The House

Queen’s Park bureau chief for the Toronto Star Rob Benzie breaks down what we know about Toronto Mayor John Tory’s resignation late Friday. Superior Court Chief Justice Marie-Anne Paquette describes the struggles facing the court system in Quebec. Journalists Tonda MacCharles and Aaron Derfel reflect on this week’s major health-care news. Former top spy Dick Fadden discusses the Chinese balloon shot down by the U.S., and Liberal MP Michael Coteau describes the priorities of the Parliamentary Black Caucus ahead of a spring federal budget.

MPs, gun control advocates and a gun range owner weigh in on a dramatic shift in the Liberals’ gun control policy, before Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino sits down to talk about what might come next. B.C. Premier David Eby describes what he’d like to see in major health care negotiations starting next week. Plus — The House takes an in-depth look at why Canada is showing renewed interest in the final frontier.

Former MPs Scott Simms, Lisa Raitt and Peggy Nash discuss the Liberals’ pending decision on the Rogers-Shaw merger and growing government consulting costs. Defence and intelligence experts weigh in on the Russian mercenary Wagner Group. Opposing lawyers Paul Champ and James Manson each give their side of the case in the developing convoy protest class-action. Plus — former clerk of the privy council Alex Himelfarb discusses an attempt to quantify the costs of misinformation.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc discusses the debate over increasing privatization in health care, then journalists André Picard and Rob Benzie weigh in. An Afghan MP discusses the threat to her life. Plus — two experts talk about the fight against Russian disinformation in Canada and abroad.

Canada’s ambassador to the UN Bob Rae discusses the situation in Haiti and what sort of role this country might play. The House hears from a Nova Scotian whose mother-in-law died after a lengthy ER wait, and two experts weigh in on how to get more family doctors into the health-care system. Plus — journalists Shannon Proudfoot and Paul Wells analyze what former finance minister Bill Morneau’s book says about the prime minister’s approach to governing.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra discusses significant delays and cancellations of planes and trains over the holidays, and The House hears from those fighting for accountability for Flight PS752. Plus — Ambassador Kirsten Hillman talks about the effect of a new U.S. Congress on Canada-U.S. relations, and political strategists Dennis Matthews and Dan Arnold analyze the impact of Pierre Poilievre’s “everything feels broken” slogan.

The Emergencies Act inquiry saw dozens of witnesses testify over six weeks — from protesters and the people affected, to police and politicians — all giving their side of how the self-styled Freedom Convoy came to take hold and why the government ultimately used the Act’s extraordinary powers to dislodge them. The CBC’s Janyce McGregor followed every day of the inquiry and on this special edition of The House, walks through the moments that mattered most.

It was a busy year in Canadian politics — but how much of it do you actually remember? Listen along and test your political smarts as host Catherine Cullen quizzes three political journalists on some of the most important political twists and turns of 2022.

The House travels to Montreal to talk with experts and decision makers at the COP15 biodiversity conference, including Kenyan coral reef scientist David Obura, former top COP negotiator Tim Hodges, academic and Amazon activist Alicia Guzmán León, Indigenous biodiversity expert Tyson Atleo and Canada’s Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Germany representative Jochen Flasbarth.

Chief Kyra Wilson of Long Plain First Nation talks about her efforts to push forward a search for the remains of missing women in Winnipeg. The House speaks to the owner of a gun range in Calgary about his concerns over government firearms laws, then Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed defends his party’s efforts. Plus — an in-depth conversation with U.S. Ambassador David Cohen about Canada’s approach to China and his first year in Ottawa.