Pardon my Passion

In this episode, Peter is joined by Mike Morrice, former MP and current Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada, to dive into the systems that create cascading effects on the everyday lives of Canadians, from our voting method to growing economic inequality. The discussion highlights a deep dive into the problems with the "hyper-divisive, winner-take-all" electoral system, Morrice's motion for democratic reform, and the Green Party's role as the "conscience of Parliament." They tackle the issues of economic injustice, the growing wealth gap, the concentration of power, and how these factors impact civic engagement, proposing policy solutions like a wealth tax and a windfall tax on oil and gas profits. https://mikemorrice.ca/

In this episode, Peter connects with a(n unamed) friend who has worked as a non-partisan public servant analyst across multiple Ministries in Ontario, diving deep into the complexities of public service, policy making, and the current state of affairs in the province. They discuss the intricacies of working as a non-partisan advisor, the challenges of implementing policies amidst political shifts, and the pressing issues under the current Ford government. The conversation spans topics from educational funding and healthcare privatization to the impact of social media on political polarization and the potential flaws within the party system. The guest provides a candid look at the frustrations and realities of public service while also reflecting on possible solutions and the importance of civic engagement.

Seth Klein is an author and storied political scientist. He is the Team Lead and Director of Strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit (a 5-year project of the David Suzuki Institute that Seth launched in early 2021). Prior to that, he served for 22 years (1996-2018) as the founding BC Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a public policy research institute committed to social, economic and environmental justice. Seth wrote A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, a book that looks at how Canada responded to the emergency of WW2 and what we can apply today during the climate crisis.

Peter catches up with his friend Jeremiah McCleary who recently worked for a year in Palestine. Jeremiah shares his stories and thoughts including the businesses that sell art made from tear gas canisters, his friends getting detained on their way to Tel Aviv, and the importance of open discourse on tough matters Link to Jeremiah's travel blog: https://jeremiahonajourney.blogspot.com/?m=0 Cover photo credit: Bangishimo

PhD candidate, fellow nerd, and renaissance man Carl Tutton tells me the difference between an iPhone and a fridge, and we discuss what's in common between an obsession with material goods and a drug addiction How to Save a Planet podcast referred to multiple times in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Dmp79iTEVqizinjOmjGpP?si=0a04c8ab632c40e8

I have a fun (and definitely sober) conversation with Charles Holtforster from Hacksmith Industries, a Youtube channel that pushes the limits of tinkering and hacking to make gadgets from movies and comic books in real life. We discuss intellectual inspirations, coil guns, and discuss how aspiring engineers and hackers can get started (hint - just start making)

Part 2 of my conversation with Michael McMaster, former curriculum leader of the TOPS enrichment program at Marc Garneau CI in Toronto, where we discuss private vs public schooling, TOPS as an experiment, and what happens when teachers are given agency to teach

I catch up remotely with my recently retired math teacher and former TOPS program head Mr McMaster (or Michael as he lets me call him now). In this part of the multi-part series we run through the history of TOPS before he took over headship 1987-97, the program under him 1997-2019, and we touch on present day TOPS which is navigating through uncharted waters. We talk about the admission process, the program's philosophy, and its struggles with the TDSB

Goalkeeper extraordinaire and team Canada fanatic Ben Frey chats with me about our mutual love for soccer, its compelling power to bringing people together, and the importance of purposeful living

Peter, Mel, and Jack chat with residents Dr Maylynn Ding and Dr Mag Au about their choice of career and the unique challenges they face as women

AJ (@visble_minority) and I brew beer and chat about his recent foray into MMA as a pacifist, whether it's right or wrong to use PEDs, and our shared passion for self improvement through hobbies

I learn about Daniel's (@dmdque) story about how his passion for learning and working on interesting things lead him to quit his full time job to audit Ethereum smart contracts

My conversation with my friend Christian on analog hobbies and what they may have to do with attention and mindfulness

Peter chats with erudite chef Aaron Clyne (@clyne.aaron) about his passion for food and how it took him and his wife on a 1.5 year food trip around the world

I chat with my inaugural guest Josh who does great work on the front lines of our community, helping kids from less privileged neighborhoods find their passions A4C https://adventure4change.org/