The House

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

Ontario premier Doug Ford made a splash this week when he suggested his province could withhold energy exports to the United States if president-elect Donald Trump slaps steep tariffs on Canadian goods. Is Ontario gearing up for a trade war with the U.S? Ontario’s energy minister explains how far the province is willing to go on the issue.

Then, the CEO of Abacus Data joins the program to discuss his new poll that shows Trump is more popular in Canada than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and what it means for Trudeau’s tariff negotiations with the Trump administration.

Plus, with days to go until Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presents her fall economic update, two economists debate the deficit, which fiscal anchors matter the most and what Canada should do about Trump’s concerns on trade.

Finally, the Liberals have tightened rules around the temporary foreign worker program, but why is it so susceptible to abuse? The House does a deep dive into the program to understand the problems and benefits for businesses and workers.

This episode features the voices of: 

• Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy
• David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data
• Armine Yalnizyan, economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers
• Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada
• Catherine Connelly, professor of human resources and management at McMaster University
• Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for interparty unity in the face of Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. But it didn’t take long for the Liberal-Conservative divisions to appear. So is it still realistic to talk about Team Canada? Two Ottawa bureau chiefs weigh in on Canada’s attempt to show a united front against the incoming U.S. president.

Next, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly joins Catherine Cullen to discuss Canada’s new Arctic foreign policy, the crisis in the Middle East and whether there’s a way to stop Trump’s tariff threat before the president-elect takes office in January.

Then, representatives and experts of Canadian universities and colleges explain how the federal government’s dramatic cut in international student visas will affect their institutions, including whether they need to shave programs. Minister of Immigration Marc Miller and Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy also share their thoughts on who’s to blame for the funding crisis facing Canadian post-secondary institutions.

This episode features the voices of:

• Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto Star
• Stuart Thomson, parliamentary bureau chief for the National Post
• Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Meti Basiri, CEO and co-founder of ApplyBoard
• Alan Shepard, president of Western University
• Pari Johnston, president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada
• Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration
• Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario Minister of Finance

First up, Trudeau makes a surprise visit to see Donald Trump the same week the president-elect promised to slam Canada with 25% tariffs on all goods. Then, Canada’s former ambassador to the U.S. discusses whether the threat is real, and what Canada should do about it. 

Next, it’s a building that very few Canadians ever get to go inside. The Immigration Holding Centre in Toronto detains migrants who are either considered a flight risk, a danger to the public, or can’t be identified. The House gets an exclusive tour of this centre to understand the conditions they face and how their fates are determined. 

Also, an immigration lawyer shares his concerns with Canada’s deportation process; and a top Canadian border official discusses Canada’s approach to deportation and whether his agency is prepared for Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States.

This episode features the voices of:

• Alexander Panetta, CBC Washington correspondent
• David MacNaughton, former Canadian ambassador to the United States
• Sajjad Bhatti, acting director of immigration enforcement operations division at the Canada Border Services Agency for the GTA
• Minley Lloyd, acting assistant director of immigration enforcement operations division at the Canada Border Services Agency for the GTA
• Jared Will, immigration and refugee lawyer
• Aaron McCrorie, vice-president of intelligence and enforcement at the Canada Border Services Agency

The Liberals are planning to make Christmas shopping a little less expensive this year — they announced a tax holiday starting mid-December on top of rebate cheques set to roll out in the spring. Who comes out on top from this decision? CBC’s chief political correspondent joins The House to break down the politics behind the move. Then, a former Bank of Canada governor explains the economic consequences of the proposal and whether it will affect Canada’s inflation rate.

Plus, The House travels to Halifax, where international security officials are meeting each other at an important conference, and speaks to a Republican senator about what Donald Trump means for the war in Ukraine and Canada’s border security. A Google executive also comes on the show for an exclusive interview about the risks and rewards of AI development as several countries race to become the dominant power in evolving the technology.

Finally, a Canadian civil servant who was falsely accused of terrorism in the Indian media joins the program with his lawyer to share his story and discuss how foreign governments are working to sow doubt in Canada’s institutions.

This episode features the voices of: 

• Rosemary Barton, CBC’s chief political correspondent
• Stephen Poloz, former Bank of Canada governor
• Jim Risch, Republican senator from Idaho
• Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google
• Sunny Sidhu, a Canadian civil servant
• Jeffrey Kroeker, Sidhu’s lawyer

President-elect Donald Trump is assembling his inner circle and making some cabinet nominations that are sending shockwaves around the world. As officials here prepare for tough talks on trade and border security – what could those picks mean for Canada? Two journalists in Washington and Ottawa to weigh in. Then, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew joins the program to talk U.S. trade, tariffs and the border.

Plus, Palestinian Canadians who are trying to bring family members from Gaza into Canada explain why they’re frustrated – and losing hope – over a special visa program. An immigration and refugee lawyer also details what she sees as the program’s main problems.

Finally, former B.C. premier John Horgan died this week at the age of 65. A former colleague shares memories of his leadership and kindness.

This episode features the voices of: 

• Alex Panetta, CBC Washington
• Rob Russo, Canadian correspondent for The Economist
• Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba
• Omar Omar, Palestinian Canadian
• Ahmed Badah, Palestinian Canadian
• Debbie Rachlis, immigration and refugee lawyer
• Ravi Kahlon, B.C. Minister of Housing

Donald Trump’s decisive election win has Canadian officials wondering what comes next for the two countries. He’s promised mass deportations, a global tariff and an end to the war in Ukraine — all of which have implications for Canada. So what are the next steps? The House hears from a variety of Canadians who could be affected by a second Trump administration. Then, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland joins the program to discuss the federal government’s approach to Trump’s incoming presidency.

Plus, after an election campaign rife with claims that Donald Trump is a fascist and voters expressing concern about the state of American democracy, two authors discuss whether the United States can withstand another Trump presidency and if any instability could have an impact on Canadian politics.

This episode features the voices of: 

• Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister
• Rob Goodman, author of Not Here: Why American Democracy Is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself
• Alasdair Roberts, author of The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century