The Rundown

Binding arbitration imposed by the federal government has been used with increasing frequency to resolve labour disputes in Canada, including most recently with railway and port workers. But does forcing an agreement on employers and workers lead to the best outcomes? A look at how labour and companies fare when the government steps into contract disputes, and why binding arbitration is probably not in store for Canada Post.

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Canada and its First Nations have made progress in lifting long-term drinking water advisories since 2015, when the federal government allocated billions to the task. But challenges remain at 20 First Nations communities in Ontario, which has the most number of active advisories of any province. Why have some places struggled to get those advisories rescinded whereas other communities have brand new treatment facilities and the trained staff to run them?

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The Agenda's Week in Review looks at Doug Ford's interest in all things Toronto, why permanent residents are leaving Canada, what Donald Trump's second term might mean for the Middle East, and an interview with philosopher Mark Kingwell about his book "Question Authority".

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Question authority. Think for yourself. We've all heard these slogans before. But what happens when they go too far? What happens when they slide into a distrust of everything – from science to media to government? In his new book, "Question Authority: A polemic about trust in five meditations", author Mark Kingwell offers his answer and a roadmap to getting trust back. He's also a professor of Philosophy at the U of T.

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Donald Trump's return to the White House coincides with a war raging on multiple fronts in the Middle East, with Israel battling Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, not to mention ongoing tensions with Iran. Will his new administration be able to bring both conflicts to an end? Host Steve Paikin asks: Einat Wilf (Former member of the Israeli parliament); Khaled Elgindy (Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute); Ahmed Alkhatib (Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council), and Jon Allen (Former Canadian Ambassador to Israel).

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In 2020, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emerged as a powerful voice for change in Belarus when she ran against President Alexander Lukashenko who has led the country since 1994 with what some call "an iron hand." The controversial results led to the largest protests in the country's history and pressure on Tsikhanouskaya to leave Belarus. As her country continues to face political turmoil and international condemnation for siding with Russian in its war on Ukraine, she tells host Steve Paikin that the fight for democracy remains at the forefront of mind.

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How does the telling of Canadian history change when we add Indigenous perspectives? Whose voices have been excluded from our understanding of this country's narrative? Jody Wilson-Raybould presents a more complete version of events in a new book she's co-authored with Roshan Danesh, called "Reconciling History: A Story of Canada."

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"Don't be silly! Girls can't fly." That's the message seven-year-old Lola Reid Allin heard from her father. More than 60 years later, she shares the highs and lows of her flying career, societal expectations of women of the time and how she's hoping to inspire the next generation of young women. She takes Jeyan Jeganathan up above the clouds to talk about her memoir, "Highway to the Sky: An Aviator's Journey."

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Is the dream of Canadian citizenship still worth pursuing? While carrying a passport and voting in elections might have once been the goal for many permanent residents who call Canada home, a new report from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship finds that the number of permanent residents leaving Canada is on the rise. What is sparking this migration? Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the ICC, joins Steve Paikin to discuss this and more.

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There was a time in Ontario when the provincial government focused on the really big issues: clean air and water, inter-city rail service, provincial parks, good education policy, effective hospital care. Not anymore. Doug Ford's government is different. Exhibit A: deciding where the capital city can and cannot put bike lanes. What's going on here? Why is it starting to feel like Toronto vs. Ontario? Former Toronto mayor and longtime community activist John Sewell; Amanda Galbraith, Co-Founder & Partner of the Oyster Group; and Laura Stone from the Globe and Mail join Steve Paikin to discuss.

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