The Bell is excited to launch the Bellwether, a podcast hosted and produced by the students of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.
In this podcast, we talk to policymakers, public servants, academics, researchers, and practitioners to unpack complex policy topics. We created this podcast to have a platform that elevates student voices in discussions of emerging policy issues in Canada and abroad.
Today we are thrilled to launch the first episode of The Bellwether. In this episode, we dive into the 2023 Manitoba elections where Wab Kinew made history by becoming the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province.
In October 2023, The Manitoba New Democratic Party won a majority government beating the incumbent Progressive Conservatives. The NDP’s campaign promises focused largely on healthcare reform and improving the quality of life for all Manitobans.
We interviewed two top campaign strategists, Brian Topp, who was the campaign director of Manitoba NDP who successfully elected Wab Kinew, and Cheryl Oates, who also helped in the Manitoba NDP’s campaign and was the Executive Director of Communication and Planning to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley from 2015-2019. They shared their insights on the win and what this means for the future of Manitoba and Canada.
Our first episode is hosted by Jibril Hussein and Soomin Han, and produced by Gagan Gill and Sean Celi.
If you enjoy this episode, feel free to check out the latest Bell article on Manitoba elections written by MPP students Soomin Han, Gagan Gill and Jibril Hussein.
Follow us on Spotify and subscribe to The Bell to be notified when our next episode comes out.
The Bellwether Episode 1: Manitoba Elections with Brian Topp and Cheryl Oates