On today’s Insights podcast, Don and David talk with well-known author and Globe and Mail journalist John Ibbitson.

The wide-ranging discussion covers his two recent books, as well as his thoughts on a range of topics, including demographic trends and interprovincial trade.

In The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson and the Making of Modern Canada, he makes a compelling case that Diefenbaker should rank higher on the list of Canadian Prime Ministers.

In A Nation’s Paper: The Globe and Mail in the Life of Canada, Ibbitson curates 30 essays from Globe writers on the role the newspaper has played at important times in Canada’s history.

He has a new book coming out in the Fall with Darrell Bricker called “Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk.”

Ibbitson is a fairly rare breed among national writers and commentators in that he has deep knowledge of the Atlantic Canada population and economy.

We discuss immigration, Employment Insurance, trade and other topics with a focus on Atlantic Canada.