The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- And The Random Ranter's Free Advice on Leadership

Episode Date: November 23, 2023

The passing of a cultural icon prompted a lot of emotional reactions from across the country this week. A surprising amount considering many mentioned they had never heard of the person whose memory was being marked. And the Ranter begins a three part series on advice for the nation's political leaders.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You are just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. It's Thursday, that means your turn, your thoughts, your ideas, your comments on the issues of the day, plus the random renter. That's all coming right up. And welcome to Thursday. Peter Mansbridge here in Toronto for this day. And looking forward to going through your letters, your comments, your thoughts, your ideas about some of the issues of the day. Having listened to the bridge, you're always eager to get writing, and writing you've done. And so we'll do what we normally do, which is read parts of your letters. It's rare that we'll read a whole letter. There are lots of them coming every week, and I try to nail it down to kind of one thought from each letter. I know

some of you like to write, well, here are my thoughts on a half a dozen different issues. And that's great. I read it all, but I usually just pick one of your thoughts for each letter. Okay. So keep that in mind. But it was pretty clear this week, what many of you wanted to write about. Was it the Fezz the fall economic statement by the way we've been told by quite a few of you that it's not the FES as Bruce and I were

suggesting yesterday it's the Fez is the way they talk about it inside inside the Queensway as they say in Ottawa actually I'm not sure they say that

I say that. You know, like inside the Beltway in Washington, inside the Queen's Way in Ottawa. Anyway, it's not about Fez. It's not about many of the topics that we've discussed this week, Israel-Hamas, Ukraine, you name it. Now, what most of your letters were about this week were what we did last Friday on Good Talk.

It was a real departure for us. It wasn't about politics per se, or at least the kind of politics that we talk about on almost every single Good Talk and we'll do again tomorrow. Now what we talked about was the passing of a cultural icon by the name of Carl Trombley, the lead singer of Les Cowboys

Francais. Now, many Canadians never heard of Carl Tremblay. Most Quebecers had certainly heard of Carl Tremblay. And when you call him an icon, that's not an overstatement. In Quebec, Carl Tremblay was huge. Was just many, part of the soul of the province.

Part of the soul of francophone. Canada. So you had a lot of comments about that. And those comments came from across the country. So let me get at them. In no particular order. This is from Catherine Wainman of Allura, Ontario. I really enjoyed your podcast episode Good Talk this past Friday with Chantel and Bruce. It was refreshing and touching to hear them reminisce about Carl Trombley

from Les Cowboys Frangants. I am sad that I really didn't know about his music, but I do know now. I spent time over the weekend listening and reading over Les Cowboys Frangants lyrics and music. Wow, this music is truly iconic. I was reminded of my time spent in Montreal in the early 1980s after traveling around in Canada as a participant in Katimovic, a volunteer program from the 70s founded by Senator Jacques Hébert and Barney Danson. I was introduced to the Quebecois music scene. Young and in love, I headed off to Quebec to embrace the language and its culture. Lucky for me, I lived in a very francophone part of Montreal with many

francophone friends. The camaraderie and connectedness I experienced was palpable, and it was the music that really brought us together. Years later, in the 1990s, I returned to Montreal as a visitor. My husband and I took in a Paul Pichet concert at the Spectrum. It was electric. The feeling of community and being a part of something truly bigger than us was something that I will always remember. It sure is heartwarming to be in a concert where everyone is belting out the lyrics. As an aside, to this day, I maintain that Quebec audiences

are the warmest and most engaged audiences ever, period. I'm going to keep this short. This isn't short. I'm going to keep this short. I'm so grateful to have had a little window into Quebecois culture and music, and I'm inspired to revisit some old music and to experience some new music.

The deep-felt comments shared by both Chantal and Bruce last week sent me off into my own little reverie, and I thank them for that. Deb Greening from Saskatchewan. Last Friday's Good Talk was the most moving and impactful broadcast that I've been lucky enough to hear on any media format in 69 years of living. Wow. To share the public mourning and sorrow of one province for its cultural icon

was a glue that we as a country needed, not only to bind us together, but to help us embrace the varied cultures of our diverse country and to understand each other better. I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to hear more about the arts and culture of our country, along with the politics and societal issues that are the regular topics of the day. Thank you to you, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Hebert, for sharing the emotional moments of that broadcast. Thank you, Deb. Kathy Johnison from Selwyn Township, Ontario.

Thank you for addressing the death of Carl Tremblay last week on Good Talk. Both Chantal Hébert and Bruce Anderson spoke movingly about his importance to Quebec. Their personal grief was clear and helped those of us outside Quebec appreciate the depth of affection the province held for Mr. Tremblay and Les Cowboys Frangons. Martin Gagnon, Montreal. I wanted to thank you for covering the tragic passing of Carl Tremblay on your latest episode of Good Talk. The homage was poignant and welcomed. It's rare to see, both in Canada and Quebec, moments where our nation feel so vividly. I can't, however, help to comment on some of the framing used by the podcast

as being Tremblay and Le Cowboy Frangant as a Canadian or French-Canadian cultural icon. The music and the group is fundamentally Québécois. The description of the group as being quasi-agnostic on Quebec sovereignty and non-political also feels off. It ignores a large part of their discography and iconography. Iconography. Clearly that word's got me beat. I know it's a word.

I just can't pronounce it. Listen to Louis Hebert, for example, and the flag of Quebec is always present, as their shows, often worn by members of the group. I agree that their activism is not as grandiose as the Vigneaux's and the likes. Yet it is difficult not to see the themes of sovereignty and national pride as bedrocks of their music and impact. Their ability to remain highly critical of social issues, yet ultimately very proud,

is what sets them apart and allowed them to resonate with Quebec so strongly. Well, Martin, I don't disagree with your points, but I do disagree that Carl Tremblay hasn't made an impact, even after his passing in other parts of Canada as well, as a result of our conversation last week. I think that's good. And, you know, well on the path to being, you know, obviously a Quebec culture icon. There's no doubt about that. And that is his major moment.

But there seems to be a growing feeling that he and his music and his group's music are also Canadian iconic figures as well. Alison Zukiewicz in Calgary. Please share with Chantel and Bruce that Anglophone Canadians like me also love Les Cowboy Francon's music. I have been binge listening to their music, which lifts my spirits and sometimes invites me to dance. The music lives on.

Rob Donaldson in Waterloo, Ontario. Peter, I appreciated the sensitivity you brought to the discussion of the sad passing of Carl Tremblay. He was clearly an iconic presence in Quebec culture. But I felt sad that I had never heard of him. My loss for sure. What is it in Canada that we seem to perpetuate the two solitudes? You made a good analogy with Gord Downie. He and Carl seemed to be of similar stature and influence, but who in Quebec knew of Downie, a double loss. I really appreciated the emotional and visceral response

that both Chantal and Bruce expressed. Good for you to raise this. I think there were some Quebecers who were fans of the hip and fans of Gord Downey, just like as we're seeing here. There are some Canadians outside of Quebec who are fans of Trommblay and his band. Still a couple more. It's quite something, right?

And these are just the ones I'm reading. There were lots. There were lots on Carl Tremblay. Thank you for starting off last Friday's episode with a heartfelt tribute to the Quebec singer Carl Tremblay. Thank you for starting off last Friday's episode with a heartfelt tribute to the Quebec singer Carl Tremblay. I'm embarrassed to say I was unfamiliar with him and Le Cowboy Franco until your show. It was very moving to hear Chantal's descriptions

of receiving the news of his passing and of his profound impact in Quebec, in French Canada, and beyond our borders in La Francophonie. I guess sometimes Canada does seem to be comprised of two solitudes, as they say. Christopher Grinstaff from Richland, Washington, USA. Thank you for the discussion about Carl. I don't speak French, but I knew Carl and his band were kind of a big deal.

I really didn't have an idea until I heard your segment about it on your program. I don't think knowing French is a precursor to understanding the passion of the band. Thanks for the thoughtful piece about him and Les Cowboys. Actually, one more here from Duff Jones in London, Ontario. Once again, I'm amazed. I was amazed at two things last week.

One, I decided I wanted to start on that, on the topic of Carl Trombley for a good talk. It was very unusual. It's not the kind of conversation we normally have. So I was expecting a little bit of pushback from Chantal and Bruce. Not at all. They were all in. They wanted to have that talk.

And we started by thinking, well, you know, we'll talk about it for two or three minutes and then move on. We talked about it for 20 minutes. And I wondered what the reaction was going to be like. Well, you've heard it. It was pretty overwhelming. And the numbers were huge for last week's program. Huge.

So there you go. I learn something all the time on this program, and we're learning it through your reactions to it. Duff Jones from London, Ontario. And this will close out our Carl Trombley section for today. I had never heard of late cowboy Fran Gaughan before last week, and that's a shame. I spent the last few days listening to their catalogue. I can't believe that I had never heard their great music. It made me wonder how many other important, current Canadian cultural acts, institutions, and events that I am completely unfamiliar with. The fact that a man like Carl Tremblay could have such a huge impact on fellow Canadians

but be mostly unknown amongst Anglophones in Canada made me feel a little melancholic. This was exasperated when I thought about how much many of us know about American politics and culture. Don't get me wrong, I love those things too. But how much Canadiana are we missing due to a language divide and as a result of the influence of our neighbors to the south? Welcome to Canada. I know that I will be listening to Le Cowboy more going forward. My reaction has encouraged me to brush up on the French that I have let a trophy over the past couple of decades. I would love to know more about what is going on around the country that I may be missing.

I realize how much you already cover Canada, but have you considered an occasional Janice Stein-esque what-are-we-missing provincial edition? You do an excellent job with Bruce and Chantel, with Jerry and James, and with many others talking about our country. I'd love to get your take on some of the stories that maybe get missed because they aren't central to the news of the day. Love the show. Good luck with the new book. Looking forward to reading it. Great letter, Duff, and something for us to consider. There's no question about that. And I'll try to think through that, how we might do that.

All right. There were other topics that you wanted to discuss this week, and we're going to get to them in a moment, but guess who is going to come up now? The random ranter. Not quite a cultural icon yet, but he's working his way towards it. Now, the thing about the ranter,

I haven't told you a lot about who he is other than where he comes from. He's from Western Canada, and we've kind of narrowed it down to the prairies, right? And he talks about, you know, whatever's on his mind. Remember, he's just a guy, as we like to say. He has his job. He works hard at his job.

He doesn't work or offer his time to any of the political parties. But he's a keen observer of the political scene. And he's, ever since he started a year and a half ago with the bridge, he said, Peter, you and Bruce and Chantel and the more butts conversation, you guys always talk about politics, and I don't. But I have thoughts on politics. Can I, let me in on those shows. So I said, yeah, right.

We'll think about that, Ranter. But he's been bugging me a lot lately. He said, look, what I want to do before the end of the year is I want to do three pieces. And they're basically advice to the leader of each of the major political parties, the major national political parties. So in other words, the liberals, the conservatives, and the NDP. But I want to do a little rant on what my advice would be. This is where he's trying to play principal secretary to the various leaders.

So I said, okay, let's try it. Let's see, you go outside your lane. This is not climate change or electric vehicles or bike lanes, all the different things that you've done and have been received one way or the other by the audience. But do you want to get into politics like hardcore? Well, let's see how you do. And let's see how people react to it.

So with that as the setup, let's get the first of a three-part series over the next couple of weeks from the Random Ranter. Ready for it? No, it's not the President of the United States. What it is, it's the random ranter. And here he comes with part one, and it is... Well, I mean, how could you start any other way other than the Prime Minister? Well, no, that would be the wrong terminology. How can you start any other way than the leader of the Liberal Party? Here's the ranter's take on the leader of the Liberal Party.

The Christmas season is nearing, and I'm in a giving mood. So I'm here today with some free advice for the Liberal Party of Canada and their leader, Mark Carney. Now, I know that's not official yet, but who are we kidding? The writing is on the wall. Or in the spirit of Christmas, let's just say it's destined in the stars. If the Liberals want a chance in the next election, there's no one else but Mark Carney. Trudeau is a dead man walking and he's tainted the leadership fortunes of everyone who served under him. It's kind of tragic really because to his credit Trudeau has done a great job recognizing talented and capable women and elevating them to key

positions in cabinet but by doing so he's practically snuffed out any chance of one of them going on to succeed him. Let's face it, the electorate have soured on Trudeau and the only way the Liberals have any chance is by putting him as far away in the rearview mirror as possible. Sadly, there's really no way for Freeland or Anand or Jolie to do that. They're all guilty by association, and they've literally formed the backdrop of every single Trudeau dog and pony show. To give the Liberals a chance, it's going to require someone from outside the government. And that makes Mark Carney the absolute no-brainer. He was the governor of the Bank of Canada who nursed us through a global financial crisis.

And he was the governor of the Bank of England who rang the alarm bells on Brexit. He's got a solid track record and he's worked across party lines. If you want to talk economy, Carney can hit you with it fiscally and monetarily, backwards and forwards. In an economic debate, he'd make Polyev eat his crypto. And to top it all off, Carney has environmental bona fides too. He's the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change and Finance. He understands all the benefits and all the pitfalls involved in transitioning to a green economy. Carney is the complete package and really the only hope that

Liberals have to continue governing. So here's my free advice for Mark. Make the next election all about the economy. And don't be shy. Attack the Liberal record where it's warranted. And attack it where it's been inconsistent. But do it by telling us how your Liberals will be different from Trudeau's Liberals. I know it's a bit counterintuitive to attack your own party's record. But remember, it's not your party you'd be attacking. It's Trudeau's.

And no one likes Trudeau right now, even liberals. So don't hold back. Tell us how they've been wrong and how you can fix it, because that's what the other parties are going to do. And frankly, I think you can do it better. The ranter's words are his own. He does not speak for the bridge. He speaks for the ranter, as he will next week when he tackles another of the leaders of the major political parties, the national political parties. So next week it'll either be Jagmeet Singh or it'll be Pierre Polyev

that the ranter goes after with his free advice. Okay, that's it for this day on the ranter's turn, but there's lots more from you coming up on your turn. First, though, we've got to take this break. And welcome back. That, of course, is the Smoke Mirrors and the Truth theme music. But listen, when you're the lone operator, you don't always punch the right button.

But I'm working at that. Three years in, most days I get it right. Anyway, you're listening to Your Turn on the Bridge, the Thursday episode. And you're listening on Sirius XM, channel 167, Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform.

And however you're listening, whatever platform you're listening on, we're glad to have you with us. Okay. Time for more of your letters. And this section, they're kind of all over the place, right? Not necessarily any one particular theme. Although I must say there are a few on one topic, and we'll get to those in a minute.

Mark LeBrun from Milton, Ontario. I just finished listening to yesterday's episode with Mark Bulguch and look forward to reading your book. Mark is the co-author with me on the new book, How Canada Works. Just came out this week. Hope you get a copy. You can get them anywhere, any bookstore or online. Mark LeBrun writes,

One thing you mentioned in introducing Mark was that he comes up with the end bits for the show. This led me to wondering who else is in part responsible for your podcast. As you often refer to a team of people in saying, We here at the Bridge. I can't remember you ever listening show credits on air if you have ever mentioned it. I guess I wasn't paying attention. But I'm paying attention now. So in the spirit of recognition of the ordinary worker that you write about in your book,

why not give others who contribute behind the scenes a moment of recognition by telling us about them? Love the podcast. Hope everyone keeps up the good work. All right, Mark. Well, actually, I have mentioned in the past, it's basically a loan operation, right? I'm the only one here in the studio, the makeshift studio, in our little condo in Toronto.

So whether I'm here or in Stratford or in Scotland, I have a little makeshift studio, and I operate it all by myself. I run the knobs, I run the controls, I run all that stuff. My son, who I've talked about many times before, Willie, Willie does the social media for the podcast. So in other words, he puts something out each morning on Twitter and Instagram, giving a sense of what the show is going to deal with that day. There's the team at SiriusXM who kind of launched the thing up into space, however it works, that it ends up being a podcast.

They do that. But basically, it's kind of a one-man operation with some great guests and some great helpers. Mark, once a week, sends me some things that he's seen online that I use as end bits, and I collect a few myself, but it's mainly Mark who does that. So there's your behind-the-scenes look at how the bridge comes together. Like most podcasts, that's how they operate.

Now, there are some fancy ones who hire a studio and a camera crew and all this stuff. That's not us. We don't do that. And it's a one-take show. You get what we say. Unless there's some big technical snafu, then we have to do an edit. But I'd say 99% of the time, what you hear is what we put on tape. All right. Renee Vanderkooy

from Brampton, Ontario. First time writer but very regular listener, says Renee. Wanted to let you know that I have purchased your new book online and should be receiving it on Thursday. Thoroughly enjoyed the podcast with your co-author Mark Bulgich. That was Tuesday of this week.

If you want to know more about the book, that's what you listen to. Go back and listen to Tuesday. Mark's very easy to listen to. Ordinary Canadians was a great read. It's actually called Extraordinary Canadians that Mark and I wrote. It's our first book. And I have no doubt this one will be too. Keep up the great work. Thanks, Rene. Appreciate that. Don Dufour from Ottawa. Really enjoyed your podcast today with Mark Bulgich

and gave us a clear sense of what your new book will bring to us lucky readers. I really enjoyed Extraordinary Canadians. I was excited to order your book this morning as part of a Black Friday deal, and will now have it in hand when I attend your upcoming book tour stop in Ottawa. Hope you'll be able to sign it and say hi. Well, we'll certainly try.

And, you know, Don, if you're the only person in the line, I'll probably be able to say more than hi. So there you go. The book tour, you can read about it on my website, thepetermansbridge.com. If you're wondering where I might be in different parts of the country, you're going kind of from Halifax to Calgary on this particular book tour with many stops in between. Sandy McCabe is in London, Ontario. Just listened to your program on your new book.

It was fabulous. Reading the title, I was a little less impressed, but listening to what it is really about made me instantly order it. Well done. I'm hooked. What's the matter with how Canada works. This is not a academic book. This is not a book you're going to find on the shelves of universities, although perhaps it should be. This is about real people, the real people who do the real jobs in Canada. This is not politicians or business leaders or academics or you name it. It's just people, just ordinary people, although I hate that term, doing everyday jobs.

And if they weren't, the country would not work. That's why it's called How Canada Works. Anyway, Sandy says, well done, I'm hooked. Why did I think it would be a boring political book? I will never know. But the stories of Canadians making an impact in their jobs day to day made me feel warm and fuzzy. Well, I hope you'll keep feeling that way when you're reading the book.

There's a lot of great stories in it. Michael Brodeur or Mick Joseph could be either one, the way that this is framed, in Winnipeg. It is a fact that Bruce Anderson is a fair, reasonable, and integral commentator. He's well thought out and a critical thinker. That being said, last week he was accused of being a liberal. So I ask, what would Bruce have to do differently to be accused of being a conservative?

That's a good question. I bet you there's a few answers on that out there. We had a number of letters about climate change, because we did a show last week saying, is the climate change strategy dead? Have we given up on climate change? J.J. Malovich writes from Montreal, I've never considered myself an environmentalist

and really don't care for grumpy Greta, but that's not the whole story. I am all for a clean environment. My wife and I live in a condo and try to heat as much as we can through sunlight. The condo also has a lower carbon footprint than a house. We heat with electric power from hydroelectricity. We don't buy bottled water.

When we want carbonated water, we use our soda stream. We walk to work and only use the car to pick up groceries on the weekend. We recycle and compost. We don't have a cottage. We don't have a powerboat, sea-doo, ski-doo, or ATV to bomb around on. I ride a real bike and not electric. Still, I would not call myself an environmentalist. Millions of Canadians are doing their best, just like us,

but not everyone can live within walking distance their job. Before we moved back to Montreal, we lived in Woodbridge, Ontario, and we needed a car. And not everyone can live in a condo, and for sure not everyone can afford an electric car. And by the way, we don't have the infrastructure to support everyone having an electric car, even if by some magic wand we all had one.

Same thing with heat pumps. And had you heard this government say anything about heat pumps before the Carvout? I think that Canadians are behind supporting measures to combat climate change, but when the Liberal government gave the Maritimes a Carvout, they realized that this unserious government could not be trusted to combat climate change because they folded like a wet paper bag as soon as they got pushed back in a vote-rich part of Canada. Derek Forsyth in Edmonton, he wrote one of those letters where I've got a lot of comments on a lot of different things, and he kind of headlined them all.

I'm going to read one of them. I'm going to keep you focused, Derek. But he makes a really important point here. Yesterday, we almost started off lightheartedly talking about turkey prices and why was it that turkey prices were so high in Canada over our Thanksgiving weekend a month or so ago, and yet they're so low in the U.S. this weekend during their Thanksgiving weekend. Derek writes,

Listening to you today comment on Yankee turkey prices, my recollection is it's always been that way. I remember when working for Greg Thompson back in the 1980s, people in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, would regularly travel to Calais, Maine for their poultry, milk, cheese, and gas. On the food side, I'm guessing supply management was the factor in price differences, and I think you're right about that. In fact, I heard from a number of people in the agricultural field

in the last 24 hours saying supply management. Gary Gould writes from Brantford, Ontario. Once again, I listened to your discussion with Janice Stein regarding the Middle East situation in hopes of learning something new. Once again, she did not disappoint. Her take is informative and pragmatic at the same time. A number of you had a lot of questions for Janice and challenges for Janice. And I'll put them to her, and we'll see whether there's something to deal with on our next session with Janice. Scott Zandbergen in Napanee, Ontario.

Good Talk on Fridays is also one of my favorite episodes of the week. But again, there is clearly a more natural leaning to the left in the dialogue. I've always been a big fan of Chantal, but when you put her and Bruce together, they are often debating two sides of a center-left perspective. While the conversations are always insightful, that's what we aim for, I sometimes wish there would be a voice that would pipe up and really challenge the default perspective. Of course, it's also not lost on me that you, Peter, are there trying to mediate, but you've also got the fun role of playing referee and herding cats. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to more episodes. And, you know, that's

one of the reasons we have conversations with Moore and Butts. What I'm not interested in doing is getting into programming that's just people slagging each other and doing this kind of predictable political points. What we're trying to be is insightful. On Moore and Butts, you hear the two different perspectives. You hear the conservative view and the liberal view, but you hear it in a constructive way, talking about the process and the way the politics works in this country,

with an attempt to keep the cheap shots out of it. And they do, and they're fabulous, and you've shown your support for that program, which reminds me we're due for another one, and we will have one within the next few weeks before the holiday season. Suzanne Shear in Orillia, Ontario. I just wanted to add a comment in regards to a letter you received last week, whether journalists should keep asking their questions until they get an answer,

or whether the audience gets tired, just wants them to move on. The only journalist that I remember pursuing her question until it was answered was Barbara Frum. She was like a dog with a bone in her pursuit of her answer. She never gave up, and I love that. Still miss her journalism, as we all do. Barbara was a great friend, and a great journalist, and I love that. Still miss her journalism, as we all do. Barbara was a great friend and a great journalist and a great broadcaster, and we'll always miss her. Michael Pasma.

Let's see where Michael's from. I'm not sure Michael says where he's from. Gotta remember to include that, right? Anyway, I wonder that with the failure over time of the international world agencies and the liberal world more generally to spread democracy, equality, freedom, and peace across the world, is war, or the real threat of war, a much better way to change the world than the hope that education and the work of international agencies. I guess what I'm really hopeful of is that there is a third way, but I can't think of

one. I mentioned the episode with Dr. Samantha Nutt because what she said about war really resonated with me. I have zero experience with war myself. Both sets of my grandparents were in Holland during the Second World War, and one of my regrets is that I never really talk with them much about their experiences during those times. They have all since passed away. They never really talked or shared much about it, but I would agree that I know nothing of war and the effect it has on the places in the world where it happens. You know what, Michael?

Go to the War Museum. I don't know where you are, but if you're in Ottawa, go to the War Museum. It is a fantastic institution. If you go back to the place of your ancestry, if you go back to the Netherlands, to Holland, it's awfully hard to miss stories about the war. You can see it all around you. And you can visit one of those cemeteries.

There are a couple in Holland where there are thousands of young Canadian boys who are in the ground there who were in war, paid the ultimate price for the freedom of, in that case, the Dutch. How are we doing on time? We'll zip through a couple here. Patrick W. in Calgary, Alberta. There's something that really bothers me about this recurring argument that Canada only produces 1.5% of global carbon emissions,

and therefore we shouldn't bother trying to do anything. Canada's population is 38 million, compared to 7.9 billion people globally. This means that Canada only produces 1.5% of global carbon emissions with only 0.5% of the global population. If you look at the world meter rankings, China emits the most CO2 overall, sure, but per capita, Canada emits almost three times as much as China, the seventh highest in the world. So why are we allowed to sit here being smug and absolving our own responsibilities when we emit far more than our fair share globally? Why do we not have a single federal leader willing to step up on actual climate action instead of cynical plays for votes?

All right. Is this the last one for today? No, it's the second last one. Al McEwen in Victoria. Yesterday's SMT with Bruce had me reeling, however, when you guys went on for 20 minutes talking polls about the Liberal-Trudeau implosion. Without acknowledging Canada is a progressive country, and without the NDP in the picture, the Liberals would arguably routinely attract more favorable polling and majority votes in elections.

Also, as you said, two years out from an election. I was ready to eject SMT because the talk was all political, no issues, until you finally got segment two, climate change. Your sincere comments and concerns about waning media interest and Bruce's thoughtful counterpoints on perhaps under-acknowledged government work on the file were all spot on, especially identifying the conservative corrosive impact on climate progress. So appreciate your regular focus on climate. Last comment of the day.

Zach Shalala in Moncton, New Brunswick. I always look forward to your Friday Good Talk show, so you must be getting very excited for tomorrow's Good Talk. It's a great way to wrap up the week by hearing articulate, nuanced opinions by the best political pundits in Canada. However, have you noticed over the past month or two that Bruce and Chantel have become increasingly argumentative with you? Don't they know the show is called The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge and not The Bear with Chantel or The Dursen with Bruce?

You might need to remind them who the show is named after. Congratulations on the new book. Thanks, Zach. Yeah, I'll get to work on that right away. I'll remind them of that. I know the response I'll get. All right, my friends. That's it for this day on the bridge.

Your turn and the random ranter. Hope you've enjoyed it. I've always enjoyed listening to what you have to say. Good, bad, or indifferent, keep those comments coming. Remember, I read them all, but only a few of them actually make it onto air. We try to change that order around every week. Okay. Back tomorrow with good talk.

Also, sign up for The Buzz, my newsletter. You can get it at nationalnewswatch.com slash newsletter. It comes out every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. Eastern. It'll be in your file, in your inbox. No charge. It's free. It's a little bit of fun. It's a little bit of background, a little bit of context to the stories

that hopefully you find interesting. That's it for this day. I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks so much for listening. Talk to you again in 24 hours.