The House

If you thought you’d heard the end of convoy politics, think again. The federal government’s argument that it was justified in using the Emergencies Act to dispel the convoy protests in early 2022 was dealt a blow this week. We speak with the former attorney general who helped invoke the act — and find out why he’s now leaving politics.

Then, two journalists dissect the politics of Tucker Carlson’s controversial tour of Alberta, where he sat down with Premier Danielle Smith.

We’ll also take a look at the government’s decision to cap study permits for international students — and the waves that will make in both the education community and provincial economies.

Plus — Ed Broadbent’s death has sparked some reflection over the NDP’s past, present and future. Two party strategists sit down to discuss where the party goes from here.

This episode features the voices of:

- David Lametti, Liberal MP and former minister of justice

- The CBC’s Jason Markusoff

- Shannon Proudfoot, Globe and Mail

- Alain Roy, vice-president, Colleges and Institutes of Canada

- Theo Argitis, Compass Rose Group

- Mike McKinnon, senior consultant, Enterprise Canada

- Melanie Richer, senior consultant, Earnscliffe Strategies

Canada’s relationship with China has been tense for years. Can it be salvaged? And while diplomats are hard at work on that question, another major challenge looms: a potential second Trump term. The House tackles both those issues this week.

Then, freezing cold temperatures have sparked a renewed conversation on how Canada will keep the lights on in the future. We take an in-depth look at what role nuclear energy might play.

Plus — Canada’s political conversation is squarely focused on immigration and housing. Two journalists break down the political implications of this week’s developments.

This episode features:

- Jennifer May, Canada’s ambassador to China

- Rob Goodman, political science professor and author

- Laura Dawson, Executive Director, Future Borders Coalition

- The CBC’s Emma Godmere

- Stephanie Levitz, Toronto Star

- Laura Osman, The Canadian Press

A lot of questions surround the new special immigration program for some people stuck in Gaza: Why is Canada demanding such personal details? And can Canada actually get anyone out of the warzone, even if they’re approved to come here? The House will ask the immigration minister for answers. Plus, we’ll also dive deep into the issue of delays around family reunification programs.

Small businesses are anxiously facing a deadline to repay some pandemic-era loans — and some are wishing that the federal government will show more compassion. Two business owners — and then the minister responsible — sit down to discuss.

Finally, a bid by Florida to start bulk imports of Canadian prescription drugs has been described as a “raid” on this country’s drug supply. We’ll investigate how serious the threat is and what might happen next.

This episode includes the voices of:

- Marc Miller, federal immigration minister

- Angela O’Brien and Sara Anne Mailhot, small business owners

- The CBC’s Craig Desson

- Rechie Valdez, federal minister of small business

- Larry Levitt, health policy expert

This week, The House brings you the most compelling interviews from this fall’s coverage of the toxic drug crisis: from recovering drug users, to mothers who’ve lost children to opioid overdoses, to law enforcement trying to keep up as politicians struggle for solutions.

Parliament can be confusing. Here to help is The House’s guided tour of Parliament, where you’ll hear politicians of all stripes answering some questions about how the place actually works.

Five Carleton political science students joined host Catherine Cullen to wander the halls and learn about everything from Question Period to committees, from the people who live in that world every day.

As another very busy and consequential year in Canadian politics wraps up, test how much you remember with our year-end quiz. This year, host Catherine Cullen will gather a crack team of political wonks to see how they fare. Murad Hemmadi of The Logic is back to defend his title of champion from last year, but he faces stiff competition from Shannon Proudfoot of The Globe and Mail and the National Post’s Christopher Nardi.

After weeks of debate and political fighting, Canada has made a major vote in favour of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The House digs into Canada’s position on the Israel-Hamas war, as well as the situation in Ukraine, in an interview with Defence Minister Bill Blair.

We’ll also hear from a CBC reporter who had the chance to sit down with the head of Canada’s spy agency, which has had a challenging year.

Plus — the issue of a complex and concerning scam that has seen homeowners pay out thousands of dollars over the years, and is now getting some attention from the Ontario government.

Two Hill journalists will also talk about the fracas over House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus and the question of whether he should resign — and what it all means about the state of politics right now.

Finally, The House will take a look at the issue of rising food bank usage and the question of whether government aid can solve the problem.

This episode features interview with:

- Bill Blair, minister of defence

- Catharine Tunney, CBC senior reporter

- Todd McCarthy, Ontario minister of public and business service delivery

- Tom Rakocevic, Ontario NDP consumer protection critic

- Dennis Crawford, lawyer

- Rob Russo, journalist, The Economist

- Susan Delacourt, journalist, Toronto Star

- Dianne Mcleod, executive director, Cambridge Food Bank

- Marjorie Bencz, executive director, Edmonton Gleaners Association Food Bank

The federal government hopes it will put Canada on track to meeting its climate targets. Some provinces say it’s needlessly harmful. The House digs into Canada’s new proposed oil and gas emissions cap to find out what government, environmentalists and industry have to say.

Then, we’ll analyze the Poilievre housing video that has re-energized the national conversation around housing — two experts on political communication will weigh in.

And finally, the author of two books on the toxic drug crisis in the United States will join the program to talk about what’s going on south of the border, and what Canada can learn from the U.S.

This episode features interviews with:

- Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of energy and natural resources

- Dale Beugin, executive vice president, Canadian Climate Institute

- Tristan Goodman, president and CEO of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada

- Dave Sommer, vice president, Enterprise Canada

- Melanie Paradis, president, Texture Communications

- Beth Macy, author, Dopesick and Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis

It’s rarely an easy ride with the Alberta-Ottawa relationship, and this rollercoaster week was no different. Starting with Alberta playing the sovereignty act card for the first time, then hugging it out over a big announcement … it may result soon in more fireworks over the emissions cap. The House breaks down what it all means for the federation.

Then, a man who once advised former prime minister Stephen Harper on his approach to criminal justice talks about his about-face on the toxic drug crisis.

Plus, the former head of this country’s spy agency breaks down the significance of a U.S. indictment alleging India is linked to multiple assassination plots — including three targets in Canada.

This episode features interviews with:

- Randy Boissonnault, Employment minister and Liberal MP

- Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star Ottawa bureau chief

- Stuart Thomson, National Post Ottawa bureau chief

- Benjamin Perrin, author and former Conservative adviser

- Alex Panetta, CBC Washington correspondent

- Dick Fadden, former head of CSIS

We don’t have to tell you that Canada is still mired in a housing affordability crisis. But will newly announced government measures make a dent? The House hears from someone trying to make affordable housing work in Ontario, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow weighs in on what she wants to see from the feds.

The fiscal update this week also gave us a look at the state of Canada’s books, and the ballooning deficit. Two people who know the issue inside and out talk about what the new number means.

The House also travels to the U.S. border to find out how the CBSA is fighting back against the importation of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals — with the help of some canine companions.

This episode features interviews with:

- Bruce Davis, development consultant

- Olivia Chow, mayor of Toronto

- Lenny Zhou, Vancouver city councillor

- Robert Asselin, economist, Business Council of Canada

- Kevin Page, economist, Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy

- Mark Patterson, CBSA dog handler and his partner Loki

- Aaron McCrorie, VP of Intelligence and Enforcement, CBSA