Jen Pedersen's passion for international politics took her through a PhD, publishing analyses on regional conflicts included Yemen and Liberia, becoming a Broadbent Institute Fellow, and into advising the Federal NDP on foreign affairs.

Jen talks with Nikki and Tom about the implications for Canadians in Trump shifting the global power system farther from multilaterialism and rules and more toward great power dominance and instability. A key implication has been the wave of global inflation triggered by Trump's Iran War at a time when Canadians are already feeling prices have increased too much, too fast.

Jen discusses possibly reasons why Carney and Poilievre backed the Iran War despite the pocketbook costs to Canadians and how that endorsement squares with Carney's words in Davos. She also helps with some thinking about how Canada could work with other progressive movements and governments in The Americans to counter-act Trump's shift to unilaterialism and his use of it to spread instability.

Nikki updates us on two new modern treaties in BC even as controversy over the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples continues, and Tom focuses on a nine-month lockout in Windsor that has worrying consequences for other workers.

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Nova Scotia NDP leader Claudia Chender joins to talk about the PCs government's budget-backdown, rising electricity and housing costs and Premier Tim Houston's mistake of attacking support to the culture of small town and rural Nova Scotia.

Nikki delves into what Canadian municipalities are doing around maternity and parental leave for city councillors and Tom digs into first quarter fundraising results in Ontario, which suggest the Ontario Liberals' polling levels may be a halo from the Carney Liberals rather than a reflection of their own momentum.

Nikki gives a big heave to the bigoted far-right attacks on the professional and precise chairperson for the recent Federal NDP convention, and Tom gives some love to those trying to find ways to make food affordable again.

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From the Winnipeg convention centre, Nikki and Tom dig into details about the Federal NDP convention and Avi Lewis' win to become party leader.

Then, Nikki and Tom are joined by our NDP comm pro panel to talk about the challenges that lay ahead for Avi as he works to rebuild the federal NDP. Our comms pro panel is:

- Melanie RIcher, former communications director for Jagmeet Singh
- Farouk Karim, former communications director for Tom Mulcair and the Guy Caron leadership campaign, and
- Leah Ward, former communications director of Rachel Notley

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Heather McPherson, candidate for leader of Canada's NDP and Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona, takes a break from her campaign to join Left East to West from Edmonton, Alberta:

- how the NDP can escape polarization and the strategic voting trap
- being a partner for provincial NDP leaders trying to defeat conservatives
- deepening the relationship with labour
- organizing stronger riding associations
- a communications focus the movement can get behind and push on

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Rob Ashton, candidate for the leader of Canada's NDP and President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canada takes a break from his campaign to join Left East to West from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan:

- how the NDP can escape polarization and the strategic voting trap
- being a partner for provincial NDP leaders trying to defeat conservatives
- deepening the relationship with labour
- organizing stronger riding associations
- a communications focus the movement can get behind and push on

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Sussanne Skidmore, President of the BC Federation of Labour, shares her thoughts about growth and austerity, labour law reform including sectoral bargaining, and trying to bring that magic alignment to the social democratic labour movement both in BC and federally.

Nikki and Tom discuss Canada's most popular premier Wab Kinew supporting working women by requiring workplace menstrual product access and the Ontario Doug Ford government quietly setting up a $1.3 billion bail-out for some condo developers and support higher housing prices.

This week Nikki is loving "Inside the Manosphere" on Netflix and Tom is heaving the big price jump at the pump.

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• Mon Mar 16 - Guio Jacinto, economic and trade analyst, United Steelworkers
• Mon Mar 23 - Sussanne Skidmore, President, BC Federation of Labour
• Mon Mar 30 - Special federal NDP convention episode
• Mon Apr 6 - taking a one-week break -- maybe?
• Mon Apr 13 - Claudia Chender, Leader, Nova Scotia NDP
• Mon Apr 20 - Jen Pederson, foreign policy analyst
• Mon Apr 27 - Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress
• Mon May 4 - Dave McGrane, UofS professor, historian of the CCF/NDP

If there's a guest you'd like to hear, email us at lefteasttowest@gmail.com

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Steelworkers union economic and trade analyst Guio Jacinto talks about the impact of Trump's "economic force" against Canada and how adding industrial policy to existing strategies can create jobs and industries.

Nikki and Tom talk about MP Lori Idlout's floor-crossing and the wild -- and wildly false -- accusations of drug dealing by Vancouver's mayor.

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