King: William Lyon Mackenzie King, A Life Guided By the Hand of Destiny by Allan Levine. (Douglas & McIntyre, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: King

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

The author and historian Allan Levine joins me now. His latest book published last fall was the comprehensive, accessible and highly readable King: William Lyon Mackenzie King, A Life Guided By the Hand of Destiny. It’s the first major biography on King in more than 30 years, and it brings to life this complicated, accomplished, fascinating man. King was born in 1874, and dies 75 years later in 1950. He was a lawyer, civil servant, and politician who went on to become Canada’s tenth prime minister serving a total 22 years, first defeating Arthur Meighen in 1921, and replacing Meighen again following the King-Byng Affair. He loses to R.B. Bennett in 1930, and replaces Bennett five years later, serving until 1948. It’s impossible in the few minutes we have with Mr. Levine to go over King’s life, but he does such a fine job in just over 500 pages telling us about King in this book. We’ll ask him how he got to writing it, what’s in the book, and more. Allan Levine has written 11 books, including the award winning Coming of Age, and one of my favourites Scrum Wars. His website is at www.allanlevinebooks.com. He joins me from Winnipeg this day, where he teaches history. The book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Allan Levine; Mr. Levine, good morning.

When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada by Peter C. Newman. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: When the Gods Changed

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

One of the season’s major releases is the new book from the journalist and author Peter C. Newman. It is called When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada. The book which has already inspired much discussion in the country’s political circles chronicles what Mr. Newman argues is the demise of the Liberal Party of Canada. He had set out to write a book documenting the ascent of Michael Ignatieff from academia abroad to the premiership, however that book’s focus shifted what with the party’s fortunes and the results of last May’s election. Still the book is very fine read, in that style that Canadians have come to expect in the over fifty year career of Peter C. Newman. The book is part a look at how the party came to be where it is today, part a narrative of Ignatieff’s life and career, plus this short foray into politics, as well we’re reminded of what the Liberal Party once was, what it accomplished in all those years that it dominated this country. The Grits were in power for seven of the last ten decades. Peter C. Newman is the legendary journalist who’s written over 30 books, 25 of which have sold over two and half million copies. He’s won every major prize, and he was the editor of the Toronto Star and Maclean’s. The book is published by Random House. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, in Vancouver this day, Peter Newman; Good morning, Mr. Newman.

Elusive Destiny: The Political Vocation of John Napier Turner by Paul Litt. (UBC Press, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Elusive Destiny

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

The political career of John Turner, Canada’s 17th prime minister is chronicled in a comprehensive new book, Elusive Destiny: The Political Vocation of John Napier Turner. He was prime minister in 1984 for 79 days, after Pierre Trudeau resigned, and he was defeated in the election of that year by Brian Mulroney. Before that he was an able minister in the cabinets of Lester Pearson, as well as in Trudeau’s as his justice minister, English lieutenant, and finance minister. He left politics for the private sector in 1975, to return when Trudeau resigns in 1984. He leads the Liberal Party of Canada in 1984, and in 1988, the Free Trade election, when he made one last try, which many have considered his finest hour, when he and Mulroney had a lively exchange on patriotism, continental pressure, and political independence. The author of the book, Paul Litt, joins me now. He is a historian and a professor in both the departments of History and the School of Canadian Studies at Carleton University. The book is published by UBC Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Ottawa this morning, Paul Litt; Good morning, Professor Litt.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

We discuss the future of the Liberal Party of Canada now. Its historic low showing in last May’s election has elicited much discussion about the party’s relevance and its future. I am joined now by Zach Paikin. He is a candidate for National Policy Chair of the Liberal Party of Canada. The party will be in their biennial convention in Ottawa in January 2012. We’ll talk to Mr. Paikin about why he’s running? He’s only 20. Why the Liberal Party for him? Is it still relevant? What can they do to make themselves as prominent as they once were? His website is at www.votepaikin.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program in Montreal this day, Zach Paikin; Good morning, Mr. Paikin.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

From Oakville, Ontario, ‘One of Canada’s Top Five Political Minds,’ Gerry Nicholls joins me again. He was on with me just before the election was called, and now just after vote, we’ll check in. He was one of the few pundits who thought a Conservative majority was possible for Stephen Harper. He joins me now for a bit of a victory lap around the results. We’ll talk about Jack Layton and the NDP’s official opposition status, their success in Quebec, the decline of the Bloc and the Liberal Party of Canada. It’s a party in disarray. The website for more is at www.gerrynicholls.com. He is a communications consultant, commentator, the author of Loyal to the Core, and a fan of The Office. That’s important. Oh and he’s a former vice president of the National Citizens Coalition. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Gerry Nicholls; Good morning, Mr. Nicholls.

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Adam Daifallah joins me again. The public affairs consultant, lawyer, academic, and journalist joins me from Montreal, Quebec, a province painted orange in last night’s federal election. We’ll ask Mr. Daifallah, what happened? What accounts for Jack Layton and the NDP’s success? What happened to the Liberal Party of Canada across the country? And how Stephen Harper got his majority? Six years ago, Adam Daifallah was on this program to talk about a book he co-authored with Tasha Kheiriddin, Rescuing Canada’s Right: Blueprint for a Conservative Revolution. It’s apt to talk to him now, and see what’s happened since. Mr. Daifallah is a senior partner at MRCNR Strategy Advisors, a Montreal firm. He lectures at McGill, and appears on occasion in the National Post, where he was once a member of their editorial board. The websites for more are: www.daifallah.com and www.mrcnr.net. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Adam Daifallah; Good morning, Mr. Daifallah.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

It’s Election Day on Monday, and we continue meeting the candidates running in the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. Wendy Yuan joins me now. She is the Liberal Party candidate in this federal election. She ran in the riding in 2008, coming in second with 29.1% of the vote. We’ll ask her if she thinks she’ll do better this time, if she’ll win on Monday, as well discuss the issues, and how the rest of the campaign is going.

Wendy Yuan is an entrepreneur and a community activist. She is a volunteer with a number of non-profit organisations. She is the president and CEO of a company that focuses on the Asia Pacific region’s emerging countries. The website for more is at www.wendyyuan.liberal.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Wendy Yuan; Good morning, Ms. Yuan.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

One of my favourite guests, Warren Kinsella joins me again. He’s a columnist with Sun Media, and will be part of the Sun News Network when that launches next week. We’ll ask him about that, as well as the federal election we’re in the midst of, last night’s federal leaders debate and more. Warren Kinsella is a political commentator and consultant. He is the president and co-founder of the Daisy Consulting Group in Toronto. He’s written a number of books including The War Room, which was his last. He is also the founder of the punk rock band Shit From Hell. His website is at www.warrenkinsella.com. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Warren Kinsella; Good morning, Mr. Kinsella

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

And this also happens to be the 500th interview, and I’m pleased to have on again, Warren Kinsella. He is one of my favourite guests, appearing on here from the beginning nearly six years ago now. He is a Liberal and served former prime minister Jean Chretien for many years. I don’t envision myself ever voting Liberal, but Kinsella is a guy I have great admiration for. He’s loyal, and I just admire that quality. He maintains one of the country’s best read political websites at www.warrenkinsella.com. He is the president and co-founder of the Daisy Consulting Group, and the founder of a punk rock band, Shit From Hell. He’s a columnist, frequent political commentator and not infrequent author. His last book was The War Room, a great political read, as was his book from a few years now, Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics—one of my favourite books ever. I’m pleased to welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Warren Kinsella; Good morning, Mr. Kinsella.

Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000 by John English. (Knopf, 2009) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Just Watch Me

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

Three years ago, John English published the first of two volumes of a biography of Pierre Trudeau. That first book was bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning book. Now, he returns with the second volume, which is already a bestseller. Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968-2000 is the awaited volume that begins when he is sworn in as Canada’s 15th prime minister. It takes us through the October Crisis, his subsequent near-defeats, wins and defeats in those elections he contested, as well as the patriation of the constitution, and battles over Quebec with Rene Levesque and the Sovereigntists. There’s discussion of the women in Trudeau’s life from Barbra Streisand, to the mother of his three sons, Margaret Sinclair, to Deborah Coyne, with whom he had a daughter, Sarah, and those women in-between. It’s a compelling book, accessible yet definitive. John English won numerous awards for the previous Trudeau volume, as well as his two-volume biography of Lester Pearson. He is a professor of history at the University of Waterloo, and the executive director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and general editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Just Watch Me is published by Knopf. I’m pleased to welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, John English; Good morning, Professor English.