The House

The long-awaited Carney-Trump summit in the Oval Office left the Canadian delegation feeling encouraged, though the U.S. president still taunted the prime minister over Canada becoming the 51st American state. 

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest, also a member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, joins the show to explain why he believes Canada could ultimately have reason to thank the president.

Then, two former top political staffers share their thoughts on the critical meeting and discuss the future of the Canada-U.S. trade and security relationship and how it could influence Carney’s cabinet picks.

Plus, as the Conservative Party asks itself tough questions about what to do next following a stinging election loss, Globe and Mail senior reporter Stephanie Levitz compares notes with Catherine Cullen on what she’s hearing inside the Conservative caucus and whether Pierre Poilievre is safe as party leader.

Finally, MPs who lose their seats in the election are quietly packing up and saying goodbye. Liberal Marc Serré, Conservative Rick Perkins, New Democrat Peter Julian and the Bloc’s Julie Vignola share the lessons they’ve learned from hard losses, and the joys and sacrifices of political life.

This episode features the voices of:

• Jean Charest, former Quebec premier and former deputy prime minister
• Brian Clow, former deputy chief of staff to Justin Trudeau
• Gerry Keller, chief of staff to former foreign affairs John Baird
• Stephanie Levitz, senior reporter for the Globe and Mail
• Julie Vignola, former Bloc Québécois MP 
• Rick Perkins, former Conservative MP
• Peter Julian, former NDP MP
• Marc Serré, former Liberal MP

On Tuesday, Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney had his first face-to-face with U.S. President Trump. On the surface, it was pretty cordial – with Trump declaring his desire to be “friends” with Canada, yet he continued to repeat his wish for Canada to become the 51st state, and the meeting ended with no concrete outcomes on pressing issues like tariffs. Catherine Cullen, Jason Markusoff and Daniel Thibeault break down what they saw on that televised Oval Office get-together, and whether Carney made any inroads into winning Trump over.

A fast-paced, hard-fought federal election is over — and the Liberals mounted a remarkable comeback to win a fourth mandate, this time with Mark Carney as prime minister. But, his to-do list shows there’s no time to rest. Host Catherine Cullen breaks down Carney’s packed schedule and what it tells us about Canada’s future.

Then, a senior writer for CBC’s parliamentary bureau answers audience questions about this third minority government. Plus, party strategists discuss the thin margins of victory, the stunning losses and the new makeup of the House of Commons that will once again require parties to work together to get anything done.

Finally, incoming Liberal, Conservative and NDP MPs each discuss what comes next for their respective caucuses — from governing priorities, to leadership questions, to figuring out what’s next for the Canada-U.S. relationship.

This episode features the voices of:

• Aaron Wherry, senior writer for CBC’s parliamentary bureau
• Marci Surkes, Liberal strategist
• Kate Harrison, Conservative strategist
• George Soule, NDP strategist
• Rebecca Alty, Liberal MP-elect for Northwest Territories
• Gérard Deltell, Conservative MP-elect for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk
• Gord Johns, NDP MP-elect for Courtenay—Alberni

This is it: House Party has been building up to the Canadian federal election for weeks, and now it’s actually happened! On just an hour or two of sleep, Catherine Cullen, Jason Markusoff and Daniel Thibeault react to the news that it’ll be a Liberal minority government in the House, and share what they think are the biggest surprises of the day. 

House Party has a new episode coming up, but first we bring you the latest election results from our colleagues at Power & Politics.

Liberal MP-elect Bruce Fanjoy explains how he beat Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in his own riding, and Conservative MP-elect Scott Aitchison explains why he thinks Poilievre should remain leader. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith discusses what she needs to see from Prime Minister Mark Carney to heal a divide between Ottawa and western provinces. Plus, former Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay and former Conservative chief of staff David McLaughlin discuss the party's future after failing to capitalize on an over-20-point polling lead.

More from Power & Politics here: https://link.mgln.ai/PcUbqE

We'll be back with post-election episodes of House Party and The House soon, but in the meantime -- for a quick catchup on what you missed from election night, our friends at World Report have you covered.

World Report is a daily news podcast that brings you the biggest stories happening in Canada and around the world, in just 10 minutes.

Make World Report your daily quick hit of news by following it here: https://link.mgln.ai/6LAFCv

It’s the final countdown to election night. On Monday, millions of Canadians will cast their ballots and choose their next federal government at a critical moment for Canada. Catherine Cullen sits down with David Coletto to find out what pollsters will be watching as results roll in from coast to coast.

Next, CBC reporters on the road send us their final audio postcards from the campaign trail — with analysis on the Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Bloc Québécois campaigns so far.

Plus, our panel of political strategists dissect the final moments of the campaign, including new information about Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s call with U.S. President Donald Trump, reports that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is at odds with Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative premier and concerns that NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will lose his seat.

Then, The House does a deep dive into the new Ontario riding of Milton East-Halton Hills South. The residents of two towns have been pulled together this election — and some are delighted to now be in a battleground riding where every vote counts.

Finally, a look into the classroom of a Vancouver Island University professor who’s using a game to teach students how hard it is to be a politician.

This episode features the voices of:

• David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data
• Marci Surkes, Liberal strategist
• Kate Harrison, Conservative strategist
• George Soule, NDP strategist
• Kristen Everson, CBC producer
• Michael MacKenzie, political science professor at Vancouver Island University

The political nerds hosting this podcast eagerly await the ritual release of costed party platforms during an election campaign: those line-by-line expenses and revenues that detail how much each party plans to spend on – and how they’ll fund – their promises. But, with so few days to go until the end of this campaign, is there much room to actually sway a voter with a fully-costed deficit strategy? And what are the most important promises in these platforms, especially those by the Liberals and Conservatives? Jason Markusoff, Daniel Thibeault and Catherine Cullen have some answers.

A special Sunday offer from our friends at World Report: As Canadians prepare to head to the ballot box, the integrity of this vote matters more than ever. From foreign agents to fake influencers... how serious are the risks to Canada's democracy? And what are officials doing about these threats? Parliamentary reporter Janyce McGregor will tell you where we're most vulnerable, why meddling keeps happening, and what you need to know in this season of spin.

There was no shortage of clashes and controversy as major party leaders’ squared off against each other in Montreal in both French and English. There were battles over pipelines, crime, change and how to deal with Donald Trump. Behind the scenes — concerns over how the debates were managed by organizers. Who came out on top and what’s the future of the debates? Party strategists share their thoughts.

Plus, political parties have made lots of promises, but they’re dragging their feet on how much those promises cost. A former federal budget watchdog explains why fully costed platforms matter and what it means when they’re unveiled so late in the campaign.

Next, host Catherine Cullen meets the Bloc Québécois candidate for LaSalle-Émard-Verdun on location in the recently flipped riding to ask how he hopes to hold on to his seat – as his party tries to win over voters across the province.

Finally, The House does a deep dive into the riding of Calgary Centre, where Premier Danielle Smith’s interjections into the campaign have provoked reactions from some voters.

This episode features the voices of:

• Marci Surkes, Liberal strategist
• Kate Harrison, Conservative strategist
• George Soule, NDP strategist
• Sahir Khan, executive vice-president of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy
• Louis-Philippe Sauvé, Bloc Québécois candidate for LaSalle-Émard-Verdun
• Allison Dempster, CBC reporter and producer based in Calgary