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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. Encore: k.d. lang's brilliant career

    Wednesday, May 14th 2025

    k.d. lang reflects on her four decade-long musical career, which may have reached its end. “All music tends towards silence and I have to honour the silence,” she tells Paul in an open and wide-ranging conversation in Calgary.

    We originally released this episode in March, 2023.

  2. Is Canadian politics actually getting nicer?

    Thursday, May 8th 2025

    Today, we're sharing an episode from our friends at the podcast WONK, which Paul appeared on this week.

    Paul talks to host Amanda Lang about some surprising shifts in the wake of the federal election, including an easing of the 'ever-deepening animosity' that’s become a trademark of politics, evidence of a common understanding of what's good for Canada and why we should be grateful Trump isn’t better at his job. 

  3. Butts, Bevan, Aitchison: what next?

    Wednesday, April 30th 2025

    Two top Liberal advisors and one Conservative MP look back at the election. 

    Andrew Bevan was the national campaign director for the Liberal Party. Gerald Butts was a senior advisor to the Carney campaign and formally acted as Justin Trudeau's principal secretary. 

    Scott Aitchison is the MP for Parry Sound-Muskoka.

  4. Election week 5: this peculiar campaign

    Wednesday, April 23rd 2025

    With less than a week left until election day, Paul calls up a few colleagues to talk about what we’ve learned and what will come next. They also talk about how politicians have changed their relationship to the press.
     
    Our panel this week features political journalists Vassy Kapelos, Hélène Buzzetti and Steve Murphy. 
     
    Season 3 of the Paul Wells Show is supported by McGill University's Max Bell School of Public Policy.

  5. The panel: pulp that platform

    Tuesday, April 22nd 2025

    Someday we should probably sit down and have a talk about election platforms. Count this week’s instalment of The Panel as a down payment on that conversation.

    Platforms are weird: if you release yours on Easter Saturday, after the television debates are already over, and a month after the election campaign started, your body language doesn’t say “Key piece of voter information.” But nobody dares not release one.

    Anyway, we’ve got Allison Gifford, Marci Surkes and Jason Lietaer to discuss the platforms, the debates, and the home stretch of this fascinating campaign.

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