Canadians got to see their 2026 World Cup opponents during the group draw this week in Washington — and Prime Minister Mark Carney got to see U.S. President Donald Trump in-person once again as trade talks remain frozen. 

Did their meeting give any indication of progress? Parliament Hill Watchers Stephanie Levitz and Joël-Denis Bellavance dig into the rendezvous and other simmering political challenges for the prime minister, like what to do next with his cabinet.

After that, housing experts Mike Moffat and Carolyn Whitzman join The House to discuss whether the Liberals are meeting their election promises after a new report says Carney’s marquee housing initiative won’t amount to many new homes. Plus, Conservative housing critic Scott Aitchison breaks down his party’s point of view on the issue.

Finally, fresh off his time as Canada’s representative to the United Nations, Bob Rae tells Catherine Cullen about his decades-long political career, his views on Trump’s lasting impact and the parallels he sees between this geopolitical moment and George Orwell’s 1984.

This episode features the voices of:

• Stephanie Levitz, senior reporter for the Globe and Mail
• Joël-Denis Bellavance, Ottawa bureau chief for La Presse
• Peter Davoust, Vancouver resident
• Mike Moffat, founding director of the University of Ottawa’s “Missing Middle Initiative”
• Carolyn Whitzman, adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities
• Bob Rae, Canada’s former UN ambassador