Co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric dig into the prime minister's latest thoughts on the strikes in the Middle East. Pierre Poilievre takes his first trip abroad as opposition leader and offers his best rebrand yet. And Manitoba's man in Washington, Richard Madan, joins the show. 

Co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric break down Prime Minister Mark Carney’s latest global tour, starting with a politically delicate reset in India, followed by stops in Australia and Japan as Ottawa looks to diversify trade beyond the U.S. Plus: the Liberal government ramps up pressure on OpenAI over AI safety after the Tumbler Ridge shooting revelations.

And Finance Committee Chair Karina Gould joins for this week’s 200-second interview on the budget, Andrew Scheer’s nervous tell and whether she and Carney are actually pals. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada

A new POLITICO/Public First poll finds what one pollster calls “a sort of unrequited hatred” shaping the Canada-U.S. relationship, with Canadians increasingly skeptical of Washington even as Americans maintain a warmer view of their northern neighbor. Meanwhile in Ottawa, another Conservative floor crosser shifts the balance in the House and revives fresh election speculation around Mark Carney’s minority government. Plus, Conservative MP Scott Aitchison joins from Milan to talk Olympic gold, housing lessons from Italy and the temperature on Parliament Hill. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden joins Playbook Canada from the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, where he’s watching Team Canada compete and looking ahead to a potential Canada–U.S. hockey showdown. But back home, the mood shifts dramatically as news of a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., brings Parliament to a halt and forces Prime Minister Mark Carney to confront a national tragedy. 

Also on the show: Donald Trump’s outburst over the Gordie Howe bridge, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani’s Washington trip and the leadership chatter it sparked, plus the debate over whether hybrid sittings in Parliament should come to an end. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

It’s been referred to as “Harperpalooza” in Ottawa this week: a prolonged celebration of the 20th anniversary of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s first election victory. Conservatives celebrated past glories at reunions and a swanky gala, but present-day obstacles loom.  

On this episode of the Playbook Canada podcast, co-hosts Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Mickey Djuric examine how Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party is still searching for a winning message, while Mark Carney’s Liberals project confidence — perhaps even hubris — by tapping MPs for diplomatic posts, brushing off House vacancies, and moving quickly to lock in candidates ahead of looming by-elections. 

Also on the show: what that confidence could mean in the weeks ahead, from cross-party cooperation on affordability to Canada’s renewed focus on the Arctic. Plus, Rachel Curran, a former top policy adviser to Harper and now a senior executive at Meta, joins the podcast to reflect on working for Harper, the evolving tech-policy landscape, and whether news could soon return to Facebook and Instagram in Canada. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

Election vibes are back on Parliament Hill as Prime Minister Mark Carney rides a post-Davos bump and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre prepares for a critical leadership review. Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon joins Playbook Canada to discuss playing nice in the House, election speculation and floor crossers.  

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

At Davos, Mark Carney laid out Canada’s place in a volatile world. Playbook Canada examines the political moment at home and what comes next as MPs head back to the Hill. Then, forecaster Philippe J. Fournier, founder of 338Canada, joins the show to give his predictions, including whether there will be an election in 2026. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

As Mark Carney heads to China and Donald Trump talks tough about Greenland, Canada’s place in a shifting world order feels constantly fragile. Veteran columnist Paul Wells and POLITICO’s China and Indo-Pacific affairs correspondent Phelim Kine join Playbook Canada to unpack what’s at stake — and how closely Washington and Beijing are watching. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Phelim Kine is POLITICO’s China and Indo-Pacific affairs correspondent

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

Another floor-crosser brings Mark Carney within one vote of a majority, leaving Pierre Poilievre scrambling for a defense as questions mount about his grip on the Conservative caucus. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith joins the Playbook Canada podcast to talk pipelines “north, south, east and west” and her relationship with Carney and the broader Conservative moment. Plus, Mickey shares details from a rare interview with Kevin Brosseau, Carney’s fentanyl czar, on what Trump gets right about fentanyl and how Ottawa is responding. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada. 

Parliament may be heading into winter break, but a wave of ambassadorial openings in Washington, London and Brussels could upend the fragile political math for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority government. Nick and Mickey also track Steven Guilbeault’s decision to break with Liberal policy — while sticking around as a Liberal MP; the Conservatives’ recent momentum; and interview U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra. 

Nick Taylor-Vaisey is POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

Mickey Djuric is a reporter and co-author of POLITICO’s Canada Playbook newsletter 

⁠Alex Keeney⁠ is Playbook Canada's executive producer 

⁠Steve Bone⁠ composed the music used in Playbook Canada.