In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, the latest on the Canada-U.S. relationship amid new threats from Donald Trump and a hopeful sign in the U.S. Congress as the House of Representatives voted to end tariffs on Canada.

Of course, this doesn’t end all of this trade drama and it may not even end these specific tariffs. There is still a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the legality and constitutionality of many of Trump’s tariffs and there is also still the CUSMA/USMCA renegotiations. Trump’s sudden focus on the new Gordie Howe International Bridge shows the degree to which all of this is still very volatile and unpredictable.

We’re joined in this episode by Bryan Riley, director of the Free Trade Initiative at the Washington, DC-based National Taxpayers Union. We’ll get his thoughts on the significance of this week’s developments, and also take a broader look at the negative impact of tariffs and trade barriers, why free trade is worth preserving, and whether it’s possible to rebuild a pro-trade consensus.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a conversation with widely followed political commentator and analyst Spencer Fernando.

We’ll take a closer look at how U.S. President Donald Trump continues to turn Canadian politics on its head and how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre needs to speak to this challenge and confront this threat.

Also, we’ll discuss former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s re-emergence on the national political scene and the important words he offered for how Canada needs to respond to the external threat of Trump and internal threats to national unity. Plus, Prime Minister Mark Carney abandons yet another Trudeau-era policy as the Liberal government tries to navigate the new trade landscape.

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In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll take a closer look at the state of the Conservative Party of Canada and the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.

Conservatives are gathering in Calgary this weekend for their annual convention, which will feature an important speech from Poilievre before a leadership review.

We’ll speak with Ben Woodfinden, who’s a senior advisor with Meredith, Boessenkool, & Phillips and a former communications director for Pierre Poilievre. We’ll get his perspective on how secure Poilievre’s position in, how the leader has shaped the party and Canadian conservatism, and what to expect in 2026.

Plus, the latest from the premiers’ gathering this week in Ottawa amid questions about Alberta separation, foreign interference, and the possibility of building a new pipeline to the west coast.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we look back on a dramatic and consequential week for Canada. Following the announcement of a Canada-China trade deal in Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney was off to Davos and the World Economic Forum, where he delivered a speech of considerable significance - one that did not go unnoticed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

We’re joined by Globe & Mail columnist Andrew Coyne for a conversation about this new Carney doctrine, and what it means for our relationship with the U.S. - as well as our relationship with our NATO partners and European allies. Is this really a turning point? Has there really been a “rupture” in the rules-based international order?

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a conversation with Kaveh Shahrooz about the protests in Iran and whether this constitutes a new revolution that could finally spell an end to the Khomeinist Islamic Republic.

Kaveh is a lawyer and human rights activist, as well as a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and has been closely following events in Iran. After more than two weeks of protests, the situation appears at a tipping point. The Iranian regime has cracked down hard on protesters, but is this movement now too big to stop?

We’ll also have the latest on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s high-stakes visit to Beijing. Will Canada make a trade breakthrough with China? And, if so, at what cost?

Welcome to this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, as we delve into the biggest story of the new year: the American intervention in Venezuela and the US president’s desire to dramatically ramp up Venezuelan oil production and exports.

Given that Venezuela’s heavy crude is very similar to the product Canada exports, could this represent a threat to Canada’s market share in the US? We’ll get some insight from commodity analyst Rory Johnston.

We’ll also hear from Servus Credit Union chief economist Charles St-Arnaud, who argues in a new report that this should be a wake-up call for Canada and add further urgency to efforts to build the necessary infrastructure for Canada to diversify its trading partners and reduce its reliance on the US.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show:

* A closer look at the challenges facing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as 2025 draws to a close. Two MPs have defected to the Liberals and rumours continue to swirl about further floor-crossings. Poilievre, of course, is set to face a leadership review next month in Calgary. We’ll hear from conservative political strategist Cole Hogan.

* We’ll discuss the aftermath of the horrific terror attack on Jews is Australia and the threat posed by antisemitism around the world and here at home. What more needs to be done? We’ll speak with Nico Slobinsky from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

* Plus, a closer look at the problems ailing Canada’s immigration system. A new paper from the C.D. Howe Institute lays out how Canada undermined its skills-based immigration system. We’ll hear from co-author Christopher Worswick.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show:

* An eventful and contentious fall session of the Alberta Legislature comes to a conclusion with no shortage of lingering controversies. We’ll have the latest on the debate over Bill 14 and the latest changes to referendum petition rules. Plus, the list of recall campaigns expands - including a recall attempt in the premier’s own riding.

* The energy and pipeline agreement between Alberta and Ottawa was the focus of the debate in Ottawa this week, as the Conservatives introduced a motion aimed at exposing divisions within the Liberal caucus over the agreement. But did the motion - or the debate - reveal or accomplish anything?

* Plus, we’ll discuss a new study from the Public Policy Forum that makes the case for Canadian energy exports in an environmental context. While many frame the debate as economy versus the environment, with the potential to displace coal and dirtier barrels globally, Canadian LNG and oil exports can deliver benefits on both fronts. We’ll speak with study co-author Mark Cameron

In this episode of The Rob Breakenridge Show, a look at the ongoing debate over direct democracy and elections rules in Alberta - and the changes now being made through the government’s new Bill 14.

Introduced on Thursday, the bill - among other things - gives the Alberta government more control over referendum petitions and clears a path now for the separatist side to start gathering signatures. The bill also bans new political parties from using certain word and phrases linked to existing party - a move that will prevent the Progressive Conservative Party from rising again.

Interestingly, the bill doesn’t touch the rules around voter recall. At last count there were 14 approved recall campaigns, all targeting UCP MLAs.

We discuss all of this, and the implications for Alberta politics, in our conversation with political commentator Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we delve into an important and timely new book. Globe & Mail writer-at-large John Ibbitson and Ipsos Public Affairs Global CEO Darrell Bricker join us to discuss their new book “Breaking Point: The New Big Shifts Putting Canada at Risk”

We’ll explore some of the significant shifts in Canada over the last decade, and the growing divides we’ve seen within the country. Ibbitson and Bricker warn that Canada is at a critical juncture, facing challenges - including regional tensions and generational disparity - that could threaten national unity and identity

Tariffs and annexation threats from Donald Trump have added a new dimension to these issues, but the problems run much deeper than what we’ve been confronted with in 2025. So what will it take to turn things around?