← Unlearn16: Class is in Session
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- [00:03]
A
Classes in session. Hey, everybody, and welcome to Unlearn 16. Classes in session. I brought the class all the way to Ottawa because we were supposed to make dinner together, by the way.
- [00:14]
B
We were supposed to. I know.
- [00:15]
A
And fine. The Southern gentleman kind of threw a wrench in the works. You had to fly to Windsor to stand beside auto workers. But I appreciate you being here. Now, we were going to talk about different things, but my grade eight class found out that I got to do this podcast, and because they love politics, mostly they just like fighting with me. They came up with a list of questions for you. So I'm wondering now, some of them go hard in the paint.
- [00:42]
B
That's fine.
- [00:42]
A
All right. I can't promise that. And I put it on my phone.
- [00:45]
B
I respect Grade A kids. There's going to be some tough questions in there. Kids can be tough.
- [00:50]
A
Kids are absolutely tough. So literally, straight up, I didn't change wording some things. I'll just tweak a little bit. So if you're mad at that, I'll tell you their name later and you can have. I can have parents investigated. Okay.
- [01:03]
B
No, no, no, that's okay.
- [01:05]
A
Okay. So coming from Metro Prep's grade eight class.
- [01:08]
B
Yes.
- [01:08]
A
What's your plan to deal with Trump's tariffs and threat of annexation?
- [01:13]
B
Whoosh. Okay, just a small question, light question.
- [01:16]
A
We can answer that in 30 seconds.
- [01:17]
B
Yeah, of course. We gotta fight back. Number one, we gotta fight back. We gotta defend our country. We also got to look at what we can do in our own country. We can't control Donald Trump. We can fight back and try to put pressure on him to get rid of those tariffs. What can we do in our own country? This is where I think we need to build up a stronger Canadian economy. So one where we build Canadian using Canadian materials and Canadian workers. We got to use our Canadian steel, lumber and aluminum to build the things we need so we can create a more stronger, resilient domestic economy. The other thing is we got to build more of the things we need in our own country. We have to be less dependent and reliant on the United States. We have to have more diversified trading relationships with more countries. We can't be vulnerable in the same way again. And then ultimately, we need to have the protections in place for people in Canada. A strong healthcare system. If people lose their jobs, which is a threat in a trade war. We need to have an EI that covers enough of someone's salary so they can actually pay their bills, they can keep their home, they can pay for the Things they need. So those are some of the things that I would prioritize.
- [02:15]
A
Do you genuinely take the threat of annexation as a real thing or a blustering guy who likes to hear himself speak?
- [02:22]
B
I think we gotta take the threat seriously. And he said he's gonna use economic pressure to do that. And then he started using tariffs, so. And he picked a fight for Canada, with Canada, really, for no reason. Unprovoked, illegal, unjustified. So I would take his threat seriously and be ready to fight back.
- [02:39]
A
And against the trade agreement he created.
- [02:41]
B
That's the wildest part of the set.
- [02:42]
A
Of the head part. Right. He is the best trade agreement I've ever made in my entire life.
- [02:46]
B
Yeah, he liter. It wasn't like someone else had signed it. And he said, oh, I'm inheriting a bad agreement he negotiated. He signed it, said it was great, and now is breaking the agreement that he signed.
- [02:58]
A
How would you deal with that phone call?
- [03:01]
B
I think. I don't know. You got to be firm.
- [03:02]
A
It's a great question.
- [03:04]
B
You got to be firm. You got to be tough. And I don't. I thought. I thought generally in life you try to negotiate and try to smooth things over. I think that only works when someone's approaching it with a rational approach. If someone's not and they're looking to create kind of sensational news always, I don't think that's where you can have, like, a meaningful rational conversation. I think you got to show strength and show there's going to be a harm to him if he does this. And we saw. Whenever there's, like, a market drop, he backs away. Whenever there's a harm, he backs away. So we got to show that it's not good business. It's.
- [03:40]
A
I think there's also a space. It's interesting because I think the NDP does a very good job of balancing two divergent goals, which is protecting Canadian workers, Canadian industry, Canadian unions, but also understanding that we exist in an international market and we need global trading partners and we need to diversify those global trading partners. That's a really hard balance. I feel like every time I think about it. Right.
- [04:08]
B
Yeah.
- [04:08]
A
When I think about how do you balance protecting Canadian work with internationalization of economic orders? How do you balance the two? Do you start?
- [04:17]
B
Yeah. Well, I would say speaking with the workers, like, I know that we've got a really strong agriculture sector, but we. We send a lot of. We sell a lot of our products to other countries, so we need to have relationships with those countries to sell those products. We make cars that go to the States, and so we need to have. We need to find other markets for the cars that we make. So speaking with workers, there's a way to say we're going to protect you. And to do that is we got to find ways to sell our products in other countries. We have to do both.
- [04:47]
A
Fantastic. And this next question came because I had them do a budget and they don't like me very much anymore. They're really upset with how much of a house they couldn't buy or how much things cost. I gave them all two kids, and they're like, we're only having one piece of toast for breakfast. What's the one step or the most important step to making things more affordable?
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B
Homes and groceries. Like, those are the two fundamental things like food and shelter.
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A
How do you do it? On homes?
- [05:16]
B
On homes. I would say there's a whole bunch of solutions needed.
- [05:19]
A
Sure.
- [05:20]
B
But fundamentally, if I could say it in one kind of concept, the housing market, the way it was designed, because we have rules and we have incentives that create the conditions. It's not like things happen on their own. They happen as a result of decisions we've made. So we've designed. Liberals and conservatives who've been in power federally have designed a housing market that makes a lot of money for a rich investor. You can buy up land and. And the property goes up in value. You can buy homes. And people did it in Toronto and Vancouver and bigger, big cities in around Canada. Housing prices skyrocketed. They made lots of money, but it's not working for regular folks. And so fundamentally, we've got to change the way the housing market works and disincentivize the people that are trying to make lots of profits off it and make it work better for people. So, like, flipping right now is incentivized. You can buy a home and you can flip it, make a lot of money. That just jacks up the prices higher and higher. I want to disincentivize flipping, so I put in a ban. You buy a property, you couldn't flip it to make lots of money for the first five years, you have to keep it for five years. So that would make it harder for someone to just buy a property, slap on something new, and then try to sell it for more. Right. Because corporations are buying up homes at a record rate. They're buying up apartment buildings that are affordable because their. Their CEOs are saying there is a way for us to make a lot more money in this city, this building, this apartment, is charging $1,000 per rent. We could triple it because of the going rates. So they're purposely buying the stuff that's affordable and then jacking up the rates. They're not building new apartment buildings. They're finding the ones that are already affordable and saying, well, those are depressed assets. Meaning that we could actually make a lot more money if we jack up those rents. That's bad and we can't let them do that. So I would ban that practice, keep the stuff that is affordable and build more affordability.
- [07:03]
A
And that's all federal legislation.
- [07:05]
B
Yeah. A lot of this is federally controlled. A lot of this is. We could stop. We could change certain tax changes that would disincentivize property flipping. Lots of control we have over that.
- [07:14]
A
There's a lot of people. I think it is very difficult to separate municipal, provincial, federal. Especially when there's a lot of overlap.
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B
Yeah, there is.
- [07:23]
A
Speaking of that. Different provincial differences. So I've spent a lot of time talking to people in different provinces. I have a lot of people in Alberta, which is very interesting. People seem to really love me in Alberta. But I also know there's a chunk of Alberta is not a big fan of mine. I don't know why. However, you go back to something like the NEP and you talk about what happened between the federal government and Alberta and oil pipelines and what we're going to do there, and it seems shaky. Right. It seems my students hear Danielle Smith talking about, oh, well, we're just gonna have to make our own agreements or we're gonna have to. And I really wanna figure out, or would love to hear an idea about how do we a foster a healthier dynamic, even though we're not changing the electoral system here, but how do we change that dynamic? So it doesn't seem like they're holding onto things from 1978 or whatever, which is what it feels like in some way.
- [08:20]
B
Well, I mean, one of the things I think to respond to it kind of anecdotally and then to get into some policy. I've lived in different places in this country. Like, I was born in Toronto, but then I grew up in my Former years in St. John's Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Labrador. Yeah. And then I lived in Windsor, Ontario, in London, Ontario. Now I live in Burnaby, B.C. so I've kind of lived across the country. And it gives me a deep affection and care for these different communities because I've lived in them. Like, I had my childhood in one place, my formative years in another. I'm living with My wife, my two kids in bc. So I've got an appreciation for all the places that I've lived in and I live in. So I think that gives me more of a sensitivity and a care for the things that matter to people in different parts of the country. I'm more aware of it, more sensitive to it. And then I think, really, there's so much more that unites us, that divides us. We have so much more in common. Our common fears and worries and our common hopes and aspirations. Like, everyone wants to be able to find a life of purpose, to be able to be safe and secure, to be able to live a good life, to be able to afford to have a home, to be able to buy your groceries, to save up for maybe a vacation or a special treat. Like, these are things that we all want. And I want everyone to be able to do that wherever you live. And I think we can achieve that. There's ways to do that. Recognizing there's going to be differences. Different parts of our country have different sectors that are more important. We can respect that and still build a good life for everyone.
- [09:42]
A
Fantastic. Okay, we're still gonna keep moving on. They've given me a lot of questions now. First of all, sometimes I'm blown away by my students. I'm just reading it. Okay. They want to know what your favorite story is and if it has a moral and how you could apply it to today. And I'm like, are you. Who are you?
- [10:01]
B
I didn't teach you that. That's cool. Favorite story.
- [10:05]
A
I can pause it if you want to put it in the back of your head because that's one like, out of left field.
- [10:09]
B
Yeah. It's a great question, though.
- [10:10]
A
I think they're just looking for. You know, I often ask the kids early on, what's your favorite movie? And. And they think it's just an easy question to ask. And I'm like, no, no, no, because I want to know what resonates with you.
- [10:22]
B
Right, right, right, right, right. You know, I don't know. For the longest time, I liked. I liked. The Matrix is one of my favorite movies. Yeah, it's very cool. And one of the concepts that really hit me was at the end of the movie, I'm giving a spoiler here. So folks haven't seen it.
- [10:39]
A
It was. Came out 1990 if people haven't seen it.
- [10:42]
B
Right, right.
- [10:43]
A
They've dropped the ball.
- [10:43]
B
Okay, there you go. Well, so one part at the end of the movie, Matrix. Neo can see the whole world in code. And the part of that. That I really liked is that my mom taught me this idea that we're all one. And she'd always say this idea that we're one, that we're not just that we're connected, we're literally one. And I would do volunteer work, and she'd say, like, when we're serving food to somebody, don't think it's a stranger. Imagine it's you're serving food to your mom or your dad or your brother or your sister. Imagine you're serving yourself and care for that person the way you care for yourself. And that became a big part of who I am. And the Matrix kind of showed a little bit of that in a movie context where it became really, that everything was connected, everything was one. It was all kind of this green coat. And there's something about that that. That kind of embodies me. My mom had taught me as a kid, and to see it come to life on a movie screen was cool.
- [11:32]
A
That's a. That's a great answer. Quick question. Lebron or Jordan? Oh, that's a really important question. Careful how you answer it.
- [11:39]
B
You know, I think I'm. I like LeBron's vibe better.
- [11:42]
A
I feel like you like LeBron.
- [11:43]
B
Yeah.
- [11:44]
A
Okay. Okay.
- [11:45]
B
Like, I feel like he's a little bit more on the more thoughtful and caring of her people.
- [11:49]
A
Ronaldo Romessi.
- [11:51]
B
Okay, this is. This one's. Because I think Ronaldo's got everything. He's, like, tall. He's got, like, that. Like that chisel physique. So you just expect him to be really good. When you look at Messi on quick glance, if you didn't know about soccer, you'd be like, oh, it just looks like kind of an average person. But for him to achieve such incredible feats of performance in this sport that he is now mastered, it's surprising. And I like when people surprise you. On a quick glance, you'd see Ronald and think, obviously, he's an athlete. But on a quick glance, you wouldn't necessarily think of that, of Messi, but. But then you see him, the way he moves, the way he passes, the way he dribbles and scores. I think it's cool. I like when people surprise people.
- [12:30]
A
I love that. Okay, I have a couple more. One. Nice. And my last kid goes real hard in the paint.
- [12:35]
B
Here we go.
- [12:36]
A
This is it. Word for word.
- [12:37]
B
Yes.
- [12:38]
A
How do you have such a majestic beard and mustache? Is it genetics, or is there some type of routine and product that they should be using when they can grow a beard?
- [12:49]
B
Okay. Well, that's very cute.
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A
Serious question.
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B
First of all, I'm flattering. I don't really do too much. I think it just kind of like. I think if you just grow out your beard, everyone's beard's gonna look nice. So I believe in. We all have beautiful beards.
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A
Okay, here's the hard one.
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B
Okay, go for it.
- [13:04]
A
And my student was like, are you gonna read that word for word? I said, absolutely, I'm gonna read it word for word. So Here we go. December 2024, the Conservative Party started a non confidence motion against Prime Minister Trudeau. Despite the motion aligning with Singh's own words, he voted against it, ensuring the Liberal government remained in power. Was this a delay? They're gonna make me ask this question. I love my students. A way to lock in your pension. Do you feel as though that the Canadians are being duped into putting Mark Carney into power under that framework?
- [13:40]
B
Oh, okay, Listen, going direct for it. No, easy answer though.
- [13:43]
A
Yeah, I love it.
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B
Easy answer.
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A
I love it.
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B
No, not at all. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, kids.
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A
There we go. This is important.
- [13:49]
B
It's important. And the reason is I was really clear about why we did what we did. We fought for something that I felt was really important. Dental care and Pharmacare and dental care had rolled out. We had gotten people some care. I wanted more people to get it, and so I wanted more time to get more people that care. And for Pharmacare, even though we had the law in place, no province had yet signed. So I was nervous that if we couldn't get a province to sign up, no one would see the benefit of Pharmacare. And so now three provinces have signed, so bc, Manitoba and PEI are all going to get free diabetes medication. And the reason why this is important to me is when I first became leader, I met a kid and his dad in my office in Ottawa. And the kid told me that he has type 1 diabetes. He's a 10 year old kid and he told me he's got to take this medication and injections and watch his blood sugar, and he knows that if he doesn't do it, he might die. I'm like, what's that like for you?
- [14:42]
A
Right?
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B
He's a 10 year old kid telling the casually talking about potentially dying. He's like, oh, no problem. I have an incurable disease. Not worried about that. I'm like, okay. He said, but I am worried about one thing. I'm like, what is that? He's like, I'm Worried about being a burden on my parents. Little kid.
- [14:56]
A
Stop it.
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B
Right? A little kid was like, I don't want to be a burden on my parents. I'm like, well, you're not burden. You need this medication to live. Like, no. I feel like it cost them a lot and I'm worried about that. I would love for it to one day, like, not feel like a burden. I looked him in his eyes. I remember I promised him, I'm going to fight to make sure you don't feel like a burden anymore. And I did that. Promise made, promise delivered. We have Universal Pharmacare's first step is diabetes medication and birth control. So for that kid, that diabetes medication and devices are now going to be free. And for me, that was something I wanted to see happen. And it was not. No province had signed yet, so we needed more time and we got three provinces to sign up.
- [15:32]
A
So that was a time buying measure in order for you to get what you needed to get for all of the Canadians that wanted.
- [15:38]
B
Yeah. To make that promise real for that kid that I promised, like I had a chance. It's not often, you know, you can promise to fight for somebody and I promise to fight. I didn't know at the time if I could get the result, but I promised I would fight for him. But I was so close to actually making that promise, go from a fight to actually delivering it for him. And I wanted that to actually happen. And I'm hoping now that people are going to start receiving it. It can inspire more folks to say, you know what, we should cover not just diabetes medication, let's cover all the medication that people need and no one should have to worry about how much it cost them. And so that's. That's what was really important to me. That's why I delivered that.
- [16:10]
A
Thank you so much for answering my questions, but I am going to hold you to dinner.
- [16:13]
B
Okay. Yes.
- [16:14]
A
So next time you're in town.
- [16:16]
B
I love that. I love that.
- [16:17]
A
We'll get the place.
- [16:17]
B
We'll do it.
- [16:18]
A
Thank you so much.
- [16:19]
B
What a pleasure. That was great.
- [16:20]
A
Have a great time, guys, and we'll see you next Tuesday. Same bat time, same bat channel.
- [16:25]
B
That's a reference. I can totally get it.
- [16:35]
A
Dismissed.