He shoots, he scores? 

Time flies when you’re facing an existential crisis! Four weeks down and just one left to go in the federal election campaign. In this week’s pod - Vassy looks at whether Trump or change will be the deciding factor for voters plus the must-see moments of the debates and whether anyone ‘won’ the campaign’s only face-off between leaders. 

Vassy Kapelos has what you need to know about week four of the federal election campaign. Make sure to subscribe for new episodes every Friday.

Follow Vassy:

https://www.instagram.com/vassykapelos

https://x.com/vassykapelos

Watch Power Play on CTV:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/video/shows/power-play/ 

Professor Michael W. Higgins, Vatican Affairs Analyst And Author Of ‘The Jesuit Disruptor, a Personal Portrait of Pope’ joins host Vassy Kapelos to reflect on the legacy left behind by Pope Francis after his passing on Easter Monday at age 88. 

On todays show:

• Vassy is joined by Mike Le Couteur, Senior Political Correspondent, CTV National News, Rachel Aiello, CTV National News Correspondent and Abigail Bimman, CTV News Correspondent for the latest from the campaign trail during the final week of the election campaign.
• Vassy Kapelos hosts ‘The Daily Debrief’ political panel discussion with Jason Lietar, President of Enterprise Canada and Scott Reid, CTV News political commentator, and former communications director for Prime Minister Paul Martin.
• Vassy takes your texts and calls on what you think will play out during the final week of the election campaign. 

Free For All Friday - Hour 1

Host Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers.

On today's show:

• How soon could the polls reflect Thursday's performances? We deliver an in-depth recap of the English Debate with Nik Nanos of Nanos Research.
• Quebec could help Canadians get a majority government on April 28th. They could also secure the exact same scenario we entered the election with. CJAD host Elias Makos explains why.
• How do you prep party leaders to perform at their best during a pivotal debate? We dig deeper with Newstalk 1010 host Deb Hutton.
• What is it like to moderate one of these primetime debates? Been there and done that, says Shachi Kurl from the Angus Reid Institute. She reflects on her experience from 2021.

Free For All Friday - Hour 2

Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features Tim Powers from Summa Strategies and public affairs specialist Bob Richardson.

Topic 1: Who won the debate, if anyone won at all? Who lost the most ground on Thursday night? And how soon until we all find out?

Topic 2: The campaign leaders' biggest regrets during election campaigns. Some of their answers might surprise you.

Topic 3: Breaking down every political leader's primary campaign policies.

Topic 4: Is it finally time to part ways with the Debate Commission?

Vassy Kapelos is joined by CTV's Mike Le Couteur, Rachel Aiello, and Abigail Bimman to unpack how the three main party leaders fared at the French debate and what might be coming in the English one.

On today's show:

• Gilles Duceppe, former leader of the Bloc Quebecois, on the significance of the French debate for that party and expectations moving forward
• Talk Science to Me with Dan Riskin
• The Daily Debrief Panel with Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau Chief, The Toronto Star; Laura Stone, Queen's Park reporter, The Globe and Mail
• Carmi Levy, tech journalist and analyst, on the 20th anniversary of YouTube

Tom Mulcair, CTV Political Analyst and Former NDP Leader joins host Vassy Kapelos to discuss how The Green Party had its invitation for tonight's debate rescinded less than 12 hours before the debate is set to start.

On todays show:

• Listen to Vassy's full conversation with Ed Fast, Outgoing Conservative MP who says his party held a “sham” nomination process in his B.C. riding, where he has endorsed an Independent candidate to be his successor.
• Steven Shaw, Interim Chair, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University joins host Vassy Kapelos to answer this weeks 'The Explainer' question from Brian on Instagram. This weeks question was “Why do two year old's have so much attitude, and how do I deal with it?.
• Vassy Kapelos hosts ‘The Daily Debrief’ political panel discussion with Laura D’Angelo, Vice President, National Strategy and Public Affairs, Enterprise Canada, Jeff Rutledge, Vice President, McMillian Vantage and Stephanie Levitz, senior reporter in The Globe and Mail's Ottawa bureau.
• Chris White, President and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council joins host Vassy Kapelos to discuss how he is in China meeting with government officials and industry counterparts following the recent imposition of 25% retaliatory tariffs on Canadian pork.

Barry J. McLoughlin, President, TLC Transformational Leadership Consultants Inc. joins guest host Tim Powers to talk about the importance of debates and how they shape and influence the election.

On todays show:

• Guest host Tim Powers is joined by Rachel Aiello, CTV National News Correspondent, Mike Le Couteur, Senior Political Correspondent, CTV National News and Abigail Bimman, CTV News Correspondent for the latest on the campaign trail.
• Elias Makos, Host of 'The Elias Makos Show' on CJAD 800 joins guest host Tim Powers to discuss the calls to delay the French debate due to the Montreal Canadiens hockey game. 
• Tim Powers guest hosts ‘The Daily Debrief’ political panel discussion with Shakir Chambers, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, and Carlene Variyan, Associate Vice-President of Summa Strategies.
• Blair Beed, Maritimes Historian and Author of 'Titanic Victims in Halifax Graveyards' joins guest host Tim Powers to reflect on the 113th anniversary of Titanic sinking.
  
  

 

Vassy is joined by Rachel Aiello, CTV National News Correspondent, Mike Le Couteur, Senior Political Correspondent, CTV National News and Abigail Bimman, CTV News Correspondent to get the latest from each party on the campaign trail.

On todays show: 

• Vassy is joined by Ali Velshi, MSNBC Chief Correspondent, Jason Kenney, former Conservative cabinet minister and former Premier of Alberta and Amanda Lang, CTV’s Chief Financial Correspondent to discuss where Trumps trade war is headed next. 
• Listen to Vassy's full conversation with Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist and Founder of Nanos Research on the state of the race so far.
• The Daily Debrief Panel with Zain Velji, Tom Mulcair, and Tim Powers. 
• Barbara Barrett, Executive Director Frontier Duty Free Association joins Vassy to discuss the plunge in traffic over the border, how that’s affecting business and the federal governments response. 
   

   

   

   

E03: Size matters.

We are in the mushy middle of the federal election campaign – you’re tired, the candidates are tired, we’re all tired. But despite that, it’s shaping up to be a real race. Liberals still lead public opinion polling but the gap at times this week narrowed, Trump crashed the stock market and kept Canadian tariffs in place – plus, we’re in store for one heck of a leaders debate next week.

Vassy Kapelos has what you need to know about week three of the federal election campaign. Make sure to subscribe for new episodes every Friday.

Follow Vassy:

https://www.instagram.com/vassykapelos

https://x.com/vassykapelos

Watch Power Play on CTV

https://www.ctvnews.ca/video/shows/power-play/ 

Free For All Friday - Hour 1

Host Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers.

On today's show:

• Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, Senior Fellow in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, on the China-US trade war and how Canada might navigate the political tensions
• Chris Lewis, CTV Public Safety Analyst and Former OPP Commissioner, weighs in on the crime and public safety plans from Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney
• Dan Riskin, CTV Science and Technology Specialist, on the resurrection of extinct dire wolves and the nitty gritty of the science behind it
• Camille Katona, Founder of 19/99 Beauty, joins a spotlight on Canadian business

Free For All Friday - Hour 2

Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Matthew Barnes, Principal, Navigator and Deirdra Tindale, Vice President, Crestview Strategies

Topic 1: China raises tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% as trade war deepens: managing tariffs is still impossible with these changes. How does Canada / the next prime minister manage this relationship? Do you move toward China or the US if this continues long term?

Topic 2: Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney spar over guns, reveal duelling agendas to curb crime: going deep on policy — what do you make of these approaches? Can the three-strike policy get anywhere here? (also, broadly, how's halfway of the campaign looking)

Topic 3: Whether a Liberal win threatens national unity depends on Albertans, Danielle Smith says PLUS Carney’s Surge in Quebec Could Wipe the Sovereigntist Party Off the Map: are we forever nationally going to be in a push-pull between separatism in one part of the country or another, or can there be a unity built here?

Topic 4: 'We can't even leave our house': Waterloo students terrorized by 'angry' nesting Canada geese: have you ever had a similar situation like this or heard an anecdote?

Topic 5: ‘It has everything you need,’ Mike Myers’ Canadian Tire shirt on SNL sparks praise for the retail chain: how do you feel about Canadian Tire? Any pride in the gesture from Mike Myers? Do you love this or any other Canadian store?

Vassy Kapelos is joined by CTV US Political Analyst Eric Ham to unpack the 90-day temporary pause on reciprocal tariffs for everyone but China and what the political ramifications of that might be moving forward.

On today's show:

• CTV's Abigail Bimman, Rachel Aiello, and Mike Le Couteur provide updates from the campaign trails with the three main parties
• Talk Science to Me with Dan Riskin
• The Daily Debrief Panel with Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau Chief, The Toronto Star; Laura Stone, Queen's Park reporter, The Globe and Mail
• Marcus Maloney, Assistant Professor in the Research Centre in Postdigital Cultures, Coventry University in Coventry, UK, weighing in on the impact of the new series Adolescence and the reaction from parents about teen boys' use of social media and socialization issues