Follow-up

The House has returned to new digs — both physically and in terms of election-year partisan burns. Our politics panel weighs in on the early strengths and vulnerabilities of the leaders and parties ahead of this fall's crucial vote. In this episode: Harper and Associates senior associate Rachel Curran, Proof Strategies senior VP Greg MacEachern, former NDP national director Karl Bélanger, Abacus Data CEO David Coletto; MPs Charlie Angus, Gérard Deltell, Wayne Easter; HuffPost reporters Zi-Ann Lum and Ryan Maloney. Hosted by Althia Raj. Detailed show notes: (6:48) HuffPost editor Ryan Maloney says Liberals have a “big fish to take down” (8:28) HuffPost reporter Zi-Ann Lum on how the PM’s handling of hecklers has changed (13:02) Pollster David Colletto on the “great unknown” factor (16:09) Tory MP likens election year to the Super Bowl (20:01) Greg MacEachern warns of the temptation of election-year “false starts” (24:44) “As far as Mr. Bernier goes, he’s a real gift to Justin Trudeau” (31:34) That “four knig

Who knew you could experience separation anxiety with a building? We tour Centre Block one last time before it closes for at least a decade for renovations and learn some of its wild stories. Detailed show notes: (3:54) Joe Clark shares his first Centre Block memory (6:53) Folklore of Pierre Trudeau’s statuette-breaking stunt (13:15) Revealed: the secret Ottawa Senators carving in the Senate (17:02) 1966 bombing inside the building (23:38) Duffy’s recollection of that time Pierre Trudeau got into a shoving match with a reporter (25:34) “The most beautiful room in Canada” (27:26) That time an MP was caught butt naked in the halls

A Quebec First Nation’s land claim to Parliament Hill tests the Liberals’ promise to build a nation-to-nation relationship. In this episode: Algonquin Elder Albert Dumont, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett, AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde, and Ottawa reporter Zi-Ann Lum. Hosted by Althia Raj. Detailed show notes: (4:25) Touring through the Kichi Sibi lands (10:02) Developer flags “significant lack of clarity” in how the private sector should engage with First Nations (11:29) Dumont explains how he’s “duty bound” to the land (20:16) Althia asks Carolyn Bennett if the Liberals promised too much (28:16) Elder William Commanda’s vision

The former Tory veteran and now leader of the People's Party of Canada says he’s not opposed to immigrants or legitimate asylum seekers when he advocates admitting fewer newcomers. Maxime Bernier expands on his message and the risk of how it can be misinterpreted. Hosted by Althia Raj. Detailed show notes: (4:20) “I don’t want to play with the emotions of Canadians” (7:04) Seeking a beta Canadian values test (9:46) Who is and isn’t welcome in Bernier’s party (11:32) Faith Goldy comes up in the conversation (14:28) The longtail of the PPC’s stance on the UN’s global compact on migration (27:44) Bernier’s “We don’t like discrimination” message to ethnic minorities

Whether you agree or disagree with him, Maxime Bernier is a newsmaker. We sit down with the People’s Party of Canada leader to talk about his turning point with Andrew Scheer and his brand of "smart populism based on serious policy." Hosted by Althia Raj. Detailed show notes: (4:36) Bernier on why he backed out of supporting Scheer (9:20) “Christmas gift” of 338 riding associations (11:50) Drawing inspiration from Emmanuel Macron (12:33) Who is actually showing up to Bernier’s rallies? (21:22) Explaining doing “nothing” about climate change (28:44) What Bernier’s rocky 2018 taught him

As the NDP and Tories piled on the Liberal government for deepening Canada's deficit, they face some deep troubles of their own. In this episode: Liberal MP Scott Simms, Conservative strategist Rachel Curran, Liberal strategist Greg MacEachern, and former NDP national director Karl Bélanger. Hosted by Althia Raj. Detailed show notes: (2:55) Panellists discuss fiscal update (6:15) “Santa Morneau” came around, says Karl Bélanger (7:31) What does a blue Liberal think about the deficit? (10:02) Don't forget to talk about Alberta (14:28) Paul Godfrey’s excitement over $595-million media bailout spooks a panellist (14:47) Ex-weatherman-MP Scott Simms vs. ex-news anchor-MP Peter Kent (16:47) Pollster David Coletto on the Liberals' up-and-down year (21:00) Panellists discuss NDP free fall (27:23) "Doug Ford is setting himself up to be a drag on Andrew Scheer" (32:48) We left you a funny kicker

Three years into their mandate, how are the Liberals doing with their ambitious agenda to grow Canada's middle class? Have partisan politics and economic realities dimmed the government's hope of bringing “real change”? In this episode: Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page, Infrastructure and Communities Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Families, Children, and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Tory MPs Tony Clement and Deepak Obhrai, People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier, and NDP MPs Matthew Dubé and Jenny Kwan. Hosted by Althia Raj. Detailed show notes: (3:15) François-Philippe Champagne explains his government's accomplishments in 30 seconds (4:10) Kevin Page puts income inequality into perspective (6:15) Missing "middle class" definition and "tectonic plate shift" in income distribution (7:56) Analyzing impact of Liberal government's child benefits (13:34) Page quotes Forrest Gump: "S**t happens" and draws wisdom from squirrels (14:41) Grading the Trudeau government (16:2

A new UN report gives humanity 12 years to get its act together to curb rising temperatures and avoid unprecedented environmental disaster. The House of Commons even held a special debate, but most MPs didn’t show up. So what political will is there in Canada to actually curb climate change? In this episode: Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Canadians for Clean Prosperity executive director Mark Cameron. Also: NDP MP Charlie Angus, Tory MP Garnett Genuis, and Liberal MP Marc Miller. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Canadian schmoozing is back at the United Nations as the Justin Trudeau government ramps efforts to secure a seat at the Security Council table. Former diplomats talk about RLBs (Rotten Lying Bastards) and get frank about Trump's effect on the Liberals’ current campaign. In this episode: Former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy; current Canadian ambassador to the UN Marc-André Blanchard; former Canadian diplomats Paul Heinbecker, Allan Rock, and Yves Fortier; UN senior fellow Richard Gowan; Canadian Forces college professor Adam Chapnick. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Jagmeet Singh was supposed to be a fundraising magnet, but his first rocky year as NDP leader has been a bust. The party calls a regroup in B.C. Also: Two outgoing veteran NDP MPs get real about the “Real Change” that blocks them from getting things done. In this episode: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, party strategists Karl Bélanger and Robin Sears, NDP commentator Tom Parkin, and NDP MPs Nathan Cullen, Linda Duncan and Irene Mathyssen. Hosted by Althia Raj.

While Maxime Bernier tried to steal headlines from the start of the Conservative party policy convention in Halifax, 3,000 delegates focused on positioning their party for the 2019 election. In this episode: Andrew Scheer’s chief of staff Marc-Andre Leclerc, ex-Harper war room strategist Jason Lietaer, Alberta Tory delegate Natalie Pon, Tory MPs Tony Clement and Pierre Paul-Hus, and Sen. Don Plett. Hosted by Althia Raj.

This session of Parliament comes to an end with the legalization of recreational marijuana — a day after the Liberals were smoked in a rare byelection loss. Is this a taste of what’s to come? In this episode: Government House Leader Bardish Chagger. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Donald Trump’s first official trip to Canada ended with the president and his subordinates hurling insults at the prime minister and making new-again threats to Canadian workers. What’s behind Trump’s anti-Canada kick? In this episode: HuffPost Canada’s senior politics editor Ryan Maloney, UNIFOR national president Jerry Dias, and Ontario dairy farmer David McDiarmid. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Who knew “sunny ways” included buying a controversial pipeline that Kinder Morgan wanted to dump. With 2019 around the corner, will this political gambit ruin the Liberals’ shot at re-election? In this episode: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Liberal MP John Wilkinson, and B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Scott Simms was stripped as a standing committee chair after he refused to toe the party line on the government’s controversial Canada Summer Jobs attestation. The Liberal MP speaks out about his caucus crime and political punishment. In this episode: Liberal MPs Scott Simms, John MacKay, and Raj Grewal, NDP MP Matthew Dubé, and Conservative MP Karen Vacchio. Hosted by Althia Raj.

The government is taking another crack at repealing some of the Tories’ controversial changes to Canada’s election laws. But there are some real concerns about timing. In this episode: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. Former chief electoral officer Marc Mayrand. Tory MP Blake Richards, and expats voting rights advocate Gillian Frank. Hosted by Althia Raj.

The NDP are pissed. The Tories are bewildered. And the Liberals are pretty pleased with their new debate-lite convention process that supported resolutions bending the party to the left. In this episode: Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, NDP Parliamentary leader Guy Caron, Abacus Data CEO David Coletto, Nanos Research Chairman Nik Nanos, incoming Liberal Party president Suzanne Cowan, Canada 2020 president Tom Pitfield, and the prime minister’s policy director Michael McNair. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Kinder Morgan’s pipeline ultimatum added fuel to a simmering Canadian political family feud. And after weeks of Tories asking for Daniel Jean to appear at committee, he does. And it was a bit anticlimactic. In this episode: iPolitics reporter Kady O’Malley. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Move over Morneau. Tories have changed focus and are hell-bent on selling a story of Liberal intrigue starring the prime minister’s national security adviser Daniel Jean. One 21-hour voting marathon later, how many more to go? . In this episode: iPolitics reporter Kady O’Malley. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Employment And Workforce Minister Patty Hajdu, labour pioneer and former NDP MP Peggy Nash join host Althia Raj for a live conversation about working as a woman in the male-dominated field of politics to mark Women’s History Month.