How the war in Iran exposes the limits of China’s influence

Since the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran almost a month ago, the ripple effects of the war have been felt globally. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected oil prices worldwide, but energy shocks are especially felt across the rest of Asia, which is heavily dependent on energy from the Gulf states. The 35 million migrant workers living in the Gulf – the bulk of whom come from South and Southeast Asia – are in a particularly precarious position. And China, a strategic partner of Iran, has found itself on the sidelines of this war. The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths explains the geopolitics at play and how the war is impacting the day-to-day lives of people across the continent. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The federal government is hoping to make room for the new spending outlined in last year’s budget by making cuts across the public sector. The goal is to save $60 billion over the next 5 years. Departments like Library and Archives Canada and the Correctional Service of Canada are reducing their workforces, while some programs, like one for public transit, are seeing funding cuts. The Globe’s deputy Ottawa bureau chief, Bill Curry, explains what we know so far about the cuts and the potential impacts on the services provided to Canadians. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amid threats of annexation and U.S.-imposed tariffs, Canadians are using their dollars to purchase Canadian goods. However, consumer complaints about products mislabelled as Canadian have spiked since the Buy Canadian movement began. Some in the food and beverage industry say cracking down too hard on mistaken labelling could backfire, dissuading retailers from promoting Canadian foods. Susan Krashinsky Robertson and Kate Helmore, both journalists for The Globe’s Report on Business, join The Decibel to discuss Canadian food labelling, the benefits of the Buy Canadian movement for farmers and producers, and how retailers can leverage patriotic shoppers to rebuild trust with them. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today, a case involving Quebec’s use of the notwithstanding clause is going before the Supreme Court of Canada. In the last decade, many provinces have used the clause to override federal powers to pass controversial laws. While cases involving the notwithstanding clause have been taken to the Supreme Court before, none have had the magnitude of being precedent-setting that could have major implications for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The hearing will be one of the longest at the country’s highest court in a decade. The Globe’s justice reporter, David Ebner, explains how the clause came to be, why provinces have used it, and whether the case will change the power balance between provincial and federal governments in Canada’s charter. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to create music? Would you be able to tell if the sounds you were listening to weren’t made or sung by a human? Artists and supporters of the music industry are asking some of these existential questions, as technology in consumer generative AI has grown in leaps and bounds and record companies are settling legal battles with AI companies. Josh O’Kane, Globe reporter on arts and business, joins The Decibel to talk about the friction between musicians and AI tools, how AI slop has found itself onto streaming feeds, and what this could mean for the future of music. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Since the U.S. and Israel started a war with Iran, the price of oil has spiked. That’s largely because oil tankers are no longer travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning roughly one fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply remains stranded in the Gulf region. This is having an effect in Canada, even though Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer and exporter. Jeffrey Jones is a journalist in The Globe’s Report on Business, who has been covering the global oil market for decades. He joins the show today to explain why Canada is seeing domestic energy prices rise as a result of the war. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Late last week, the Ontario government announced it would introduce legislation exempting the Premier, cabinet ministers and their offices from responding to freedom of information requests. The province said these changes are needed to protect privacy and to allow ministers to discuss policy decisions in confidence. Critics say it’s an anti-democratic move designed to shield the government from accountability. Jeff Gray reports on Ontario politics for the Globe. He’s on the show to talk about how freedom of information requests have revealed past controversies in Ontario, and how the proposed changes could make government business less transparent to the public. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Building cities for the future means building a lot more public transit – and lately, Canadian cities have been planning LRTs, or light rail transit. While these projects are introduced with great promise of moving people around more efficiently, in practice, these projects have a history of disappointment. There’s Ottawa’s LRT project, which opened to great frustration from riders. Then, Toronto’s Finch West line, upon opening, couldn’t quite keep pace with a local runner. Most recently, there was Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown, which opened this past February, six years later than initially planned, and a billion dollars over budget. Oliver Moore writes for the Globe’s Editorial Board. Previously, he was an urban affairs reporter. He’s here to talk about why we keep building LRTs and how we should think about transit that will take us into the future. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been one year since Mark Carney became Prime Minister. He was long known as a technocrat, having held the position of central banker for both Canada and the United Kingdom. But when Justin Trudeau resigned, Liberals – and later, Canadians – decided Carney was the man for the moment. One year later, his popularity is holding strong: an Angus Reid poll found that 60 per cent of Canadians held a positive view of him as Prime Minister. How has Carney managed to keep Canadians onside despite having so little experience in elected politics? Shannon Proudfoot is a feature writer and columnist for The Globe. She’ll unpack what she’s observed about how Carney has cultivated his political persona, and whether there are any signs that his honeymoon phase with Canadians might be coming to an end. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On February 28th, the US and Israel struck Iran – and Iran fired back at military bases and allies in the region. The war has since dominated global attention, but it’s not just playing out in Iran. After the Iran-backed militia group, Hezbollah, fired into Israel in solidarity with Iran, a second front in the war opened up in Lebanon. Now, hundreds of thousands have been displaced in Lebanon and hundreds of others are dead as a third war between Hezbollah and Israel escalates. The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon was in Lebanon this past week. He joins The Decibel to explain how this latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is impacting the people of Lebanon, and why this round of fighting feels different. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.