In one corner: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has for years pledged to defund Canada’s public broadcaster. In the other: the current Liberal government, which after months of delay has unveiled their plan for CBC — one that overhauls its mandate but also calls for increased funding. Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge joins The House to discuss her pitch, as host Catherine Cullen asks why it’s arriving in the final weeks of the Trudeau government.

Plus, as Liberal leadership contestants gear up for their big debate showdown in Montreal next week, the Conservatives are emphasizing a “Canada First” message as they shake up their pitch to Canadians. Two Parliamentary bureau chiefs weigh in on the political strategies at play.

Finally: with the threat of U.S. tariffs still on the horizon, will ripple effects on the economy exacerbate Canada’s housing crisis? The House visits a new development site and speaks to the CEO of Canada’s largest private home building company. Then, the federal housing minister discusses what can be done as the clock winds down on the next tariff deadline.

This episode features the voices of:

• Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage
• Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto Star
• Stuart Thomson, Parliamentary bureau chief for the National Post
• Brad Carr, CEO of Mattamy Homes Canada
• Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing

World leaders are gathering in Germany this weekend to discuss threats to international security, including Russia’s war on Ukraine. But for some countries — Canada included — the latest threat is coming from U.S. President Donald Trump. CBC’s defence correspondent Murray Brewster guest hosts The House to look at international crises unfolding in real time.

We start with Oleksandra Matviichuk — head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize — who shares her reaction to Donald Trump’s conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine.

Then, as Trump continues to taunt Canada about not being a “viable” country, The House asks: where are our allies? Former NATO representatives, a former British Conservative MP and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former national security advisor discuss whether Canada’s friends will stand up to the U.S. president.

Plus, one man definitely knows what it's like to be under Trump’s microscope — and that’s former Illinois Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He joins the program to share his advice for Canada on tackling Trump.

Finally, Canada’s five living former prime ministers have come together to encourage Canadians to rally behind the flag this weekend — but there was a time when the great flag debate was among the most divisive Parliament has seen. House producer Emma Godmere takes a trip back into the archives.

This episode features the voices of:

• Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Centre for Civil Liberties
• Sveinn Helgason, former strategic communications officer at NATO Headquarters
• Fabrice Pothier, CEO of Rasmussen Global
• Andrew Percy, former MP and UK trade envoy to Canada
• Vincent Rigby, former national security and intelligence advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
• Adam Kinzinger, former Illinois Republican congressman
• Emma Godmere, producer for CBC’s The House

Canada got a temporary reprieve from Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the fight is far from over — and may be more existential than we thought. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now says the U.S. president’s threat to turn Canada into the 51st state ‘is a real thing.’

Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, joins The House to discuss if Trump is actually a threat to Canadian sovereignty and whether Canada’s new border measures — including a “fentanyl czar” — are enough to appease Trump.

Then, with all the chaos coming out of the United States right now, is there even a playbook for Canadian leaders to follow anymore? How should political parties adjust as Parliament remains prorogued? Two former key staffers weigh in on how politicians can respond to Washington whiplash.

Plus, Trump’s tariff threats are getting Canadians officials to reexamine Canada’s economy, including whether to revive discussions on building a west-east oil pipeline. A CBC provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick explains the history of the failed Energy East pipeline and whether it could be brought back to life.

Finally, world leaders will gather in France next week to discuss taking action on risks associated with AI — including the threat of disinformation. A Finnish scholar stops by the studio to share his experience monitoring and combatting disinformation next door to Russia.

This episode features the voices of:

• David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety
• Supt. Marc Cochlin, CEO of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams
• Marci Surkes, former policy director for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
• Garry Keller, former chief of staff to Rona Ambrose
• Jacques Poitras, provincial affairs reporter for CBC New Brunswick
• Pekka Kallioniemi, Finnish disinformation scholar and author of “Vatnik Soup”

We’ve been waiting weeks for this, and even now — we’re still not exactly sure what to expect. But today, we may finally see U.S. President Donald Trump level punishing tariffs on Canada. The White House has told reporters tariffs are happening this weekend, and Trump himself has said there’s nothing Canada can do to avoid them. 

One of CBC’s foreign correspondents in Washington joins the program to unpack the details from the White House. We then hear from a Canada-U.S. expert about what’s in store for both countries, and small businesses from both sides of the border share how they’re bracing for impact.

Plus, the final report from the public inquiry into foreign interference says there are no traitors in Parliament, but there are still concerns about threats to Canada’s democracy. A national security expert sifts through the findings and an NDP MP details the questions she is left with.

Finally, some Liberal leadership candidates are trotting out policy proposals while others are dropping out or being disqualified altogether. Two Hill watchers explain the latest in the contest.

This episode features the voices of:

• Katie Simpson, CBC News
• Laura Dawson, Executive Director of the Canada-U.S. Future Borders Coalition
• Maggie Ori, Frankor Hydraulics
• Bill Butcher, Port City Brewing Company
• Wesley Wark, senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation 
• Jenny Kwan, NDP MP for Vancouver East
• Stuart Thomson, Parliamentary bureau chief for the National Post
• Stephanie Levitz, senior politics reporter for The Globe and Mail

Time's up for anyone mulling a bid to lead the Liberal Party. With the deadline to enter behind them, candidates have just a few days left to sign up new members, and a little over a month to drum up support. One of the frontrunners joins The House in studio: former finance minister Chrystia Freeland sits down with host Catherine Cullen to make her case for running the country

Then: Ontario Premier Doug Ford has confirmed he’ll call a snap election next week and send Ontarians to the polls at the end of February. The Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief discusses whether voters will reward Ford, or if they’ll be turned off by the timing.

After that, we take a close look at an ongoing economic headache that doesn't involve Donald Trump: trade between provinces. Premiers hope that breaking through interprovincial barriers can in fact better protect against Trump's tariffs. But experts and former officials say getting rid of those barriers is a tall order — and there hasn’t been much success in the past.

Finally, as several Liberal leadership candidates distance themselves from the carbon tax, and as Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada's economy, do the Conservatives need to shift their campaign focus? Two strategists weigh in on how their party is reacting to recent events.

This episode features the voices of:

• Chrystia Freeland, Liberal leadership candidate
• Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief for the Toronto Star
• Philippe Couillard, former Quebec premier
• Perrin Beatty, former federal cabinet minister
• Carlo Dade, director of trade infrastructure at the Canada West Foundation
• Chad Rogers, Conservative strategist
• Fred DeLorey, Conservative strategist

Donald Trump is headed back to the White House on Monday, meaning his tariff threats could become a reality and wreak havoc on the Canadian economy. So what’s Canada’s opening move if Trump charges forward? Host Catherine Cullen checks in with premiers at their important meeting in Ottawa this week to strategize a response, but not everyone is on the same page. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. joins the show to discuss the federal government’s plan, and an economics professor explains which provinces are the most at risk.

Next, an author and staff writer for The Atlantic explains why, of all the policies Trump has flirted with over the years, the incoming president is so wedded to the idea of tariffs and how Canada should prepare itself for a possible trade war.

Finally, as more candidates step up or step back from the Liberal leadership race, two Parliament Hill watchers break down the contest so far and the questions the candidates will need to address.

This episode features the voices of:

• Ranj Pillai, Premier of Yukon
• Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan
• Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba
• Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States.
• Trevor Tombe, economics professor at the University of Calgary
• David Frum, staff writer with The Atlantic
• Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto Star
• Christopher Nardi, parliamentary reporter for the National Post

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he will step down from his job once the Liberals find someone to replace him. Now, the leadership race is on, with all sorts of politicians in the Liberal caucus and beyond feeling out whether they’ve got a shot to succeed Trudeau.

The backdrop to all of this is U.S. president-elect Donald Trump claiming he’ll use economic force to absorb Canada as a new American state. On today’s episode, a top leadership contender discusses why she’s considering a leadership bid.

Then, a White House correspondent for the New York Times explains why China and Russia are watching the brewing fight between Canada and the United States and shares his thoughts on how Canadian officials can respond to Trump’s ongoing threats.

Finally, Trudeau’s planned resignation will cap off a long tenure that transformed Canada on several fronts. How big were those transformations? Catherine Cullen speaks to experts and analysts from several areas about Trudeau’s legacy and whether his policies will outlast his time in office.

This episode features the voices of:

• Christy Clark, former B.C. premier
• David E. Sanger, New York Times correspondent and author of New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West
• Paul McCarthy, President of the Cannabis Council of Canada
• Perry Bellegarde, former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations
• Lisa Young, political science professor at the University of Calgary
• Sahir Khan, vice-president of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa
• Catherine Abreu, director of the International Climate Politics Hub
• Thomas Juneau, former analyst at the Department of National Defence
• Mireille Paquet, director of the Institute for Research on Migration and Society at Concordia University
• Nicole Myers, criminologist at Queen’s University

This week, The House brings you some of the most compelling interviews from our coverage of immigration issues in Canada — from ministers who’ve overseen major policy changes to experts who say Ottawa’s recent clampdown will shake up the Canadian economy and post-secondary institutions. Plus, rare access to Toronto’s immigration holding centre, where migrants are locked up while waiting to hear if they’ll be deported.

This episode features the voices of: 

• Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute
• Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration
• Jason Kenney, former Conservative immigration minister
• Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
• Catherine Connelly, McMaster University professor
• Meti Basiri, CEO and co-founder of ApplyBoard
• Pari Johnston, president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada
• Sajjad Bhatti, Canada Border Services Agency
• Minley Lloyd, Canada Border Services Agency

It ended with a shocking cabinet resignation — but 2024 was packed with plenty more political ups and downs. How many headlines do you remember? Listen along and test your smarts as host Catherine Cullen quizzes three keen Parliament Hill watchers who battle it out in The House's annual showdown, featuring Brian Platt of Bloomberg News, Nojoud Al Mallees of The Canadian Press, J.P. Tasker from CBC’s Parliamentary Bureau — and a very special American media guest.

This week in politics has been so massive, one MP’s stunned response summed it up: “WTF?” In the span of five days, the finance minister resigned; a growing list of Liberal MPs called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to quit; the federal cabinet got shuffled; NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh vowed to bring down the government; and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to the Governor General to ask her to reconvene Parliament.

On today’s pod, a longtime Liberal MP calls for Trudeau to go. A minister explains why he thinks Trudeau should stay. Then, two columnists dissect whether Trudeau — and the country — can survive the turmoil. 

Finally, as Donald Trump and his supporters taunt Canada about becoming the 51st state, Catherine Cullen sits down with the departing American ambassador to Canada to discuss whether Canadians need to loosen up — or whether we deserve a little more respect.

This episode features the voices of:

• Rob Oliphant, Liberal MP for Don Valley West
• Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
• Shannon Proudfoot, columnist for The Globe and Mail
• Paul Wells, author and podcaster
• David Cohen, U.S. ambassador to Canada