Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed on Wednesday that Canada’s most populous province would be heading into its second stay-at-home order and third state of emergency as COVID-19 variants of concern continue to spread. Catherine Cullen, senior reporter for CBC News, sits in for Rosie this week and joins Elamin in examining how efforts in several provinces still tend to be reactive versus proactive, and may not reach the “middle ground” that premiers like Alberta’s Jason Kenney often strive to find.

The two also turn their attention to the NDP as the party prepares for its policy convention this weekend. After a year in which the Liberals served up some big policy responses to the pandemic, which would normally be considered the territory of the left — take the CERB, for example — where can the NDP stake their claim as an election looms on the horizon?

Returning to restrictions and what’s ‘left’ for the NDP

A political primer for every kind of concerned citizen co-hosted by Rosemary Barton and Elamin Abdelmahmoud. From CBC News and CBC Podcasts.

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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney continues to face criticism from all sides for his handling of the pandemic in the prairie province, where doctors are begging for an immediate lockdown as the health care system remains on the brink of collapse. Other premiers and leaders across the country have not faced the same kind of crisis in this fourth wave — how did Alberta get here, and what happens next? Rosie and Elamin also look ahead to what priorities Justin Trudeau is hoping to tackle as his Liberal Party will continue to govern and as Parliament is set to return before the end of the fall.

Party Lines is also saying farewell for now — but you can expect to hear Elamin and Rosie back here in your feeds, whenever the next federal election rolls around.

Alberta’s COVID crisis and what’s topping Trudeau’s agenda

Now that Rosie and Elamin have mostly — mostly — caught up on sleep after Monday’s big night, they’re ready to look ahead at what happens next. Sure, this new Parliament may look pretty similar to the last, but each federal party now has plenty of questions to grapple with: how do the Liberals move forward with their agenda in another minority? Will the Conservative Party have to re-identify who they are? Will the NDP devise a list of demands they expect the Liberals to fulfill in order to secure their support? And what happens next with the Green Party, and the People’s Party of Canada? As Rosie points out, there’s an endless stream of stories to follow once an election wraps up — and a new Parliament could very well bring significant change to this country.

Another minority. What happens next?

This is it: the final stretch before election day. Rosie and Elamin have noticed that the major party leaders have shifted their tone into more negative territory this week — but does that risk alienating voters and reaffirming the worst feelings people have about politics? And what about the risk of people feeling more divided than ever before? Elamin also breaks down some of the biggest differences between what the major parties are putting on the table as they continue to court voters, and Rosie maps out what she’ll be watching for, come Monday evening (which could, potentially, be a very late night).

Returning to restrictions and what’s ‘left’ for the NDP

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