The Honourable and The Hack

We Asked a Journalist to Grade Every Politician in NL's House | Here's What Happened

Every session of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly produces winners, losers, and a few who make you wonder why they showed up at all. So we brought in someone who watches it all — and we handed out the hardware.James Reid is a journalist covering politics across Newfoundland and Labrador. He joins Andrew and Alex at the desk to hand out the H&H HOA Session Awards: the best parliamentarian on the floor, the most impressive rookie, the worst heckler in the chamber, and a few performances that were simply... underwhelming.This is NL politics — no filter, no spin.In this episode, we cover:✅ Best Parliamentarian of the session — who actually did the work?✅ Best Rookie — the most impressive new face in the House✅ Worst Heckler — who embarrassed themselves from across the aisle?✅ Worst Performances — the politicians who had every opportunity and squandered it✅ James Reid's take on the broader state of NL political journalism✅ What this sitting tells us about the direction of the Wakeham governmentIf you think Question Period is theatre, wait until you hear who won the awards.📬 Got a question for the next mailbag? Email us at honourableandthehack@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.👍 Like | 🔔 Subscribe | 🎙️ Share it with a fellow political junkie🔗 Stay Connected🎥 Watch on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheHonourableandTheHack🎧 Listen on Spotify: 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/13uw982Y8Br4CvTs🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com📘 Follow on Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheHonourableAndTheHackDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and their guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, organization, or institution. This content is intended for discussion and commentary and should not be considered professional, legal, or political advice. Some discussion in this episode includes speculation and forward-looking commentary based on publicly available information and personal experience.

Canada's Cannabis Experiment is Struggling: Here's Why | H&H Ep. 26

Years after legalization, Canada's legal cannabis industry is still fighting an uphill battle. Excise taxes and product labelling designed for Big Tobacco are squeezing licensed producers. The illicit market continues to thrive. And Ottawa's response? Slow — at best.Paul McCarthy is the President & CEO of the Cannabis Council of Canada, the national voice of Canada's licensed cannabis producers. With over 20 years of public sector experience as both a career public servant and senior political advisor, Paul has been at the centre of cannabis policy, regulatory reform, and the politics of an industry fighting for its future.In this episode, we cover:✅ Why Canada's legal cannabis industry is still struggling — years after legalization✅ The crushing excise tax burden and how it's driving LPs out of business✅ Why the illicit market is winning — and what it would take to change that✅ What the Cannabis Council of Canada is pushing for in Ottawa right now✅ The political calculus: who's listening in government and who's not✅ What the current federal agenda means for the industry's next chapterIf you thought legalization was the finish line, this conversation will reframe it as the starting line — and it's been a rough race.📬 Got a question for the next mailbag? Email us at honourableandthehack@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.👍 Like | 🔔 Subscribe | 🎙️ Share it with a fellow political junkie🔗 Stay Connected🎥 Watch on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheHonourableandTheHack🎧 Listen on Spotify: 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/13uw982Y8Br4CvTs🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com📘 Follow on Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheHonourableAndTheHackDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and their guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, organization, or institution. This content is intended for discussion and commentary and should not be considered professional, legal, or political advice. Some discussion in this episode includes speculation and forward-looking commentary based on publicly available information and personal experience.

The MHA Who Gave Up His Seat for Clyde Wells: Eddie Joyce on 25 Years in Power | H&H Ep. 25

He gave up his seat for Clyde Wells. He survived allegations that forced him out of caucus. And he served as an MHA for 25 years — three of them as an independent. Eddie Joyce has seen the Newfoundland House of Assembly at its best and its worst, and he's not afraid to tell you the real story.In this episode of The Honourable & The Hack, Andrew Parsons sits down with one of Newfoundland and Labrador's longest-serving politicians for a candid conversation about loyalty, survival, and what it really takes to last inside the Machine.In this episode, we cover:✅ Why Eddie offered his own seat to Clyde Wells — and the one condition he set✅ How political decorum has shifted from issue-based debate to personal attacks✅ The secret cross-party collaboration to save the Corner Brook paper mill✅ The allegations that forced him from caucus — and why he has zero regrets✅ His unexpected philanthropic work in Uganda and what drives him beyond politicsChapters:0:00 Introduction0:56 Eddie Joyce's 25-Year Political Career3:19 The Team Behind an MHA8:40 Giving Up His Seat for Clyde Wells11:47 Decorum Then and Now — The House Has Changed17:38 When Bipartisan Actually Worked21:55 The Harassment Allegation — Eddie's Account34:47 The Corner Brook Paper Mill: A Secret Alliance43:48 The 1991 Strike Story45:19 Giving Back: Uganda and Beyond51:30 Andrew's Maiden Speech (and Eddie's Part in It)What moment from Eddie's career do you think best defines political courage in Newfoundland and Labrador? Drop it in the comments.📩 Got a question for a future mailbag episode?Send it to: honourableandthehack@gmail.comWe’re building toward a full mailbag episode this spring — and we need your questions.🔗 Stay Connected🎥 Watch on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheHonourableandTheHack🎧 Listen on Spotify:👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/13uw982Y8Br4CvTs🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts:👉 https://podcasts.apple.com📘 Follow on Facebook:👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheHonourableAndTheHackDisclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and their guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, organization, or institution. This content is intended for discussion and commentary and should not be considered professional, legal, or political advice. Some discussion in this episode includes speculation and forward-looking commentary based on publicly available information and personal experience.

Kyle Rees: The Honest Truth About the Left | H&H Ep. 24

For the first time on The Honourable & The Hack, the left gets a seat at the table.Kyle Rees — lawyer, union advocate, and former President of the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP — walks us through what the political left actually believes about power in Canada. Not the version from a press release. The real version.Kyle Rees is a partner at O'Dea Earle in St. John's, NL, where he specializes in union-side labour law and worker-oriented representation. He's argued high-profile cases at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador and served as President of the NL NDP during one of the party's most turbulent chapters.In this episode, we cover:✅ Why the NDP keeps losing despite being right on the issues✅ The Federal NDP has a new leader - what does that mean for NL✅ How the Provincial NDP imploded when they were at their highest point✅ Where Kyle thinks the left went wrong — and how to fix it✅ The gap between what politicians promise and what the machine deliversDo you agree? Do you disagree? Drop your take in the comments — and tell us: is the NDP the future of Canadian politics, or a party that's already had its moment?📩 Got a question for a future mailbag episode?Send it to: honourableandthehack@gmail.comWe’re building toward a full mailbag episode this spring — and we need your questions.🔗 Stay Connected🎥 Watch on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheHonourableandTheHack🎧 Listen on Spotify:👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/13uw982Y8Br4CvTs🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts:👉 https://podcasts.apple.com📘 Follow on Facebook:👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheHonourableAndTheHackDisclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and their guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, organization, or institution. This content is intended for discussion and commentary and should not be considered professional, legal, or political advice. Some discussion in this episode includes speculation and forward-looking commentary based on publicly available information and personal experience.

The Truth About Our Government & Mountain Climbing: Senator Wells Speaks | H&H Ep. 23

Senator David Wells joins The Honourable & The Hack for a wide-ranging conversation about politics, public service, Newfoundland and Labrador, and one very unexpected passion: mountain climbing.In this episode, Senator Wells talks about what senators actually do, how the Senate appointment process worked in his case, and what it was like being in Ottawa during the Mike Duffy scandal. He also reflects on his roots in Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry, his path through Conservative politics, and his views on the future of NL energy.But one of the most memorable parts of the conversation comes near the end, when Senator Wells shares stories from his climbing adventures — including Mount Kilimanjaro, the Andes, and Mount Elbrus in southern Russia, widely recognized as Europe’s highest peak. From extreme conditions to the mental battle of reaching the summit, it is a side of Senator Wells many viewers may not know.From the fishery to federal politics — and from the Senate floor to some of the world’s most challenging climbs — this is a conversation about ambition, endurance, public life, and Newfoundland grit.Have a question for a future episode?Email us: honourableandthehack@gmail.comStay Connected:YouTube: @TheHonourableandtheHackSpotify: The Honourable & The HackApple Podcasts: The Honourable & The HackFacebook: The Honourable & The HackDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and their guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, organization, or institution. This content is intended for discussion and commentary and should not be considered professional, legal, or political advice. Some discussion in this episode includes speculation and forward-looking commentary based on publicly available information and personal experience.