Power & Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump continued to attack his NATO allies for not sending ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, posting on Truth Social that they are 'COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!' Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole reacts. Plus, Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations member Jean Charest discusses the next steps toward a CUSMA review after the top U.S. trade official accused Canada of lagging behind Mexico.  

Controversial podcaster Joe Rogan released a two-hour interview with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Thursday, where political philosophy and mutual condemnation of COVID-19 mandates interwove with talk of mixed martial arts and Poilievre's denial of a conspiracy theory about former prime minister Justin Trudeau. CBC's Kate McKenna breaks down the biggest moments, including when Poilievre said he wished the U.S. president would 'knock that s--t off' on 51st state comments. Plus, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the conversation on energy projects has changed under Prime Minister Mark Carney, but approval and development 'does need to be quicker.'

The Bank of Canada held its key interest rate steady on Wednesday, as Governor Tiff Macklem described an uncertain economic future caught between the potential for higher oil revenues and the threat of damage from inflation. CBC's Peter Armstrong explains why inflation risks are a 'dual crisis' with the continuing damage from U.S. trade uncertainty, and RBC senior economist Claire Fan reacts to the central bank's warning that the risk of price hikes spreading increases as the war stretches on. Plus, Abacus Data's David Coletto and Leger's Sébastien Dallaire dissect the numbers underlying the Liberals' big lead in recent polling.

After the U.S. president threatened NATO allies for not sending ships to the Strait of Hormuz, Canada's Defence Minister David McGuinty reiterates that 'we were not consulted, we have not been active and we're not going to be active' in the Iran war offensive, saying Canada also isn't currently considering any military options to protect states in the region from Iranian attacks. Plus, The Writ's Éric Grenier breaks down how the Liberals reached a polling high a year after Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in, and what it could mean for majority-deciding byelections next month.

U.S. President Donald Trump is calling for countries including China and his NATO allies to send ships and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for the world's oil that's been choked by Iran — but neither friend nor foe has agreed to do so. Retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie, a former Canadian Army commander, says 'the level of strategic incoherence coming out of the White House, and specifically the president of the United States, is unsupportable.' Plus, C.D. Howe Institute fellow-in-residence Don Drummond explains why new numbers that showed inflation cooled last month are likely to rise for March and April.

The NDP lost its first floor-crosser to the Carney Liberals the day after voting began for its new leader, further reducing a caucus that lost more than two-thirds of its members in the last election. Zain Velji, Michael Solberg and Carlene Variyan discuss what the future of the party could be, and what a long-term collapse would mean for Canada's political landscape.

CBC's Peter Armstrong breaks down new Statistics Canada data that says the country lost 84,000 jobs last month, marking the biggest drop outside of the pandemic since 2009. Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer discusses the international pressure points developing after two weeks of the Iran war, and whether there's any path to end the conflict in the near future. Plus, Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson reacts to Prime Minister Mark Carney's plan to invest $35 billion in the North, and weighs in on whether the money is going to the right places.

CBC's David Common joins Power & Politics from Amman, Jordan, where he recaps the new Iranian supreme leader's vow to keep blocking a key waterway for oil shipments and reports that Iran may have put mines in the strait. CBC's Kyle Bakx discusses the possibility that a rollercoaster of oil price spikes could drive investment in Canada's oil industry. Plus, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree defends his government's new lawful access bill against questions about privacy.

Former NDP MP Lori Idlout joins the Liberals, letting them secure a majority if they win two of three April byelections. NDP president Mary Shortall and leadership candidate Heather McPherson react. Former Liberal Party campaign co-chair David Herle, former NDP director Anne McGrath and former Conservative chief of staff David McLaughlin debate the pains it could cause each party — including an even smaller NDP caucus, a Conservative Party drifting further from power and the difficulty of managing a 'razor-thin' Liberal vote advantage in the House. Plus, Nunavut Premier John Main discusses what he hopes the crossing of the territory's only MP will mean for its future.

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu tells Power & Politics that her announcement of $228.8 million to reskill tariff-hit Ontario workers isn't a sign that her government is giving up on near-term U.S. tariff relief, instead calling it an 'insurance policy.' Plus, interim NDP Leader Don Davies says a Tuesday night parliamentary debate on the war in Iran failed to address his concerns about Prime Minister Mark Carney's response, saying Carney's support of U.S.-Israeli strikes is 'fundamentally wrong and a betrayal.'