Politics - Big Idea Speakers

J.J. McCullough

15 June 2018

Robert Adams

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Categories: Featured, speakers

One look at that hair tells you this guy is not your father’s “un-left” quasi-conservative type. J.J. McCullough is an ex-pundit turned youtuber (with over 775k subscribers!) who defies all the stereotypes about what it means to be a… quasi-conservative Canadian Youtuber with a hip and decidedly funky edge.

J.J.’s unique west-coast perspective, unobstructed by the conventional wisdom of the country’s eastern “media elites”, J.J. calls Canada as he sees it, and what he sees is a nation often in denial about its unique problems. From discriminatory bilingualism to a broken parliamentary system to the strange cult of Canadian anti-Americanism, immigration, Covid Policy and more, J.J. isn’t afraid to tackle the sacred cows too often deemed immune from criticism in Canada. Because really, as J.J. says… someone’s got to. Politics aside though, J.J.’s success lies in the fact there are a myriad of topics that he speaks about, and he has a sense of fun that separates him from other speakers, pundits and journalists. Over the past year, JJ has been speaking out against the Canadian Governments new Bill, Bill C-11. In fact, his expertise on the subject of this Bill is profound; so much so that he was invited to, and then delivered, his testimony at a Canadian Senate Hearing on the effects Bill C-11 will have, and why it will have a deleterious effect on all Canadians – not just those of us engaged on Social Media.

Also, you can now find J.J. writing about Canada in the Washington Post, as a global opinion contributing columnist. To see more of J.J.’s youtube videos, you can check out a number of his videos below, or go to his amazing Youtube channel, where he covers topics as “Speaking English” to the “History of American Ice Cream” to the Queen of England, and much, much more!

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Biography

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Biography

J.J. McCullough is a conservative political commentator and columnist who’s been sharing his thoughts across the North American media landscape for over a decade.

J.J. McCullough writes in the Global Opinions section of the Washington Post, writing about Canadian politics and culture for a global audience, and he was formerly a conservative columnist for the National Review Online. He lives in Vancouver and has been a longtime contributor to various Canadian publications including the National Post and Toronto Sun, and is a former political commentator for Sun News and CTV. A fan of multiple mediums, he is also a freelance political cartoonist, an active Twitter personality, and the host of his own popular YouTube channel, which has grown huge – he now has over 850k + subscribers as of December 2022; and his expertise and social media popularity brought him an invitation to Ottawa in 2022 to testify against Canada’s Bill C-11, essentially a censorship bill that will prevent Canadians from viewing, more or less, what they want.

His specializes in commentary about Canadian politics, US-Canadian relations, media accountability and of course, social media. To learn more click here.

Speech Topics:

J.J. will customize his talk to suit your audience. Topics range from Pop Culture to Politics and Current Events. Whatever you want, actually. Seriously. You name it.

Sharyl Attkisson

14 June 2018

Robert Adams

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Categories: Featured, speakers

Sharyl Attkisson is an Emmy award winning investigative journalist, host of the Sunday morning news program “Full Measure,” who tries to give you information others don’t want you to have. She says: “ What you do with it (the information) is your own business. Do your own research. Seek advice from those you trust. Make up your own mind”

Sharyl is the author of the New York Time’s Bestseller, “Stonewalled: My Fight For the Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation and Harassment in Obama’s Washington” From the back of the book cover -…”Sharyl Attkisson fought tirelessly to uncover wrongdoing by those in power, whether major corporations, government officials, or presidential administrations of both parties. But when she started looking into stories involving the Obama administration’s mistakes and misjudgments in a series of high-profile cases—stories few in mainstream journalism would touch—she was confronted with the administration’s use of hardball tactics to discourage, block, and actively suppress her investigative work.”

This is a keynote speech you do not want to miss.

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Biography

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Biography

EMMY AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, NYT BEST SELLING AUTHOR

Sharyl Attkisson is a nonpartisan investigative journalist, five-time Emmy Award winner, and recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting. She is the NYT bestselling author of Slanted: How the news media taught us to love censorship and hate journalism; The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think and How You Vote, and Stonewalled. She is host, investigative reporter, and managing editor of the Sunday morning national TV news program, Sinclair’s “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson,” which feeds to 43+ million US households each week and focuses on investigative and accountability reporting.

For thirty years, Attkisson was a correspondent and anchor at CBS News, PBS, CNN and in local news.

In 2013, she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Journalism for her reporting on :The Business of Congress,” which included an undercover investigation into fundraising by Republican freshmen. She received two other Emmy nominations in 2013 for “Benghazi: Dying for Security” and “Green Energy Going Red.” Additionally, Attkisson received a 2013 Daytime Emmy Award as part of the CBS Sunday Morning team’s entry for Outstanding Morning Program for her report: “Washington Lobbying: K-Street Behind Closed Doors.”

In September 2012, Attkisson received the Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism and the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting for the “Gunwalker: Fast and Furious” story.

Attkisson received an Investigative Emmy Award in 2009 for her exclusive investigations into TARP and the bank bailout. She received an Investigative Emmy Award in 2002 for her series of exclusive reports about mismanagement at the Red Cross.

Attkisson also received Emmy nominations for her investigations into Firestone tires (2001), prescription drug and vaccine dangers (2003), investigating aid to Haiti earthquake victims (2011) and Follow the Money (2011).

Attkisson is one of the few journalists to have flown in a B-52 on a combat mission (over Kosovo) and in an F-15 fighter jet Combat Air Patrol flight. She is a fifth degree black belt Master in TaeKwonDo.

Previously, Attkisson hosted a medical news magazine on PBS called “HealthWeek,” anchored and reported for CNN, and reported at several local news stations. She is a graduate of the University of Florida School of Journalism and Communications. To learn more click here.

John Robson

14 June 2018

Robert Adams

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Categories: speakers

John Robson is not your ordinary columnist, pundit, historian and documentary filmmaker. With a sharp wit and enthusiastic cadence, his keynote presentations enlighten audiences by bringing a historical perspective to the financial, constitutional, foreign policy, social and “Climate Change” mess we are in.

His talks always bring his unique perspective and wry sense of humour to so many issues of the day, from unfunded social programs to the “Zoom” parliament. He does this so the “PeopleKind” of Canada can analyze for themselves just what is actually going on in the political arenas of the country.

John Robson is perhaps one of the most under rated speakers in Canada today. His political radio commentary, as well as his “Ask The Professor” and “This Day in History” video series are unparalleled in their accuracy and intellectual veracity; further he recently completed a massive and widely comprehensive documentary that brings into question the validity of… man made climate change. He also is the Executor Director of the Climate Discussion Nexus, which “Offers a forum for more open debate on all aspects of climate change, especially better use of scientific information in public discussion and policy formation.”

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Biography

John Robson, commentator-at-large with News Talk Radio 580 CFRA in Ottawa, National Post columnist and documentary filmmaker, is also an Invited Professor at the University of Ottawa. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Toronto. John also holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked as a historian, policy analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker for three decades. He is now the Executive Director at the Climate Discussion Nexus. He has been examining the climate change issue for many years, including both the science and the policy debates, and formed the Climate Discussion Nexus with a group of citizens concerned about expensive, ill-planned energy policies intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

He has worked in academia, think tanks and politics as well as doing print, radio and television journalism in Canada, produced and hosted the documentary The Great War Remembered for Sun News Network in 2014 and produced and hosted the crowdfunded documentary Magna Carta: Our Shared Legacy of Liberty in 2015.

Speech Topics

The War On Fertilizer

What once seemed like a long-term, feel-good project to prevent humans from damaging the environment in some new way, by causing excessive warming, has turned into an immediate, full-blown panic about “climate breakdown” accompanied by drastic measures to price gasoline out of reach, ban natural gas and now, it seems, get rid of fertilizer and cripple farming in the Western world. It’s past time to take a hard look at where these economically suicidal policies are coming from and whether they really are justified by a set of dogmas called “the science.”

Takeaways from this talk:

Current climate policies really will cause economic havoc, poverty and misery not a smooth transition to a greener, more prosperous and more fulfilling way of life.
It is possible to improve the design of some policies, and technology will improve, but not to anywhere near the point that we can stop using fossil fuels and maintain our society.
The three central claims of climate alarmists about a supposed scientific consensus, that we are seeing unprecedented climate conditions, that humans are mainly responsible, and that if we do not drastically change our ways we will destroy our own civilization are all demonstrably untrue. But if we follow their policy prescriptions, we will.

Climate Comebacks

In this informative and often very witty keynote presentation, Prof. Robson talks about what you can say to climate alarmists when they ask questions, or are say things like:

“Although climate change has taken a backseat to the Coronavirus pandemic, it is as essential as ever that we not lose momentum in fighting the climate crisis.”

The response?

No, it is essential that we learn the right lessons from the pandemic. Those of us who have been critical of the “climate emergency” movement have pointed out that the so-called climate crisis does not look like a real crisis, especially since human welfare has improved so dramatically over the past century. The pandemic has proven our point by showing us what a real crisis looks like. It has also shown us what a severe economic downturn looks like. Radical alarmists wave away the potential for harm from wrecking the economy. During boom times they can get away with that because people forget what a nightmare an economic collapse really is.

In this compelling keynote, Dr. Robson will discuss the top 10 comebacks to the most typical tropes climate change proponents keep pushing at us in the media, every day.

John can fully customize a climate keynote to suit your audience.

Smile when you say that: Surviving in a politically correct world

Have you ever found yourself knowing you had to say something about a public problem that had somehow become impossible to discuss, fenced around by politically correct taboos? Do you want to know how to speak the truth without being vilified as a bigot or driven from the stage by the shrieks of the supposedly open-minded and compassionate?

In this seriously amusing talk, you’ll learn that you aren’t alone and should not be intimidated. And you’ll learn how to say what you want, without being offensive, incomprehensible or a target for persecution by environmental, feminist, campus or other thought police.

Other Selected Topics:

Magna Carta: Good Then, Good Now
Vietnam is Alabama is Berkeley and the Crisis of Western Civilization
How to Think Like an Economist (and Have Fun Doing It)
King Charles’ Axe: Why Property Rights are Human Rights
Opening the Can of Worms: How We Must Fix our Constitution
That Was Now: Why History Matters
The National Institute of Coordinated Experiments: Why Equations Won’t Save Our Cities, Our Economy or Our Health – and our favorite here at Big Idea:
Taming Leviathan: How to Put the Government Back in its Box.

Brad Wall

7 June 2018

Robert Adams

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Categories: speakers

Brad Wall’s legislative and economic achievements during his 10 plus years as Saskatchewan’s premier are many – job growth, population growth, infrastructure creation, a first ever AAA credit rating for Saskatchewan, and so much more. However, these accomplishments benefitted not just his province, but Canada as a whole. As such, he earned a national reputation as a forceful and articulate defender of Saskatchewan’s and Canada’s trade interests, particularly in the areas of energy and agriculture, all the while remaining a passionate advocate for the province’s most vulnerable, often saying that the purpose of pursuing economic growth is to “secure a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan people.”

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Brad Wall served as the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2018 when he retired from public life.

During Wall’s time in office, Saskatchewan added over 60,000 new jobs and broke population growth records adding over 160,000 citizens through the decade of growth. His government’s growth plan reformed labour legislation and regulatory environments to ensure fairness, sustainability and economic competitiveness.

During the decade of growth record investments were made in provincial infrastructure through direct provincial investment and record municipal funding roads, sewers, highways, schools and hospitals, long term care facilities and the new Mosaic Stadium. Over the decade Wall’s government implemented record income tax reductions and small business tax reductions. During Wall’s time in office Saskatchewan reduced its operating debt by almost $1 billion and earned its first ever AAA Credit rating which it retains to this day.

Wall currently operates his own business and is a special adviser to the national law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP. He is an itinerant columnist for the BOE Report and the National Post and was recently named to the Advisory Board of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

He and Tami still reside in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. They have three grown children and a border collie named Zeke.

Wall may or may not own Waylon Jennings’ 1973 Cadillac Eldorado. To learn more just click here.

Christy Clark

7 June 2018

Robert Adams

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Categories: speakers

As the longest-serving female Premier in Canadian history, and the only woman in Canada ever to be re-elected as premier, Ms. Clark worked relentlessly to grow the economy, control spending, and create more opportunities in her province. Some of her achievements while in office are astounding: She brought the province from over a billion dollars in deficit to 5 consecutive balanced budgets, approved and started work on the $8 billion Site C dam, moved BC from 9th in economic growth to 1st, while moving BC to it’s best annual job creation record. (First time that’s happened since 1963!) She also signed almost 500 co operation and revenue sharing agreements with First Nations. Ms. Clark is now available for select speaking engagements – and she talks passionately on topics like leadership, women in politics, the economy, and much more.

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The Honourable Christy Clark led Canada’s third largest province for over six years. Throughout her tenure, Clark demonstrated the strongest performance of any Canadian Premier for economic growth, fiscal management and job creation.

As Premier, Clark earned a well-deserved reputation as a consensus builder both within the Cabinet, and outside it. Her management style was to carefully set out a plan that included hard goals and deadlines for each Ministry and monitor progress through regular reporting to Cabinet and Committees which she chaired.

Her legacy is characterized by her determination to plan for future generations. She left BC with a significantly diversified economy, a greater diversity of markets, a plan for a new, clean energy supply, billions of dollars of new infrastructure, and a dramatic reduction in the burden of public debt that will be borne by future generations of British Columbians.

When she left office, British Columbia had been Canada’s economic leader for three years running – the first time that has happened since the 1960s. BC went from being 9th in job creation to 1st among provinces. And, after inheriting a deficit of $1.2B, Clark’s government went on to balance 5 consecutive budgets. Her last budget included $52B in revenues and boasted a $2.8B surplus. When she retired, BC was on-track to eliminating its operating debt by 2020 – the first time since 1976. BC was also the only Canadian province with a AAA credit rating.  

Clark retired from political life in 2017 as the longest-serving female Premier in Canadian history and the only woman in Canada ever to be re-elected. 

Speech Topics

Leadership Lessons From A Former Premier

In this talk, Premier Clark reflects on her journey as a kid from Burnaby to becoming Premier of British Columbia in 2011, where she governed for 6 years. Through humour, storytelling and never-before-heard behind the scenes insight, Premier Clark shares her biggest takeaways from heading an entity as large and complicated as the Government of British Columbia

Life as A Woman In Politics

As Premier, Christy Clark experienced many adversities and scenarios that would shock and amaze audience members. Many of those centred around her job as a leader in the very male dominatedworld of politics. She talks about the way she was covered differently by media, her political opponents and what being a woman prevented her from actually doing and saying while she was Premier.

It’s The Economy, Stupid

During her time as Premier, Christy Clark took BC from 9th to 1st in economic growth. A strong economy allows governments and organizations to focus on other priorities (i.e. what you can spend money on) – but without it, there isn’t much you can do. Hear first-hand about how Premier Clark oversaw BC’s turnaround and her key principles for how to ensure long-term, sustainable economic growth.

Canada’s Future

As Premier, Christy Clark made it a point to promote British Columbia’s businesses and resources around the world, and not just in the usual places. A report by HSBC predicted that by 2050 – 19 of the 30 largest economies in the world will be “emerging.” For British Columbia and Canada to be properly prepared, it must accept, embrace and strategize for this.

Daniel Hannan – Lord Hannan of Kingsclere

7 June 2018

Robert Adams

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Daniel Hannan, former MEP, now in the British House of Lords, is known in the U.K. press as “the man who brought you Brexit”, having founded the Vote Leave campaign. He wants to use Brexit to galvanize the world trading system and sees new opportunities for countries on every continent. Dan has been a member of the European Parliament for 17 years, and is an author and journalist, advocating passionately for free markets and trade. In fact, once Brexit becomes a reality, Dan will have succeeded in eliminating his own job. However, in 2018, recent political event in the U.K. are threatening to undo Brexit, and Dan may indeed have to return to work.

Dan’s keynote presentations are customizable; he discusses the global and European economy, trade, politics, and what is happening both in Britain and around the world since March of 2020.

Lord Hannan has spoken at events around the world, and will fully customize his talk for your country. He especially loves to speak in the US and Canada.

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Daniel Hannan is a writer and journalist. After 17 years as a Member of the European Parliament, campaigning for British withdrawal from the EU, he succeeded in abolishing his job in the Brexit referendum on 23 June 2016.

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist. He serves on the UK Board of Trade and is a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party responsible for its international relations. He teaches at the University of Buckingham and the University of Francisco Marroquín. He has written nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Inventing Freedom: How the English-Speaking Peoples Made the Modern World. He sat as a Conservative MEP for 21 years, and was a founder of Vote Leave. He writes regular columns for, among others, The Sunday Telegraph, The Washington Examiner and Conservative Home.

Conrad Black

24 April 2018

sezar

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Categories: Featured, speakers

Author. Historian. Columnist. Investor. Intellectual Force. Founder of the National Post. Television Host. Member of the British House of Lords. There is only one man who could possibly fit all these descriptions, and it is one of Canada’s most distinguished figures: The iconic Lord Conrad Black.

Having just published his most recent books, “The Political & Strategic History of The World, Vol.1” in 2023, as well as “Forgotten History – Civil Rights in Canada”, “The Canadian Manifesto” in 2019, “Donald J. Trump: A president like no other” in 2018 and in 2016, “Backward Glances”, a collection of his articles and essays spanning his entire career, – on topics such as politics, culture, economics, and more – Lord Black is a must hear keynote speaker.

Whether the topic is judicial reform, geopolitics, or overcoming adversity in business and life, Lord Black is sure to inspire, educate and yes, entertain. He says exactly what he thinks, does not mince words, pulls no punches, and will defend his opinions with tenacity. A keynote or Fireside Chat with Lord Black could best be described as a talk about current events that blends in geopolitics mixed with historical perspectives, infused with a global point of view.

His latest endeavor in this regard is the “Scholars & Sense” show, a brand new bi-weekly podcast where he shares the mic with legendary conservative voices Victor Davis Hanson and Bill Bennett.

UPDATE! Lord Black is now available for live and in person events in the United States.

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Biography

CONRAD BLACK is a financier and author and columnist in a large number of publications in Canada, the US, and the UK, including the National Post and National Review Online (New York). He is the author of biographies of Maurice Duplessis, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Richard M. Nixon, a strategic history of the United States (Flight of the Eagle), and Rise to Greatness, the History of Canada from the Vikings to the Present. His most recent books are “Forgotten History: Civil Rights in Canada” and “The Political & Strategic History of the World, Vol.1” both just released in 2023, “The Canadian Manifesto” in 2019, “Donald J. Trump: A president like no other” in 2018, and before that, a collection of his columns and essays titled Backward Glances, just published by Random House-McCLelland & Stewart. He was the publisher of the London (UK) Telegraph newspapers and Spectator from 1987 to 2004, and controlled many other newspapers including the Chicago Sun-Times, the Jerusalem Post and the National Post, which he founded. He is honorary chairman of Conrad Black Capital Corporation and has been a member of the British House of Lords as Lord Black of Crossharbour since 2001, and is a Knight of the Holy See. Lord Black has also recently become the “Historian in Residence” at The Democracy Fund in Canada.

You can find Lord Black’s columns in the National Post, The New York Sun, The National Review Online, American Greatness, The Epoch Times, The Hill, The Brussels Signal in Europe, and his writings are often syndicated in other publications around the world. He continues to be a guest on a number of news outlets offering commentary, and has appeared on the BBC, CTV, FOX News, CBC, Rebel News and countless podcasts. He is a regular guest on America First with Sebastian Gorka, and participates in a monthly podcast called “Scholars & Sense” with two legends of American conservatism, Bill Bennett and Victor Davis Hanson, where they try to make sense of the news of the day. To learn more click here.

Speech Topics

The Criminalization of Addiction and Poverty

Drawing on his experiences in Florida as a three year “Guest of the US government”, Lord Black uses statistics and analysis to break down how drug laws are making this problem worse; and how the “war on drugs” has been a massive failure. He says the focus must move away from criminalization towards rehabilitation, and he says – all drugs must be legalized! Find out why in this hard hitting and eye opening presentation. Lord Black is a judicial reformer and helped his other federal “Guests” matriculate while working to clear his name. This is as moving a presentation as it is eye opening.

Call us here to find out about other topics; Lord Black can customize his talk to suit your event or industry. UK clients, please don’t hesitate to contact us to find out when Lord Black might find himself back in London, or what we can do arrange a live presentation in the UK when possible. Lord Black is now available to do live events in the United States, and loves to discuss US politics, geopolitics, American History, as well as current events.