Welcome to Party Lines!

Co-hosts Rosemary Barton and Elamin Abdelmahmoud demystify Canadian politics, one issue at a time. Because talking politics is for everyone.

The way Elamin sees it, this Canada Day comes after a year full of questions that included: what is Canada about? And who is Canada for? As Indigenous leaders call for reflection today, and as some cities opt to pull back on celebrations, Rosie and Elamin look at the politics involved in the decision on how to mark July 1 this year. And before pausing for the summer — they’ll be back in August! — the two explore another big-picture question: what will Canada look like, coming out of this pandemic? The past year has also forced the country to face inequalities underscored by COVID-19. What will be asked of governments once the virus is in the rearview?

Questions about a possible trip to the polls have been floating around Ottawa for months, but election speculation hit a new level this week as the House of Commons prepared to break for the summer. Rosie and Elamin point out a few key signs that an election may be nigh — and take stock of where the federal parties currently sit.

Plus: as the country hits a milestone of more than 20 per cent of eligible Canadians fully vaccinated, you might be wondering — what are you allowed to do, following your second dose? Our neighbours to the south have been benefiting from such guidance, but Canadian federal health officials have not yet released any national guidelines, saying it can’t exactly be a one-size-fits-all approach. After months of following detailed public health rules, would more post-vaccination guidance help ease the transition into a further re-opened world?

On this week's podcast, Rosie and Elamin discuss the Ontario government's use of the notwithstanding clause for the first time in the province's history. Why did the Ford government resort to the constitutional "nuclear option," and how have other provinces used it or threatened to use it? The hosts break it down.

And it's been a week for the federal Green Party. Leader Annamie Paul had a member of her caucus cross the floor to the Liberals, and now she's under fire from some party members for how she's handled disagreements within the Greens — especially when it comes to the issue of Israel and the Palestinians. Rosie and Elamin discuss how the party ended up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and how Paul has handled a still unfolding crisis.

In the wake of a fatal attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont., we've heard some familiar sentiments: “This is not who we are.” “This is not what Canada is about.” “This cannot happen here.”

Elamin Abdelmahmoud, who brings lived experience to this conversation, wants to unpack some of that language — and discuss how it squares with the main messages coming from federal politicians of all political stripes. Nearly all party leaders condemned Islamophobia in general at a massive vigil earlier this week, but most carefully avoided mention of specific policy and legislation (like Quebec’s controversial Bill 21, or the 2017 anti-Islamophobia motion M-103.)

Plus, Rosie Barton connects the dots to last week's conversation about reconciliation, and how this country talks about its past, especially the residential school system. As statues like that of Egerton Ryerson continue to topple, she wonders how Canada plans to move the conversation beyond monuments and names on buildings.

It’s a heavy one this week, as Elamin and Rosie explore the state of Canada’s path to reconciliation with the help of CBC colleague Duncan McCue. Over the past week, many people across the country have reacted with shock and horror at the preliminary discovery on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., where the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation said they found the potential remains of possibly as many as 215 children in an undocumented burial site. But is the news surprising, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission told Canadians more than five years ago it had documented the deaths of at least 3,200 Indigenous children, with likely thousands more yet to be acknowledged? The three take stock of the reaction across the country this week, and what it says about Canadians’ understanding of the reality — and the urgency — of the issue of residential schools.

A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. Access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

An earlier version of this podcast misattributed the quote indicating the goal of residential schools was "to kill the Indian in the child." That error has been fixed.

Anytime the words “Quebec” and “Constitution” come up in political conversation, it’s usually a pretty big deal — and, historically, it’s led to some pretty divisive situations. So why aren’t more federal politicians making noise over Quebec’s proposed Bill 96, which aims to strengthen provincial language laws and tweak Canada’s Constitution to recognize Quebec as a nation? Rosie and Elamin lay out the political stakes and connect the dots to the next eventual election.

Plus: as other provinces unveil their summer reopening plans, Manitoba is running out of hospital beds — sending some COVID-19 patients as far away as Ottawa. The two look at how and why Manitoba is the latest province to face a devastating third wave of the pandemic.

This week, U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to ship 20 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines to countries that need them — meaning our southern neighbours will be sending abroad a total of 80 million shots by the end of June. This comes just days after the WHO urged rich countries like Canada and the U.S. to consider sharing shots before vaccinating its youngest citizens. As Canada gets closer to surpassing the U.S. in administering first doses, should the federal government follow Biden’s lead and consider sending shots to countries that haven’t yet had the chance to protect their citizens? Or does a government’s own citizens need to be taken care of first?

Rosie and Elamin also can’t help but notice how the U.S. is reopening far faster than Canada, even as Quebec (and a few weeks ago, Saskatchewan) unveiled its plan to ease restrictions and allow, for example, restaurants and gyms to welcome people indoors as soon as the end of May. Will governments be able to manage the patience of Canadians over the coming months?

For weeks, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been urging the federal government to tighten border restrictions in an effort to prevent more cases of COVID-19 from entering Canada. But how much is travel influencing the spread of the virus in this third wave? Elamin and Rosie take stock of what the federal government has implemented up to this point, and weigh Ontario’s asks against the latest data.

The two also dive into the hullabaloo surrounding Bill C-10, the government’s broadcasting bill, and the confusion over whether it would involve regulating people who post to YouTube and TikTok. Rosie and Elamin break down what’s at the core of the proposed legislation, and what’s at stake politically.

For months, the Prime Minister has said that the best COVID-19 vaccine is the first one that’s offered to you. If you’ve been watching the headlines this week, that might have felt hard to square with the message brought forward by the independent body of experts offering guidance on approved vaccines (you may know them as the National Advisory Committee on Immunization). NACI this week reiterated their position that mRNA shots — like those from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna — are their “preferred vaccines” over viral vector shots like AstraZeneca, because of the latter’s rare risk of blood clots. But as Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam underscored this week, it all comes down to weighing that risk against the risk of contracting COVID-19. Elamin and Rosie realize it’s a lot of information for anyone to navigate, which has them wondering: if NACI’s main role is to provide recommendations to those distributing vaccines, namely provinces and territories — should this committee be speaking directly to Canadians?

Rosie and Elamin also turn their attention to Alberta, which is experiencing the highest active case rate per capita compared to any other province or U.S. state. Premier Jason Kenney has announced a new round of public health restrictions, after facing criticism over waiting too long to enact further measures — and additional criticism from even inside his own caucus, as some MLAs have condemned further restrictions. How can Alberta climb out of this?