Power & Politics

The Weekly Wrap panel breaks down the biggest moments in Canadian politics this week. With Laura D’Angelo, Michael Solberg and Zain Velji.

Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said Thursday that Alberta will need to 'attract' B.C.'s support if it wants to execute its proposal for an oil pipeline to the West Coast. B.C. Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix argues that B.C. can't support 'a project that doesn't exist.' Plus, CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant says the postal workers' union is moving to rotating strikes that will let delivery resume because 'our fight is not with the public,' but accuses Ottawa of adding 'poison pills' to its contract negotiations with Canada Post.  

As Israel's government voted on ratifying the first phase of a U.S. plan for peace in Gaza on Thursday, senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said Hamas has received guarantees from the U.S., Arab mediators and Turkey that the war has permanently ended. Israeli ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed says he's hopeful that the war has concluded, 'but with Hamas we can never trust.' Plus, Unifor national president Lana Payne says she's 'extremely worried' about what she saw from the Carney government in Washington this week, saying Canada's push for fast sectoral deals allows U.S. President Donald Trump to 'pit one sector in Canada against another.'

In comments confirmed by a CBC News source and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday that Canada must accept that its auto industry will be second to the U.S. and that vehicles will be assembled on the American side of the border — adding that there's nothing Canada can do about it. Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association president Flavio Volpe asks for the prime minister to speak up about whether Ottawa is considering making those concessions. Plus, Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations member Jean Charest argues that the reality of moving the industry to the U.S. is that supply chains would take decades to unravel: 'The world is not that simple.' 

Prime Minister Mark Carney emerged from Tuesday's talks with U.S. President Donald Trump without immediate relief from steel tariffs, but Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the 'positive' meeting ended with Trump and Carney directing their cabinet members 'to quickly land' deals on steel, aluminum and energy. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Business Council of Canada President Goldy Hyder and the Power Panel discuss whether Trump's positive signals are enough of a result from another Washington trip, and how likely it is that they'll be converted to meaningful relief for Canadians. 

Description: As the Canadian delegation arrives in Washington ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney's Tuesday meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, three sources tell CBC News and Radio-Canada they're aiming for partial relief from steel tariffs that could create a framework for how other tariffs could also be lowered. Former Canadian ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton warns Canadians to have 'measured expectations' for the meeting, and advises that Canada should still avoid making a 'bad deal quickly.' Plus, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer makes the case that Carney is already failing his promises for U.S. negotiations. 

The Weekly Wrap panel breaks down the biggest moments in Canadian politics this week. With Laura D’Angelo, Michael Solberg and Zain Velji.

Prime Minister Mark Carney will return to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The Pulse Panel discusses whether that's a signal that trade and security negotiations are nearing a conclusion — or just stalling out. Plus, Former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page calls out interim PBO Jason Jacques for his warnings about a 'stupefying' and 'not sustainable' fiscal picture last week, saying the language is 'just wrong' and that Jacques needs to walk back the comments for the good of the office.

After announcing a new agency aimed at speeding up and diversifying defence spending, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr denies that about three-quarters of Canada's defence spending goes to the U.S. because of a lack of Canadian manufacturing capacity, saying that Canada got 'lazy' with procurement by 'doing it a certain way all the time.' Plus, Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative president Marilyn Slett explains why First Nations on B.C.'s north coast won't support Alberta's bitumen pipeline proposal 'now or ever.'

Alberta will develop and submit an application to the federal Major Projects Office for a bitumen pipeline to the northwest coast of British Columbia, Alberta Premier Daniella Smith announced on Wednesday. Smith joins Power & Politics to discuss how far Alberta is willing to take the project before a private proponent must take over, and how its possible for a pipeline to proceed amid objections in B.C. Plus, Minister of Artificial Intelligence Evan Solomon denies that Canada is falling behind on AI as he begins a '30-day sprint' to generate ideas for an updated national strategy, asking: 'How do we stay in front?'