Featured Voices

Bob Rae

Bob Rae — Statesman, Diplomat & Former Canadian Ambassador to the UN

Bob Rae is one of Canada's most seasoned statesmen — former Premier of Ontario, interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and most recently Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations from 2020 to 2025. Elected eleven times to federal and provincial parliaments over four decades, Rae also served as Canada's Special Envoy to Myanmar and on humanitarian and refugee issues. A Rhodes Scholar, lawyer, and author of six books, he remains one of the most credible voices on Canadian foreign policy, Indigenous rights, and the global democratic order. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School at the University of Toronto.

Canadian Returnee

Canadian Returnee | Independent Canadian Political Writer & Podcaster

Canadian Returnee is an anonymous independent writer and podcaster who returned to Canada after years living abroad — and hasn't stopped examining what they found. Publishing on Substack with over 5,400 subscribers and ranked among the top rising voices in world politics, Canadian Returnee covers Canadian and American politics, current events, and the lived realities that mainstream media too often smooths over. Their work is sharp, personal, and unapologetically honest — from the cost of living crisis hollowing out Toronto to Canada's growing independence from American economic influence. They also publish The American Refugee, a companion Substack exploring the American experience from the outside looking in.

Charlie Angus

Former NDP MP · Author · Meidas Canada

Charlie Angus has represented Timmins-James Bay since 2004, becoming one of Canada's most outspoken voices in Parliament. A musician, journalist, and author, Angus brings rare authenticity to federal politics. He has been a fierce advocate for Indigenous rights, digital privacy, northern communities, and working Canadians — consistently challenging power when others stay silent.

Cole Bennett

Cole Bennett — col.notcole

Cole Bennett — known online as col.notcole — is an independent Canadian political journalist and strategist making democracy digestible for everyday Canadians. Completely reader-funded with no corporate or political backing, Cole recently left his day job to pursue independent journalism full time. He publishes at cole.notcole on Substack, where he has built a following of over 18,000 subscribers, and reaches more than 72,000 followers on Instagram. His work focuses on connecting the dots between political decisions and real people's lives — clear, accessible, and unapologetically Canadian.

Don Shafer | Accountability Without Erasure

Don Shafer | Accountability Without Erasure

Don Shafer is a veteran Canadian broadcaster, podcaster, and journalist with over 50 years in media — from iconic radio brands like CHOM-FM, CHUM-FM, and Roundhouse Radio to community broadcasting at Vancouver Co-op Radio. A Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame inductee, Shafer pivoted from radio executive to PhD researcher at UBC's Social Justice Institute, where he studies how language, power, and identity drive polarization. He hosts The Conversation Lab, a weekly podcast featuring changemakers, community organizations, and advocates working at the edges of social justice, climate, and democracy.

JEN GERSON

Jen Gerson | Co-Founder of The Line & Canadian Political Journalist

Jen Gerson is a Canadian journalist, political commentator, and co-founder of The Line — one of Canada's most widely read independent political publications with over 29,000 subscribers. Alberta-based and unapologetically direct, Gerson has contributed to CBC, National Post, Maclean's, The Walrus, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Her work spans investigative reporting, political commentary, and cultural analysis — from exposing the funding behind Alberta's separatist movement to covering the Liberal convention floor with the kind of irreverence that makes powerful people uncomfortable. She co-hosts two weekly podcasts at The Line alongside Matt Gurney.

Leni Spooner | Between the Lines Canada

Leni Spooner | Between the Lines Canada

Leni Spooner is a Canadian writer, researcher, and civic storyteller, and the founder of Between the Lines Canada — a reader-supported publication exploring Canadian politics, policy, and public life through story-driven analysis. Her work blends historical context with present-day reporting to help everyday Canadians see the deeper patterns behind national decisions — from food sovereignty and housing to trade, Arctic security, and democratic participation. No ads, no sponsors, no institutional backing. Just clear, grounded writing for the kitchen table.

Lloyd Axworthy

FORMER FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER · DIPLOMAT · HUMAN SECURITY ADVOCATE

Lloyd Axworthy served as Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2000, becoming one of the most consequential foreign policy voices in Canadian history. He championed the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines, advanced the doctrine of human security on the world stage, and helped redefine what Canadian leadership looks like internationally. A former Liberal MP and President of the University of Winnipeg, Axworthy remains one of Canada's most respected elder statesmen.

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen — Former Trump Fixer, Federal Witness & Political Commentator

Michael Cohen was born in the United States but his roots run deep in Canada. His father, a Holocaust survivor, immigrated to Canada and built a life here as a physician — a story of resilience that shaped Cohen's own sense of identity. Cohen has since reclaimed that Canadian connection, becoming a Canadian citizen and maintaining ties to the country his family called home. For over a decade Cohen served as personal attorney and fixer to Donald Trump, becoming one of the most powerful men in Trump's inner circle before everything unravelled. In 2018 he pleaded guilty to federal charges including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, serving time under house arrest. Rather than disappear quietly, Cohen chose accountability — cooperating with investigators, testifying against his former boss, and emerging as one of Trump's most informed and outspoken critics. He hosts the Mea Culpa podcast and writes on Substack, where he pulls no punches about the man he once protected.

Pam Palmater

Dr. Pam Palmater | Mi'kmaw Lawyer, Advocate & Indigenous Rights Voice

Dr. Pam Palmater is a Mi'kmaw lawyer, professor, bestselling author, and award-winning podcaster from Eel River Bar First Nation in New Brunswick. With four university degrees including a Doctorate in Law from Dalhousie University, she holds the Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University and has spent over 30 years on the front lines of Indigenous rights, treaty rights, land and water defence, and social justice. Named one of Canada's Top 25 Influential Movers and Shakers by the Financial Post and one of the Top 5 Most Influential Lawyers in Human Rights by Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Palmater is also the host of the Warrior Life Podcast and publishes the Warrior Brief on Substack.

Paul Wells

Paul Wells | Veteran Canadian Political Journalist & Commentator — just copy that in. The slug field may be auto-generating from the title in your WordPress setup, which is fine.

Paul Wells is one of Canada's most respected political journalists, with nearly 30 years covering Ottawa. He spent 19 years at Maclean's before leaving to launch his independent Substack, which now reaches tens of thousands of subscribers. A four-time Gold National Magazine Award winner and author of four books — including The Longer I'm Prime Minister, which won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize — Wells is also the host of The Paul Wells Show podcast and a fellow-in-residence at the Munk School at the University of Toronto. He covers federal politics, culture, and the state of Canada with patience, context, and a refusal to chase the daily noise.

Rachel Gilmore

JOURNALIST · INDEPENDENT · ANTI-DISINFORMATION

Rachel Gilmore is an award-winning independent Canadian journalist known for her bite-sized political news videos and fearless coverage of disinformation, far-right movements, and federal politics. Based in Ottawa, she built a loyal following by making complex political stories accessible without sacrificing accuracy or independence.