Conversations That Matter

Ep 507 - A Bleak Market for EVs Guest: Adam Pankratz

Ep 507 - A Bleak Market for EVs

Guest: Adam Pankratz

 

By Stuart McNish

 

“Little did we know how fast the free market would slap the electric vehicle mandate back to reality, while Canadian taxpayers continue to subsidize green fantasies,” says Adam Pankratz, a lecturer at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. The “slap” is in reference to plummeting sales of electric vehicles in North America.

 

Pankratz says, “The signs emerged in September 2023 when Volkswagen announced it was ‘cutting EV output’ due to low demand and in November, Ford announced it would ‘be scaling back’ EV battery production due to lackluster demand.” 

 

As the new year emerged, EV news stayed on the same trendline. Pankratz said, “General Motors, Mercedes Benz and even Tesla warned EV sales were projected to be significantly lower than predicted.” Add in Hertz’s decision to sell off most of its EVs and the message is clear – the market is cool on electric cars.

We invited Adam Pankratz to join us for a Conversation That Matters on the trajectory of electric vehicle sales and what that says about government directives versus market forces.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

 

Join us June 18 for Conversations Live - Food Security

Ep 506 - Will AI produce a state of Deep Utopia? Guest: Nick Bostrom

Ep 506 - Will AI produce a state of Deep Utopia?

Guest: Nick Bostrom

 

By Stuart McNish

 

In his new book “Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World,” philosopher Nick Bostrom ponders what life could be like in a “solved world” – a world where everything works and works better than if human hands got in the way. “What then?” asks Bostrom, is the reason to work? “Is it to earn extra income or because working is an intrinsically valued activity?” 

 

Bostrom is the head of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford and a philosopher with a background in theoretical physics, computational neuroscience, logic, and artificial intelligence. He has been called the “Superintelligent Swede” because of the deep philosophical work he undertakes as he examines the trajectory of human life at the intersection of destruction and possibility.

 

Bostrum says, “If artificial intelligence can be achieved, it would be an event of unparalleled consequence – perhaps even a rupture to the fabric of history” – a rupture, Bostrom says, “will change the course of human history but is it the end of human history?”

 

We invited Nick Bostrom to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our flirtatious and tempestuous relationship with the evolution of intelligence.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

 

Join us June 18 for Conversations Live - Food Sustainability

Ep 505 - Has the Floatel Sunk? Guest: Christine Kennedy

Ep 505 - Has the Floatel Sunk?

Guest: Christine Kennedy

 

By Stuart McNish

 

The District of Squamish denied Woodfibre LNG’s application for a temporary use permit for its Bridgemans “floatel,” citing concerns over safety, environmental, and community impacts. Council also cited a lack of information from the company as its reasons for saying no to the refurbished cruise ship that is intended to act as a floating workforce accommodation.

 

“[It’s] hard to comprehend,” said Christine Kennedy, the President of Woodfibre LNG. “The District has asked repeatedly since 2019 – to the company and to regulators – that the project workforce be housed outside of Squamish, which is exactly what the floatel delivers.”

 

Kennedy goes on to say, “A councillor suggested that there are better solutions than a floatel. Housing options were considered and discussed with the District over a five-year engagement process, during which the District repeatedly asked the company and regulators to house non-local workers outside the community due to low vacancy rates in Squamish. Woodfibre LNG responded with the floatel. If Council had better ideas, they had five years to bring those forward.”

 

On Tuesday May 21, Squamish Council decided to reconsider its decision and has postponed a final vote until June 4th.

 

We invited Christine Kennedy to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the process the company followed in the development of the floatel and what this potential rejection means to the project and to BC’s investment reputation. 

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

 

Join us June 18 for Conversations Live - Food Security

Ep 504 - Vancouver: Beautiful, yes – but! Guest: Bridgitte Anderson

Ep 504 - Vancouver: Beautiful, yes – but!

Guest: Bridgitte Anderson

 

By Stuart McNish

 

No doubt about it: Vancouver is beautiful. It’s beautiful to visit, it’s a beautiful place to study, and it’s a beautiful city to retire in. “But,” says Bridgitte Anderson, the CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, “it’s not so beautiful of a place to build a robust economy.” In fact, according to a new report commissioned by GVBOT, “the region’s economic size and mix under-performs when it comes to creating high-paid jobs or high-performing companies.” 

 

Compared to 20 other “high quality mid-sized city-regions, spanning 9 pillars across economy, liveability and infrastructure and sustainability, Vancouver is well below par.” Anderson says. “Vancouver ranked 14 among the 20 cities for prosperity factors.”

 

Looking ahead, Anderson says, “The region has to address its underlying weaknesses soon if we hope to stay competitive.” Central to our ability to compete is Vancouver’s beautiful geography, an area that is confined by sea and mountains. Anderson says, “The upshot is that we have to innovate more deeply to stimulate housing, job and economic development.”

 

We invited Bridgitte Anderson, the CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, to join us as a guest on Conversations That Matter about where our attention needs to turn to close our productivity and prosperity gap.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 503 - Canada’s Sagging Productivity Guest: Jock Finlayson

Ep 503 - Canada’s Sagging Productivity

Guest: Jock Finlayson

 

By Stuart McNish

 

On March 26th, 2024, the Bank of Canada issued a report titled “Time to Break the Glass: Fixing Canada’s Productivity Problem.” Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers said at a speech in Halifax, “Productivity is a way to inoculate the economy against inflation.”

 

The question ahead is, why has Canadian productivity sagged and how can it be turned around? Jock Finlayson, the Chief Economist at the Independent Contractors of BC, says, “Canada needs to reorient policy to focus squarely on improving productivity and real incomes per capita – both of which are stagnant and falling.”

 

We invited Jock Finlayson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about Canada’s productivity crisis and why it matters.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 502 - Is Peace Possible in Gaza? Gidi Grinstein

Ep 502 - Is Peace Possible in Gaza?

Gidi Grinstein

 

By Stuart McNish

 

At the time of the recording of this interview, the war in Gaza raged on. Since Oct 7, when more than 1139 Israelis had been killed and another 240 taken hostage, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas. The atrocities of that day also severely challenged Israeli’s sense of compassion for Palestinians.

 

In Palestine, the death toll is horrifying – more than 30,000 Palestinians are believed to have died and another 72,000 have been injured.

 

The war and humanitarian crisis that has resulted has brought calls from around the world for a ceasefire. The government of Benjamin Netanyahu shows little interest in heeding those calls. The level of hate and anger that existed before Oct 7 continues to rise, which leads to the longer term question: can peace ever be achieved?

 

Gidi Grinstein, the founder of Reut Institute in Tel Aviv, says, “Maybe but the conditions have to be ripe.” He continues, “It won’t be easy; millions of Israelis and Palestinians do not want to live in the same country, much less a shared society.” 

 

We invited Gidi Grinstein, the co-author of (IN) SIGHTS, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about possible paths forward for Israel and Palestine.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 498 - How Canada Saved Me Guest - Sasha Luchkov

Ep 498 - How Canada Saved Me

Guest - Sasha Luchkov

 

By Stuart McNish

 

On February 24th, 2022, in the dark of the night in Mukachevo, Ukraine, Sasha Luchkov woke to the news that his country was under attack. Sasha, a piano protege at the age of 17, was already an accomplished pianist. He had recently placed second in the Scherzo International piano competition, where he performed Beethoven’s Sonata #17.

 

Luchkov also performed at the Horowitz International piano competition and the Perugia MusicFest. When the war intensified, Luchkov says, “I was in fear of my life and I fled from Ukraine – first to Italy and with the help of Thrive Refuge, I made my way to Canada, which accepted me as a refugee.”

 

Luchkov says, “Canada and Canadians have been remarkably kind and helpful to me.” Through Thrive Refuge, Sasha was able to complete his high school education and is now attending UBC’s School of Music, studying under the direction of Dr. David Fung. On April the 12th, Sasha is performing at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in the Concert for Peace to help raise funds to support Thrive Refuge’s Fine Arts Bursary.

 

Sasha Luchov joins us for a Conversation That Matters about his journey to finding a second chance in Canada.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

 

Join us April 23 rd  for Conversations Live - One on One with Premier Edy

Ep 497 - Climate Action: The Net Zero Economy Guest - John Stackhouse

Ep 497 - Climate Action: The Net Zero Economy

Guest - John Stackhouse

 

By Stuart McNish

 

“Population and economic growth spell a demand for much more energy,” states the opening paragraph of RBC’s Climate Action Institute report. The Institute is honest in its assessment of the path forward to a Net Zero economy. The bank’s John Stackhouse says, “Climate pressures spell an imperative for a different mix of energy sources.”

Looking forward, the global population is forecast to exceed 9 billion by approximately 2040. “Can the world population power itself into a new age of sustainable growth?” askes the report. It goes on to ask, “Can Canada, a global leader in energy, create new technologies, realize new opportunities and create value in a Net Zero economy?”

We invited RBC’s Head of Thought Leadership, John Stackhouse, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the highlights of the research the report lays out, its six major conclusions, and the path forward.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

 

Join us April 2  for Conversations Live - Energy and the Environment

Ep 496 - Ballooning Public Service Guest - Renaud Brossard

Ep 496 - Ballooning Public Service

Guest - Renaud Brossard

 

By Stuart McNish

 

According to the Montreal Economic Institute, Justin Trudeau ranks first among Canadian Prime Ministers over the past 40 years when it comes to the expansion in the size of the civil service. In a recent study, MEI notes that “over the past few decades, the number of employees in the federal public service has fluctuated somewhat under the mandate of successive governments under Justin Trudeau's current government. However, we are witnessing a truly unprocessed identity expansion.” 

 

Renaud Brossard speaks on behalf of MEI and he says, “An expanding public service has consequences that adversely affect the economy, including undue competition with the private sector for employees. And that, in turn, exacerbates the already challenging talent market.” The report goes on to show the increase on a percentage basis from Prime Ministers Mulroney  to Trudeau; Mulroney and Chrétien both oversaw about 10% reduction. Martin and Harper also decreased the number of civil servants, but to a lesser extent. Prime Minister Trudeau's increase is a whopping 25%. 

 

We invited Renaud Brossard of MEI to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the report and why a rapidly expanding civil service is a cause for concern.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

 

Join us April 2  for Conversations Live - Energy and the Environment

Ep 495 - Child Sex Trafficking Guest - Cathy Peters

Ep 495 - Child Sex Trafficking

Guest - Cathy Peters

 

By Stuart McNish

 

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada is February 22nd. It was instituted as part of the government’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. The point was to “raise awareness of the magnitude of modern day slavery in Canada and abroad and to take steps to combat human trafficking.”

 

In her book, “Child Sex Trafficking in Canada,” Cathy Peters says, “This book should never have been written. But here we are. Society and culture have come to a point where the most vulnerable are not being protected.” Peters goes on to say, “As a society we have a moral obligation to address sexual exploitation immediately, resolutely and robustly.”

 

Today’s children are targeted in ways that you have little awareness of and from around the world. These children are marginalized, vulnerable, and at risk. Peters says, “They are unaware of the insidious, coercive, and manipulative tactics of the sex industry.”

 

We  invited one of Canada’s leading advocates on behalf of vulnerable children, Cathy Peters, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what we all need to know about child sex trafficking and how to stop it.

 

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

 

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca