The Heated Rivalry Between Your Money and the Government

No definition? No real data? No problem! That doesn't stop the nanny state from regulating your food. The CCC's Bill Wirtz joins Sabine and Jay to talk everything ultra-processed foods, and why those new labels you're seeing on the front of your food packaging may not be as harmless as they seem. Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada has become the victim of a trifecta of horrendous and creepy tech policy, and Jay and Sabine are here to break down the policies and why it all sounds like we're in a bad sci-fi novel. Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, Jay and Sabine discuss the potential bill that would hand over all your metadata to the government while keeping the door wide open for anyone to see where you've been and who you're talking to. Plus, why you might be paying a lot more for Netflix, and the government fumbles the ball on behalf of Canadian smokers once again.  Read our circular lobbying report here: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/circular-lobbying-in-canada/Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government thinks they need to nanny the children because you can't take care of them again! This time, they want to ban kids from social media and AI. The CCC's Head of Emerging Technology Policy James Czerniawski joins us to discuss why that is a really bad idea.  Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode, Jay and Sabine discuss bad and ineffective policies coming from the age old Simpsons cry of "oh won't somebody please think of the children?!", namely nicotine flavour bans and social media bans. We also talk about what's happening at the gas pump for consumers. Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian consumer advocates Sabine and Jay talk about why the government's concessions on the alcohol escalator tax and municipal development charges are good but just not enough, and discuss what happens when trying to score political points can hurt people in some of the worst ways.  Read I, Pencil by Leonard E. Read here: https://www.theils.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/I-Pencil%E2%80%94Leonard-E-Read.pdfSupport us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Jay explains why Swifties might face even more fraud after Ford's proposed ticket resale cap, Sabine explains why she gets annoyed when the government makes legislation that insults Canadian content, and we discuss the (small) strides we are seeing towards alleviating the housing crisis. Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there's one thing governments and regulators want to do, it's save you from yourself because you just don't know better. In this episode, Sabine and Jay take issue with that idea when it comes to nicotine pouches, automated taxes on your booze, and of course, warning labels on everything. Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jay and Sabine are joined by the CCC's Director of Research Emil Panzaru to discuss the Canadian housing crisis and how it compares to other housing crises around the world, and we try and figure out why every level of government isn't doing more to treat the housing crisis like an actual crisis. We have some ideas on how to do it if they are interested!  Here's a link to our latest housing deep dive: https://thehub.ca/2026/01/14/only-the-richest-canadians-are-able-to-afford-homes-its-time-to-free-the-market-deepdive/Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book an Uber, pour yourself a glass of Crown Royal, and try to find a flight to visit the UAE because Jay and Sabine and back and they are still tired of government shenanigans, 2026 edition. The podcast might take a break but the bad policy decisions from every level of government never do. Support us: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.