What happens when you stop watching politics… and actually go see it?

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar heads to Ottawa to speak at Carleton University’s Kesterton Lecture… and ends up going behind the scenes of Canadian politics.

From touring Parliament Hill and sitting in on Question Period… to meeting politicians in the hallway and eating in what may or may not be called “the cafeteria of power”… this episode is a firsthand look at how politics feels in real life.

And the biggest takeaway?

It doesn’t feel less broken… …but it does feel different.

Less like chaos… more like choreography. Less like villains… more like very tired humans trying to do a very public job.

Plus, an Alberta update featuring:

• The ongoing “Temu Tylenol” saga
• RCMP investigations
• And a golden cat that may or may not explain everything

So… is Ottawa really a bubble? Or are we just watching it through one?

If you want a slightly punchier version (or one with more humour baked into the first two lines), I can tighten it even further.

Ontario’s government says it wants to modernize transparency laws.

Critics say it looks more like hiding the paperwork.

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa break down the Ford government’s proposed changes to Freedom of Information rules — which could exempt the premier’s office and cabinet ministers from requests while extending response times.

The timing is raising eyebrows.

Because the same government is also proposing a series of massive ideas — from the Greenbelt reversal to a $2.2 billion spa at Ontario Place and even a 50 km tunnel under Highway 401.

So what’s going on?

Bold governing? Convenience politics? Or government by vibes?

Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a week that somehow managed to get worse. From Mark Carney's principled Davos speech to his awkward endorsement of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Canada finds itself diplomatically sandwiched between its values and its geography. The hosts dig into why the timing of Operation Epic Fury feels suspiciously convenient — and what the avalanche of newly released Epstein documents might have to do with it.

They break down the growing list of resignations and arrests tied to the Epstein files, why Prince Andrew's takedown was no ordinary trade-secrets scandal, and what it means that the US appears to be the only country where nobody powerful has faced real consequences. Plus: cornered-squirrel Trump, a congressman who can't spell "fury," Keir Starmer's deeply unhelpful anger origin story, and the impossible chess game facing a Canadian prime minister who can't afford to tell the truth — but probably can't afford not to.

Funny where it can be. Worried where it has to be.

Science says we’re getting dimmer…and politics is sprinting to the cognitive bottom.

In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa unpack the Reverse Flynn Effect (yes, it’s a real thing) and why critical thinking has been quietly leaving the group chat since the mid-’90s. We dig into “cognitive offloading” (Google, GPS, AI doing our thinking for us), the flood-the-zone strategy that keeps everyone overwhelmed, and how a world full of exhausted, distracted people becomes the perfect environment for bad ideas to look like leadership.

Along the way: Sharpie hurricanes, disinfectant “solutions,” conspiracy nonsense, and one Canadian MP hunting for “Antifa members” like it’s a sandwich club with a loyalty card.

It’s funny…until you remember these people run things.

The "Conservative Party of Canada" is leaking. In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa dive into the shocking news of Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux crossing the aisle to join the Liberals. Is this a "dirty backroom deal" as Pierre Poilievre claims, or a sign of a deeper rot within the CPC leadership?

The truth may surprise you (if you were just born today).

A heavy week in Canada sparks a tough (and surprisingly data-filled) question: is Canada actually better than the U.S.?

In this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa start by acknowledging a heartbreaking tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., and the wave of grief, misinformation, and opportunistic culture-war blame that followed. From there, they zoom out and do what Canadians do best… compare ourselves to our loud neighbour with receipts.

They dig into the numbers on income, unemployment, healthcare costs, life expectancy, housing pressure, and gun violence, and ask what’s worth defending…and what we still need to fix. Along the way, they talk about political leaders showing unity, why scapegoating communities doesn’t solve anything, and how Canada can protect its “we’re in this together” instinct before it gets imported and ruined like acid-washed jeans.

Content note: discussion of a recent act of violence and its aftermath.

What’s really happening in the United States…and how did American democracy get to this point?

On this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart and Lisa are joined by U.S. political analyst, bestselling author, and former congressional staffer Eric Ham for a revealing conversation about Donald Trump, American politics, and the structural failures that paved the way for the current crisis.

Eric offers an unexpected and deeply informed perspective on how the U.S. drifted here over decades…from weakened democratic institutions and access-driven media, to the normalization of political extremism, racism, and fear as a governing strategy. He explains why Trump isn’t an accident or an outlier, but a symptom of unresolved American contradictions that many preferred not to confront.

The discussion also explores U.S.–Canada relations, trade tensions, immigration enforcement, the future of free and fair elections, and why many Americans are quietly alarmed by what they’re seeing from their own government. Eric breaks down why global concern isn’t overreaction…and what happens when accountability disappears.

A sobering, honest look at American democracy, Trumpism, political polarization, and the uncertain road ahead — with rare clarity from inside Washington.

The Conservative Party just held a leadership convention in Calgary and—surprise—Pierre Poilievre walked away with a huge vote of confidence. But was it unity…or just muscle memory?

In this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart and Lisa watch the convention so you don’t have to, unpacking Poilievre’s 87% approval, the party’s fixation on the “good old days,” and the increasingly polished attempt to soften a lifelong attack dog. We talk nostalgia politics, emotional messaging, selective history, and why “remember when things were better” is not actually a governing strategy.

They dig into the numbers behind the applause, the age gap in Conservative support, the curious obsession with high-school mock elections, and why younger voters may be buying promises that don’t come with a “how.” Plus: smiling on command, Reagan jokes, used-car-salesman energy, and a political bus that may be heading confidently in the wrong direction.

Funny, skeptical, and mildly concerned…just how we like it.