Chief Science Advisor Dr. Mona Nemer was just reappointed to a two-year term and released her annual report. The University of Ottawa's Paul Dufour joins The Hot Room to talk about the history of the position, how it differs from other models across the world, and what could be coming down the road for Canadian science as the pandemic continues to rage, and more. 

The Liberal government "is now focused on entirely eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada" according to the Speech from the Throne. Billions of dollars of investments were made prior to the pandemic, with billions more dollars coming during COVID to help address homelessness in Canada. Western University professor of nursing Abe Oudshoorn joins The Hot Room to unpack this ambitious promise. 

Governor General Julie Payette delivered the Throne Speech and to Canada's collective relief it didn't mention spaceships. It did, however, promise quite the ambitious agenda. Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada and political science professor Daniél Beland joins The Hot Room to parse through the rhetoric and tell us what to expect in Canadian politics going forward. 

Testing centres across the country, and especially in Ottawa, are filling up, with some wait times over six hours. Professor David Juncker, chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department at McGill University, joins The Hot Room to talk rapid saliva tests for COVID-19 and how they could help ahead of a vaccine. 

Christopher Ragan, director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University, joins The Hot Room to take us through Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's speech on the Bank's role in the economic recovery. 

Rose LeMay is the CEO of the Indigenous Reconciliation Group, a twice-monthly Hill Times columnist, and member of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation in northern British Columbia. She joins The Hot Room to discuss protestors toppling a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Montreal, two residential schools being designated as national historic sites, and the Liberal track record on reconciliation. 

Erin O'Toole takes over as leader of the Conservative Party during a worldwide pandemic with a prorogued parliament and a general election lurking in the shadows of West Block. 

How did we get here, and where do we go next? Tim Powers is vice-president of Summa Strategies, managing director of Abacus Data, a Hill Times columnist, joins The Hot Room to discuss all things Conservative leadership. 

Tariffs are back! U.S. President Donald Trump slapped aluminum tariffs on Canada again. Trade lawyer Matthew Kronby joins The Hot Room to talk about the economic impact, Canada's ability to respond, and how the looming U.S. election could affect it all. 

Carleton University Professor Jonathan Malloy joins the Hot Room to talk Bill Morneau's departure, Chrystia Freeland as the new Finance Minister, and internal power dynamics within Cabinet. Sorry to all Dominic LeBlanc fans.

York University professor Steven Hoffman, one of Canada's leading experts on public health, joins The Hot Room to evaluate Canada's COVID response to date - and where we go from here. 

Music by Kevin MacLeod 

"Acid Trumpet" and "Faster Does It"