by Canadian International Council · English · News
The Red Passport. The special passport used by Canadian diplomats accredited abroad or travelling from Ottawa on high-level business. Louise Blais, Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo have all held the Red Passport at key moments in their careers – and in Canada's recent history. In every episode of the
A political shift is sweeping Latin America as voters turn to right-wing and populist leaders promising security, growth and stronger government. But is this an ideological realignment or another swing of the political pendulum? UBC political scientist Maxwell Cameron joins Jeremy Kinsman, Peter Donolo and Louise Blais to examine what is driving the region's rightward turn and how the Donroe Doctrine is reshaping Latin America. They also ask where these changes leave Canada as it tries to defend multilateralism and carve out a distinct role in the Western Hemisphere.
Canada and Europe have been growing closer for years but after an extraordinary week in Strasbourg, the relationship may be entering entirely new territory. Former European parliamentarian and party leader Sir Graham Watson joins Peter Donolo, Jeremy Kinsman and Louise Blais to unpack the move toward deeper Canada-Europe cooperation. From associate EU membership and student exchanges to defence procurement and Arctic sovereignty, they examine the opportunity, political risks and Watson's provocative idea that Canada is becoming as much a North Atlantic nation as a North American one.
Twenty-five years after Canada stood with the United States following the attacks of September 11, the relationship looks almost unrecognizable. Louise, Peter and Jeremy reflect on how they experienced 9/11, then fast-forward to the latest in the trade war and the changing politics of the United States. Is the current rupture temporary, or does Canada need to prepare for a fundamentally different relationship with its closest neighbour?
Nearly four decades after Canada tied its economic future to closer integration with the United States, is that experiment coming to an end? International trade lawyer Lawrence Herman joins Peter and Jeremy to discuss Ottawa's delegation walking out of negotiations with Washington and why he believes the old free-trade relationship is gone. The conversation then turns to how Canada can build a more resilient economy through stronger ties with Europe and Asia, not to mention fewer trade barriers between provinces.
With a tariff deadline looming, Canada and the United States may be inching toward a deal. But in the coming days, attention will turn to how a possible agreement will be sold to Canadians. The three amigos examine whether a deal can satisfy two very different audiences: Trump, who needs to claim a victory, and Canadians who seem wary of deep concessions. Peter argues that what is being called a negotiation is closer to a shakedown, Jeremy is concerned about what Canada will give up, while Louise, Québec's trade envoy, considers what Canada may need to accept to avoid further economic damage.
Canada may have to pay a steep price whether it makes a deal with Trump or not. Louise Blais rejoins Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo to debate an aggressive new round of tariffs scheduled to take effect August 19. Drawing on consultations with Québec manufacturers, Louise warns that cancelled orders, shutdowns and thousands of job losses could follow within weeks. Can Mark Carney stabilize the relationship without rewarding coercion? The larger question is how much short-term economic pain Canada is prepared to absorb to protect its sovereignty.
The rules of the game with Canada's most important partner have been tossed aside, and the outcome of the next round is as murky as Donald Trump's reflecting pool. Former Deputy Prime Minister John Manley joins Peter Donolo and Jeremy Kinsman to discuss Canada's leverage with Trump's America, from trade and Iran to the G7 and the Gordie Howe Bridge. The question remains whether Canada can play the long game without blinking.
As Donald Trump prepares for his big 80th birthday UFC Cage Fight on the lawn of the White House, the rest of the world waits pessimistically for its leaders to take on the global challenges of this frightening new era at the G7 next week in Evian, France. Louise, Jeremy and Peter discuss what's at stake, and how these same challenges are also being addressed—or not—at the United Nations.
Military conflicts are easy to start and painfully difficult to end. As Donald Trump's war with Iran enters its fourth month, Jon Allen joins Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo to discuss how a conflict once promised to be short and decisive became a global crisis. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, energy markets are under pressure and America's allies are reassessing what U.S. leadership now means. Allen, Canada's former Ambassador to Israel, argues the conflict was shaped by the egos of both Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, and by a miscalculation about how Iran would respond once attacked.…
Louise Blais returns for a special episode on CUSMA, joining Peter Donolo and Jeremy Kinsman to unpack the next phase of North American trade negotiations. Now serving as Québec's trade representative, Louise explains why the July 1 review date is not a cliff edge, but a critical moment to assess where the agreement is working and where pressure is building. The discussion turns to tariffs on steel, aluminum, vehicles and other key sectors, and why those measures may be hurting American competitiveness as much as Canadian exporters. The three also look at Canada's leverage, the risks and…
J ust days before Donald Trump is set to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing, Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo welcome back Howard Balloch, Canada's former ambassador to China, to discuss the state of play heading into the summit and various scenarios that may emerge from it. Balloch's view is that Xi arrives with a clear strategy, while Trump remains far harder to predict. The discussion turns to Taiwan, China's long game, the risks of a new G2-style world order, and what smaller powers like Canada can do when the two most powerful countries increasingly shape the rules around trade, security …
Canadians are unusually anxious about the world, polling suggests, but relatively confident about Canada. Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo welcome back former Canadian ambassador Jon Allen for a wide-ranging discussion on the Middle East, Cuba, U.S. power and Canada's place in a more volatile international order. Meanwhile, to help with the Quebec government's efforts in trade, co-host Louise Blais has stepped away, for now, from her regular role on The Red Passport after being named the province's Special Envoy for the renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
What do countries lose when they no longer have diplomats on the ground? Louise, Jeremy and Peter examine how the absence of embassies and diplomatic relations can distort judgment, weaken consular protection and leave governments relying on weaker intelligence, intermediaries and guesswork. Using the long American absence from Iran and Canada's own experience closing missions abroad, they ask what is really lost when states withdraw their diplomatic presence, and whether a country that wants to matter in the world can afford to keep hollowing out its foreign service.
What could Trump's latest threats toward Cuba mean for a country already in deep economic and humanitarian crisis? Peter and Jeremy welcome former Canadian ambassador to Cuba Mark Entwistle to unpack the pressure now bearing down on the island: the long aftermath of COVID, the collapse of tourism and tightening US sanctions. Is Washington pursuing regime change, a transactional economic opening or some mix of the two? And if Cuba becomes another testing ground for the Donroe Doctrine, should Canada defend international law, sovereignty and its own long relationship with the Cuban people?
What will the American and Israeli strikes on Iran unleash? Peter and Jeremy welcome former diplomat and past Canadian International Council president Ben Rowswell to help unpack the cascading consequences of Donald Trump's latest military endeavour, and how it contrasts with his recent operation in Venezuela. Meanwhile, did Carney's initial support for the attack on Iran to destroy its nuclear weapons potentially contradict his messaging at Davos that middle powers should band together to resist superpower unilateralism?
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund is often in the background of global crises, but what does it deliver for children on the frontlines of war, displacement, and climate shocks? And where can't UNICEF go? Louise and Jeremy speak with Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO of UNICEF Canada, about the organization's work in 190+ countries, from emergency response in Ukraine and Gaza to long-term investments in health, education, water, and child protection.
Did Marco Rubio present a gentler view of transatlantic relations than JD Vance did a year ago, or the same vision, in more diplomatic language? Louise, Peter and Jeremy also unpack another busy couple of weeks for Mark Carney who is countering Davos critics with plans for an alliance to preserve rules-based open markets.
Did the Prime Minister's Davos speech really shift Canada's place in the world, or just poke the bear? Jeremy, Louise and Peter unpack the Trump Administration's backlash, Mexico's alternate strategy and what a post‑USMCA Plan B could look like for Canada.
What are the implications of Mark Carney's surprising success in China? Will it make Canada more independent and resilient? Will it provoke the wrath of the Don? Peter, Louise and Jeremy also discuss Trump's Greenland obsession and whether there is light at the end of the tunnel in Iran.
A special edition of Red Passport on Donald Trump's surprise raid on Venezuela. Louise, Jeremy and Peter discuss what the implications are for international law and global stability. They examine the why, the how and what might be next.
Bob Rae talks about his five years as Canada's Ambassador at the United Nations. And with Louise, Jeremy and Peter, he looks forward to the global challenges - and opportunities - of 2026, and how Canada and its allies can step up to reverse the damage caused by the Trump Administration, Russia and China.
Louise, Jeremy and Peter discuss the challenges - and opportunities - facing Canada's next ambassador in Washington. The coming year will be make-it-or-break-it for CUSMA. Can a new ambassador make the difference? And given the dark, threatening tone of the recently-released US National Security Strategy , should we really get our hopes up?
As Donald Trump beats the war drums at Venezuela, his administration is trying to broker an end to the Russian war on Ukraine. How seriously can we take either of these initiatives? Jeremy and Peter try to untangle it all, and get at the motivations and likely outcomes. And—as usual—what it means for Canada... the front line on Trump's America.
As we are rattled by the news every day with something astonishing, often horrifying—scandals, political collisions and war—it becomes hard to keep our connection to the concept of international law. Why is the rules-based order under so much strain? Joining Jeremy and Louise are former ambassadors Sabine Nolke, a Visiting Fellow at Western University and practitioner of international law, and Jon Allen, Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto's Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Canadian International Council.
Donald Trump explodes over Ontario's TV commercial. Mark Carney makes his APEC debut (and meets with Xi Jinping), it's been another head spinning few days for Canada on the world scene.
In this episode of The Red Passport , Jeremy, Louise, and Peter unpack Canada's place in a fractured world order from the stakes in Ukraine and Gaza to the shifting dynamics between Washington, Europe, and Ottawa. With candid analysis and decades of diplomatic insight, they explore how Canada can balance values and interests in an era of unpredictable leaders, stalled peacekeeping, and global crises. It's a conversation about hard choices, skilled diplomacy, and what it will take to navigate turbulent times. Recorded Tuesday August 12, 2025.
The US has abandoned its traditional global leadership role. Respected international relations expert, Professor Jennifer Welsh joins Louise, Jeremy and Peter to talk about what this means in terms of the great global challenges of our day, and how nations like Canada can help fill the gap.
The smoke has barely cleared from the US attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo contemplate the geopolitical consequences of Trump's decision. And - yes - even what it means for Canada. Recorded Sunday June 22, 2025
One of Canada's leading experts on Israel and Palestine, former ambassador Jon Allen, returns to the Red Passport to discuss the ongoing crisis, how the region could move toward a lasting and just peace, and what role Canada can play.
Senator Peter Boehm was Canadian sherpa for a record six G7 summits. He joins Jeremy, Louise and (the other) Peter to talk about an early challenge that will face whoever wins Canada's April 28 election - hosting the G7 in Kananaskis in June. One member (guess who?) has launched a trade war against the other six. Should he even be part of the club?
About The Red Passport
The Red Passport. The special passport used by Canadian diplomats accredited abroad or travelling from Ottawa on high-level business. Louise Blais, Jeremy Kinsman and Peter Donolo have all held the Red Passport at key moments in their careers – and in Canada's recent history. In every episode of the
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