Canada’s Rising Star Sticks to Her Guns on Stimulus

(Bloomberg) --

Canada has a well-earned reputation as the world’s “goody two shoes,” with a progressive record on civil liberties and a history of sticking to its principles in times of peril. The country made it through the 2008 financial crisis relatively unscathed, and more recently its Atlantic provinces were praised for their aggressive effort to stop Covid-19.

Canada’s vaccine rollout, however, has been panned. With less than 5% of its population fully vaccinated (compared with 41% in the nation to its south), some have second-guessed the country’s preparedness for future crises. 

On this week’s podcast, host Stephanie Flanders talks with Canada Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, a rising star in Canadian politics seen as a potential successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A former journalist, Freeland has defended aggressive fiscal moves by Canada and other nations to bolster their economies over criticism they are ignoring the threat of inflation. Freeland also acknowledged that Canada’s pharmaceutical industry must play catch up, so it’s not left relying on other nations when the next pandemic strikes.

The podcast ends with a look at the surprising cultural dynamics forming up around America’s milk and egg supply. Bloomberg agriculture reporter Elizabeth Elkin relates how producers are fighting to keep chocolate milk in U.S. schools while some farmers are betting consumers are willing to pay big for environmentally friendly eggs.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.