The West Block

Canada has been making global headlines with back-to-back international incidents. Parliament cheered for a man who fought for the Nazis while Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ottawa and India-Canada relations are strained in light of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging New Delhi is linked to the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks with David Frum, staff writer at The Atlantic, and Justin Ling, freelance investigative journalist, about Canada's response. Plus, Stephenson speaks with Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith, and Michael Levitt, former Liberal MP and president and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, about their calls for the federal government to release decades-long sealed Nazi documents to the public.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ignited a diplomatic firestorm with India when he announced that Canada had credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of Canadian citizen and Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has called Trudeau’s allegations “absurd” and accused Canada of being "a safe haven for terrorists". ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks to Arif Lalani, former Canadian diplomat and a Distinguished Fellow with the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Vina Nadjibulla, Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia. Plus, Stephenson speaks with Defence Minister Bill Blair about how the diplomatic rift is affecting the government’s Indo-Pacific strategy and Canada's ongoing commitment to Ukraine.

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In a candid conversation on the season premiere of ‘The West Block’ London’s mayor Josh Morgan tells host Mercedes Stephenson that all levels of government need to get around the same table and cooperate because “blaming one level of government or another does not get more units in the ground quicker.” Stephenson also speaks with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek who says the housing crisis is only getting worse as more people move to her city: “It's really sort of the perfect storm. We started to see people in positions of vulnerability when it came to housing, especially glaringly during COVID. And since then we've been taking in a lot more people, over 60 individuals a day. If you break down the math and we just can't keep pace.” Stephenson also speaks to the "Inside Politics Panel", The Globe and Mail's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife and The Toronto Star's Stephanie Levitz, about what's at stake for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as the House returns for a new session.

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A Canadian intelligence agency is sounding the alarm that Russia may be stepping up its cyberattacks against Canada for supporting Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion. A new threat assessment says Russia-aligned hackers’ next goal could be compromising Canada’s oil and gas sector. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sat down for an exclusive interview with Sami Khoury, head of the CSE's Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, to discuss how cyber attacks affect Canadians. Plus, Stephenson speaks with Lisa Raitt, former Conservative cabinet minister and vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC, and Naheed Nenshi, former Calgary mayor, about the highs and lows of the parliamentary session and what political leaders will be prioritizing during the summer break.

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After nearly 11 years in federal politics, former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole gave his final speech to Parliament. 'The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sat down with O’Toole to discuss political polarization, defence spending and the government’s handling of foreign interference. Plus, with the summer recess fast approaching, the Liberals are on the defensive after a number of political missteps. Stephenson sat down with The Globe and Mail Ottawa bureau chief Bob Fife and Stephanie Levitz from The Toronto Star to discuss whether the Liberals can regain Canadians’ trust or if the controversies are starting to stick to the government.

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Special rapporteur David Johnston resigned late last week from his role investigating foreign interference, citing a “partisan atmosphere” around his appointment. "The West Block" host Mercedes Stephenson speaks to Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc about the government's next moves and whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will call a public inquiry. Plus, Canada is facing its worst wildfire season on record. So far this year, there have been almost 2,400 fires, and more than 400 are still active. Hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers have been deployed to help, at a time when the military is already feeling the strain from limited resources and personnel shortages. Stephenson speaks to Defence Minister Anita Anand about the role of the CAF during disasters like this wildfire season and some of the other major challenges facing the military.

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A Chinese warship came within 150 yards of colliding with American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon during a joint Canada-U.S. mission sailing through the Taiwan Strait. The close call was captured on video exclusively by Global News onboard HMCS Montreal. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks to retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman, former commander of the Royal Canadian Navy about the incident and the implications. Plus, opposition leaders are calling for special rapporteur David Johnston to resign after he ruled out holding a public inquiry into foreign interference. Mercedes Stephenson sits down with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who learned she was targeted by China, to discuss the NDP’s next move and the consequences of government inaction. 

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Rachel Notley ended decades of Conservative rule when she was elected Alberta premier in 2015. She lost the last election to Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party. Now she’s locked in a tight battle with UCP Leader Danielle Smith. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sits down with Notley in Calgary to talk about her campaign platform, including how she would work with the federal government if elected. Plus, UCP Leader Danielle Smith is no stranger to controversy, including during this election campaign, but Smith says she’s changed and learned from her past mistakes. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sits down with two Calgary conservatives, Conservative MP Ron Liepert and a former UCP communications director and now Crestview senior strategist, Evan Menzies, to talk about Smith’s leadership and whether she can unite moderate conservatives ahead of Monday’s election. 

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Police chiefs across the country are sounding the alarm over a recent rise in violent crime. Ten police officers in Canada have been killed since September, and violent attacks on public transit have many Canadians concerned about safety in their communities. After pressure from the provinces and police, the federal government introduced changes to bail aimed at cracking down on repeat violent offenders. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks to Justice Minister David Lametti about the bail reform changes. Plus, ahead of special rapporteur David Johnston’s long-awaited announcement over whether Canada will have a public inquiry into foreign interference, Stephenson speaks with The Globe and Mail Ottawa bureau chief Bob Fife and Stephanie Levitz from The Toronto Star, about what the foreign interference controversy means for the parties moving forward – whether or not an inquiry is called.

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Amid pressing global security concerns, experts are sounding the alarm over how prepared Canada is to deal with modern-day threats. They say the federal government’s reactive response to recent foreign interference allegations points to the urgent need to update Canada’s national security strategy. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sits down with Vincent Rigby, former national security advisor, and Ward Elcock, former CSIS director, to discuss whether it’s time to rethink our approach to national security. Plus, Stephenson speaks with former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, pollster Janet Brown from Janet Brown Opinion Research and former Conservative cabinet minister Monte Solberg about how the Alberta wildfires will impact the campaign trail for UCP Leader Danielle Smith and NDP Leader Rachel Notley.

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