The Big Story

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has been voted in as Quebec's newest Premier. 

His party, Parti Québécois, secured their minority government on Monday night's election with 59 seats, up from three seats back in 2022. Among his plans for the province, he eyes holding a referendum in a push to separate Quebec from Canada. And although Plamondon promised to wait until US President Trump left the White House, the new Premier would still need to gain the support from the other provincial parties. 

Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to André Lecours, a political science professor at the University of Ottawa to discuss what PSPP's win means for the province, its future in Canada, and for Prime Minister Carney's tenure. 

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Ottawa is furthering its pursuit of building a stronger, more sovereign Canada. Bill C-39, the Build Canada Strong Act is the latest omnibus legislation that aims to reform parts of the Canadian Labour Code, as well as streamline projects deemed of 'national interest' . Critics, however, say the bill throws environmental protection, Indigenous consultation and workers' rights all into limbo.

Among those critics is Federal NDP Leader, Avi Lewis. 

Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Mr. Lewis to discuss who he thinks gets left behind in the bill, what tweaks are needed to protect workers, and why Prime Minister Carney's goals seem to be less in the interest of Canadians and more in the interest of foreign investors.

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Ontario has become the latest province to extend their $10-a-day childcare deal with the federal government. It's a policy that's undoubtably reduced prices for Canadians, but that doesn't mean it's become more accessible. A crisis of affordability has become one of availability, as the number of open spots across the province is far fewer than the demand for them. So, what needs to happen to make Canada's "universal childcare" program actually universal? 

Host Caryn Ceolin is speaking with Martha Friendly, the Executive Director of the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, about how the system is working, how it's not, and how Canada can better fulfil the promises of its newest large social program. 

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Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!". The drama around Canada-U.S. trade and U.S. President Trump's ramp up in rhetoric might all be connected to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to push back. Many of us are now watching closely and voters south of the border prepare to vote in their midterms, where Canadians are hoping a Democratic congress could put a check on Trump. However, one longtime watcher of Canada-US relations says its not clear if things will change.  

Host Kris McCusker speaks to Ron Stagg, Professor Emeritus of history from Toronto Metropolitan University about how things have played out, why it’s unusual, and how the trade war could end up being a good thing.

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Digital cameras, wired headphones, Discmans galore. 

If you're noticing more and more technological regression in your everyday life, you're not alone. People seem to be opting for less-advanced tools and toys, for the more simple, analogue items.

Why? Well, that's what we're trying to figure out.

Host Maria Kestane speaks to Ramishah Maruf, writer for CNN Business, as well as Richard Lachman, a professor at the RTA School of Media at Toronto Metropolitan University and author of Digital wisdom: Searching for Agency in the Age of AI. They discuss why people are heading offline and IRL, and whether or not there's a bigger movement behind the trend of digital detoxification. 

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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