms parents should look out for if their child takes a hit to the head, Minister for Sport Carla Qualtrough joins the show.

OUR BUREAU’S TOP READS

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  ON ELECTIONS
  In defence of mydemocracy.ca

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  ON MATH
  Monsef’s contempt for math

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  ON CONSERVATIVES
  Those who shall not be named

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  ON CROSSTALK
  Solomon and Geddes talk politics

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