Welcome to the December edition of the Broadbent Bulletin.
Days after Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s electoral victory in New York, the Broadbent Institute’s Jen Hassum joined Jeyan Jeganathan on TVO’s The Rundown to discuss how Mamdani’s campaign is a blueprint for success. Watch the full clip below.
Defending Canadian Journalism
In the days following Mamdani’s victory south of the border, we shared an update on a threat we’re facing head on, with implications for freedom of the press and Canadian democracy.
PressProgress is at the centre of what could be one of the biggest, longest and most expensive media trials in Canadian history, brought forward by a former candidate for Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party in Alberta after reporting on her controversial statements. The trial and verdict risks setting chilling and long-lasting precedents for press freedoms and democracy in Canada.
PressProgress is not backing down, standing by its reporting and putting up a defence against any and all legal threats. We’re asking for your solidarity and support to win this fight.
Open for Nominations: Broadbent Institute 2026 Awards
Nominations are open for the 2026 Jack Layton Progress Prize and Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research. Help us celebrate individuals and organizations making a real difference in Canada by making a nomination today.
As a heads up, the deadline is coming up fast: Wednesday, December 31st, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST. Nominate an outstanding progressive organization and/or individual for their work advancing justice and equality across Canada.
The recipients of each award will be announced and recognized at the Broadbent Institute’s 2026 Progress Summit: Defending Democracy Across Borders.
New in Perspectives Journal
New episodes of Social Democrats of the North — the newest Perspectives Journal Podcast series hosted by Broadbent fellow Dave McGrane — explore the stories of early Canadian social democrats, like feminist firebrand Francis Marion Beynon.
Last month, Broadbent Institute Board Member Peggy Nash launched her new book Women United on her Activists Make History podcast. Listen to Nash’s’s conversation with co-author Julie White and Unifor’s Tricia Wilson.
And in a new episode of Progressive Political Economy, Broadbent Research Fellow Angella MacEwen breaks down the case for public ownership and public investment to build productivity and power across the Canadian economy.
Other articles you might’ve missed from Perspectives Journal this month:
- Federal Job Cuts Threaten Public Services by Clement Nocos & Nathan Prier
- Québec’s Pragmatic Utopians by Bruce McKenna
- Critical Mass: Reviving Mass-Party Organizing by James Adair
After going public about the lawsuit facing their newsroom this month, PressProgress continued to produce hard-hitting journalism on labour, health, and political beats.
Here’s the latest PressProgress reporting from November:
- Explainer – What is OneBC, the Far-Right Party Making Headlines in British Columbia?
- Ontario Ombudsman Report Details Inhumane Conditions for Severely Disabled People
- Canada’s Drug Laws Face Challenge from Founders of Vancouver Compassion Club
- Analysis – Ontario’s Government Claims the Province Isn’t Privatizing Water. Experts Are Not Convinced.
- Convoy Worries Police Are Trying to Sabotage Protest Avenging Dead Ostriches
- Explainer – There’s a Wave of Violence Targeting Canadian Sikhs, and the Government Seems Powerless to Stop It
- ‘Better Call Paul’: Disability Advocates Reject Ford’s Move to Control School Boards
- As More and More Studies Expose Fossil-fuel Health Harms, Mark Carney Doubles Down
- Analysis – Union Presidents Say Federal Government is “Scapegoating” Public Servants For the Deficit
- Founders of Groundbreaking Vancouver Compassion Club Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking
- Alcohol Is Leading Cause of Substance-related Hospitalizations; Cannabis Is a ‘Concerning’ Second
- Podcast – Looking Inside Mark Carney’s ‘Extremely Orwellian’ Austerity Budget
That’s all for this December edition Broadbent Bulletin. Thank you for following our work to advance a just and equitable world, and stay tuned for other updates and announcements from the Broadbent Institute. Consider supporting the Broadbent Institute, sharing this Bulletin with your friends and family, and subscribing if you haven’t done so already.