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The Paul Wells Show

Veteran journalist Paul Wells interviews the leaders and thinkers tackling the world's big problems — war and peace, democracy and dictatorship, making governments and communities work. Paul draws on decades of experience as a reporter and columnist at Macleans, the Toronto Star and elsewhere to bring you smart, intimate conversations with newsmakers and people who deserve a higher profile.

  1. Election week 1: The race in Quebec — and Mark Carney's riding

    Wednesday, March 26th 2025

    This is an elections podcast now. Each week throughout the election, we'll bring you a variety of smart commentators to keep you upto speed.

    This week, former Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod talks about her old riding of Nepean, where Mark Carney is running, with Pierre Poilievre running just next door. MacLeod has also worked with Poilievre, and weighs in on his leadership.

    And Hélène Buzzetti, political columnist for les Coops de l’information, talks about the political landscape in Quebec. Can Carney overcome his weak French and lack of familiarity with Quebecers? And can the Conservatives gain ground in the province?

    Season 3 of the Paul Wells Show is supported by McGill University's Max Bell School of Public Policy

  2. The Panel: Jason First - For a Change

    Tuesday, March 25th 2025

    Campaign Week 1, featuring an assist from Danielle Smith
     
    The original Conservative on our Panel, the great Garry Keller, won his nomination battle in Nipissing—Timiskaming. Now he’s off trying to get elected to Parliament. (Note to readers who worry that this corner might be endorsing somebody: Please vote for whoever you want!) So, in a move reminiscent of Season 2 of Bewitched, we’ve got a new Darrin: Say hi to Jason Lietaer, the veteran of Harper-era campaign tours who is now President of Enterprise Canada.
     
    We’ve got a lot to talk about, because this is the first of five (or six) weekly Panels as we follow the election campaign. Joining Jason are our Panel veterans, Allison Gifford of Clear Strategy and Marci Surkes of Compass Rose. On the menu: ballot-question framing, campaign performance, and Alberta premier Danielle Smith’s decision to tell Breitbart News that Pierre Poilievre would get along much better with Donald Trump.

  3. Margaret MacMillan's world

    Wednesday, March 19th 2025

    This week, we’re replaying one of our favourite interviews.

    What can history tell us about the world we live in? Paul is joined by acclaimed historian Margaret MacMillan, author of books including Paris: 1919, Nixon in China and History’s People. They discuss some of the major events shaping the world today, including the war in Ukraine, the fallout of Brexit, Xi Jinping’s regime in China, and where Canada fits in to it all.
     
    This episode was recorded live at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. It was first broadcast on February 1st, 2023.
     
    Season 3 of the Paul Wells Show is supported by McGill University's Max Bell School of Public Policy

  4. Jason Kenney is mad

    Wednesday, March 12th 2025

    Former Defence Minister and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has been horrified by what he’s been seeing from the new Trump administration. He got so mad that he ended a lengthy Twitter hiatus to sound off about it. He joins Paul to share his views on Trump’s takeover of America conservatism, Trump’s relationship with Ukraine, and what Canada should do about U.S. aggression.

  5. A crisis of confidence in Canadian universities

    Wednesday, March 5th 2025

    Paul breaks down some of the major challenges facing higher education in Canada, including a lack of political will to invest in the sector. 
     
    He is then joined by a panel of insiders for their takes on what to do about it. How are they handling this moment? What does the future look like? And how can universities make the case for their relevance in a changing world?
     
    The panelists are:
    • Graham Carr, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University
    • Maud Cohen, President of Polytechnique Montréal
    • Christopher Manfredi, Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) at McGill University
    Season 3 of The Paul Wells Show is sponsored by McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy.

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