Episode notes
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…
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The Red Passport
Canadian International Council · News · English
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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Is There a Deal, and How Will It Be Sold?
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.
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1 Aug 2026 · 48 min
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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.
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27 Jun 2026 · 48 min
The Long Game with John Manley
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.
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13 Jun 2026 · 41 min
Cage Fights at the White House, G7 and UN
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.
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29 May 2026 · 45 min
How Does Trump End This? with Jon Allen
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.…
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9 May 2026 · 52 min
Does the Trump-Xi Summit Signal a G2 World? with Howard Balloch
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 …
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29 Apr 2026 · 37 min
Optimism Gap with Jon Allen
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.
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11 Apr 2026 · 40 min
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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.
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24 Mar 2026 · 44 min
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4 Mar 2026 · 43 min
New World Disorder from Tehran to Caracas with Ben Rowswell
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?
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