Welcome to the June 2026 edition of the Broadbent Bulletin.
After connecting with skilled trades workers at the Canada’s Building Trades Unions Conference in April, the Broadbent Institute was in Winnipeg for the 31st Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress earlier this May.
Executive Director Jen Hassum hosted a panel at the CLC Convention on defending public sector jobs. Hassum was joined by PSAC’s Alex Silas, ATU Canada President John Di Nino, CUPE General Vice-President – West, Karen Ranalletta, and CUPW First National Vice President Rona Eckert to discuss how we push back against austerity and defend the right to strike.
As the federal government threatens these fundamental rights of workers, the Broadbent Institute stands with the labour movement. At the CLC convention, the team shared our analysis, research, and journalism that helps unions defend the working class.
The Case for a ‘National Investment Fund’
What should a real “sovereign wealth fund” look like?
In response to Mark Carney’s pitch for a “Canada Strong Fund” the Broadbent Institute has republished Andrew Jackson’s 1993 proposal for a more democratic model for public investment. Rather than maximizing returns to shareholders, Jackson argued that a new “National Investment Fund” would help in, “creating a ‘good society’ which meets human needs and requires that investments be made in many areas for primarily non-economic reasons.”
Echoing Ed Broadbent’s theses on economic democracy, decommodification, and the good society, Jackson and his 1993 proposal offers an alternative vision for public investment to build infrastructure and economic resilience against economic shocks.
Upcoming in Toronto: A Progressive Vision for AI & Digital Sovereignty
On Thursday, July 9 at Toronto Metropolitan University, the Broadbent Institute and Rumbo Colectivo host a public panel discussion event on a ‘Progressive Vision for AI and Digital Sovereignty.’ Canadian and international policymakers will speak to the threats to democracy posed by US Big Tech, and how we can develop the digital sector for the public good as a part of a workshop series leading to the 2026 Panamerican Congress to be held in Montevideo, Uruguay in August.
📅 Thursday, July 9th
🕐 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT (Doors Open at 5pm)
🏛️ Toronto Metropolitan University
STAY TUNED FOR SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENTS.
New in Perspectives Journal
In Perspectives Journal read new analysis on Why Canada Should Rebuild Public Telecoms, an interview on Canada’s Messy Cities, and an argument on why Canada’s Economy Is Held Back When Immigrant Women Are Held Back.
On the Perspectives Journal Podcast, Bhaskar Sunkara spoke to Luke Savage about what a modern 21st century socialism should look like.
May 22, 2026
Socialism After Capitalism
2026 Ellen Meiksins Wood Prize and Lecturer Bhaskar Sunkara spoke to Luke Savage at Toronto Metropolitan University about on what a modern 21st century socialism should look like.
May 19, 2026
Why Canada Should Rebuild Public Telecoms
SaskTel and Thunder Bay Tel are living proof that the “public option” can operate successfully today in a competitive market, delivering service, employing union workers, and returning revenues to public coffers rather than private shareholders.
May 15, 2026
Shaping Canada’s Economic Future with Barry Sawyer, Bea Bruske, and Magali Picard
At the Broadbent Institute’s 2026 Progress Summit, Canada’s labour leaders explained how unions are standing up for workers amid cuts to public services and war-shock inflation.
Also on the Perspectives Journal Podcast feed:
- Class & Climate: Workers’ Safety in the Climate Crisis
- Social Democrats of the North: Moses Coady, Antigonish Awakening
- Shaping Canada’s Economic Future with Barry Sawyer, Bea Bruske, and Magali Picard
- Class & Climate: The Politics of Electrification with Stephen Thomas
- Defending Democracy Across Borders with David Adler
- Social Democrats of the North: George Hara Williams
SUBSCRIBE to the Perspectives Journal Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all other major podcast platforms.
PressProgress Spotlight
While PressProgress faces legal attacks over its factual reporting on a former political candidate, their reporters continue to dig into the stories you won’t read about in major outlets.
Help defend freedom of the press by visiting journalismdefence.ca
Here’s the latest PressProgress reporting from the month of May:
- How Palestine Activists Eked Out a Win at the Canadian Labour Congress
- After a Shooting at Their Office Building, Hamilton City Workers Waited Nearly an Hour for an Emergency Alert
- Alberta Separatist Group’s Controversial Voter ID App Has Links to US Ambassador, MAGA Influencers and Wealthy Michigan Republicans
- Doctor Removed From Ontario Medical Association AGM for Refusing to Take Off Watermelon Pin
- Analysis – Is Christian Nationalism Rearing Its Head in BC?
- Alberta Independence Leader Calls on Supporters to Join Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party and Nominate Separatist UCP Candidates
- Here’s How Much International Students Have Been Paying for BC Healthcare
- Meet the ‘Fight Ford’ Protest Movement That’s Spreading Across Ontario
- Nova Scotia’s Long-term Care Workers Say the Province Is Misleading the Public About Their Ongoing Strike
That’s all for this edition of the 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.