There are a couple of big names suddenly emerging in federal politics in British Columbia with a federal election next year.  The Province newspaper's Michael Smyth is here with his take on the day's headlines.

The financial dumpster fire continues to burn at ICBC and the company must request an annual rate increase by the end of the calendar year.  With ICBC still losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year, drivers should brace themselves for a hit to the wallet. The Province newspaper's Michael Smyth is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Who is Meng Wanzhou? Court documents show the Huawei Chief Financial Officer owns two multimillion dollar homes in Shaughnessy and Dunbar, and she has wide ranging links to Canada and Vancouver. Her story is all too familiar for South China Morning Post Vancouver correspondent Ian Young, who joins the show this morning.

In a joint opinion piece with Richard Fadden for the Globe and Mail, Dr Crowley argues that Canada must protect its national interest first, ahead of any potential diplomatic brouhaha with China in the wake of the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.  Managing Director of the Macdonald Laurier Institute Dr Brian Lee Crowley joins the show to share his opinion on the arrest and its impact on trade with China.

Vancouver City Council has flagged a possible property tax hike of almost 5% for 2019! If it’s approved at tomorrow’s budget council meeting, it would mean median strata owners would be hit with $41 in fees next year. Is this fair, given that some Vancouver city council members capped rental increases at 4.5% but will okay an almost 5% rate hike?!  Vancouver based architect, real estate consultant Michael Geller breaks down what the tax could mean for the city.

The NDP were hoping that Plecas would just zip his lips and say nothing about the RCMP investigation of Clerk Craig James and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz. Instead, Plecas delivered yet more shocking statements. The Province newspaper's Michael Smyth is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Global News has obtained freedom of information documents, revealing  Canadian representatives spent months working diplomatic back channels over Saudi Arabia’s arrest of civil rights and women’s rights activists. But, it was the arrest of activist Samar Badawi that specifically prompted the Canadian embassy in Riyadh to recommend the government tweet out its concern, triggering a diplomatic dust-up between Canada and Saudi Arabia earlier this year.  Global News Political Reporter Amanda Connolly runs down what the FOI documents revealed.

There was more drama and intrigue at the legislature yesterday, with embattled speaker Daryl Plecas threatening to resign, if the outcome of an audit he’s recommending doesn’t trigger public outrage. Lashing out at  MLA’s and going head to head with the media, Plecas delivered a fiery and somewhat angry message. Global News Online Legislative Reporter Richard Zussman talks us through what exactly happened at the meeting.

The latest employment figures have been released this morning by Statistics Canada. In BC, the employment rate went up from 4.1 in October, to 4.4% in November.  What is causing this uptick in the numbers? Employment Minister Bruce Ralston joins the show.

Last night, Minister Sajjan hosted his American counterpart, James Mattis in Ottawa, to discuss where we’re at the fight against Islamic State as part of the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS. The meeting follows up previous discussions which took place in Brussels in June.  Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan joins Jon to talk about his conversation with his American counterpart.

The Speaker of the House goes off in an unprecedented meeting with TV cameras rolling. The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

As we get closer to the end of the year, it’s good time to look back on the stories that shaped Canada in 2018. And arguably the biggest story of the year was the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash. Today marks eight months since the crash so let’s take this opportunity to remember the story that changed Canada.

Is it time to streamline the way ICBC deals with brokers? Analysis by Global news has found the government could make $100m in savings per year by moving basic insurance online. Right now, ICBC is forking out $434m in commissions to brokers annually. With the flaming “dumpster fire” spreading at ICBC, can’t savings be made through brokers?   Insurance Brokers Association of BC Executive Director Chuck Byrne thinks there is still a big need for brokers when it comes to making sure drivers understand the insurance they are buying.

If magic mushrooms were proven to help people who suffer from mental health problems, would you vote yes to that drug being legalized? That’s the question that voters in Oregon will likely face at the polls in 2020. Earlier this week, Oregon‘s secretary of state approved a ballot initiative that aims to make it legal for licensed therapists to grow psilocybin mushrooms and administer them to patients.

Chief Financial Officer for Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, Wanzhou Meng has been arrested in Vancouver, and faces extradition to the United States. The Globe and Mail is reporting Meng is wanted in the US for violating trade sanctions in Iran. Huawei is demanding the release of Weng.

It’s all about a clean BC.  At least that is the plan as the government wants to shift away from fossil fuels and into clean electricity over the next 25 years.  The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

A new report penned by Dalhousie University and University of Guelph and released yesterday, has found the average Canadian family will pay $411 more for groceries in 2019, with food prices rising up to 3.5%.  The Food Professor”, and Dalhousie University Project lead Sylvain Charlebois joins the show to tell us why fruits and vegetables will cost more while meat could cost a little less.

The head of Canada’s intelligence service warned business leaders Tuesday that foreign states are using a variety of clandestine methods to steal their secrets, putting the economy at risk.  Assistant Professor of international studies at Carleton University Stephanie Carvin (also a former security analyst) helps us understand the ways Canada is at risk of losing out when dealing with other countries.

Global News analysis has found ICBC is forking out almost half a billion dollars in commission fees to brokers each year. With the insurer losing a billion dollars annually (projected to lose $900m this year), is it time to revamp the way brokers are paid and, at the very least, move the system online?  To bring us up to date on the latest, Global Online Reporter Richard Zussman joins the show.

This is Making Cents of the Markets with Senior Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Mgr at Raymond James Lori Pinkowski.  As always if you have any questions you can contact her team directly at 604-915-LORI or visit pinkowski.ca.