The West Block

Another explosive revelation regarding China’s alleged interference in Canada erupted last week. Conservative MP Michael Chong was informed he and his family were allegedly targeted by a Chinese diplomat in Toronto, and he says the federal government failed to act. ‘The West Block’ guest host Eric Sorensen sits down with Michael Chong to discuss how this situation has affected him personally, and where the government should go from here. Plus, Sorensen speaks with Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, about how he plans to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine.

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A rise in violent crime, including attacks on public transit, has many Canadians concerned about safety in their communities. Pair that with debates over gun control, bail reform and worries about human trafficking, and there is a lot to talk about with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. Following a recent pledge to do more to combat cross-border crime alongside the U.S. attorney general and secretary of homeland security, Mercedes Stephenson sits down with Mendicino to talk about what the federal government is doing now to help keep Canadians safer. Plus, Stephenson speaks with David Frum, political commentator and staff writer at The Atlantic, about what to keep an eye on as the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign gets underway.

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With more than 100,000 federal workers are on strike across the country, Canadians are facing major disruptions to accessing services on everything from tax returns to passports. ‘The West Block’ guest host Eric Sorensen speaks with Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould about the impact of the strike. Plus, new information from the Pentagon highly-classified intelligence leak is raising concerns about Canada’s military spending. The Washington Post reports that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told NATO officials privately that Canada will “never meet” NATO’s defence spending target of two per cent of GDP. The latest report comes just days after an open letter from former top defence and national security officials urged the government to take this issue more seriously. Sorensen speaks with Retired Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, former Canadian army commander, and Retired Gen. Raymond Henault, former chief of the defence staff, about what’s at stake for Canada if we don’t address military shortfalls.

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Katie Telford, the prime minister’s chief of staff, faced a barrage of questions last week from opposition MPs on what she knew about Chinese interference in the last two federal elections. But what questions remain unanswered? ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks with Dick Fadden, former CSIS director and national security advisor to the prime minister, and James Moore, former Conservative cabinet minister. Plus, Stephenson speaks with Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, on the massive leak of U.S. intelligence documents and what it could mean for the war in Ukraine.

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Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing 34 felony charges related to hush-money payments allegedly made during his 2016 election and allegations of falsifying business records. Regardless of how the case plays out, America is in uncharted political territory. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks with Rick Wilson, co-founder of The Lincoln Project, and Sean Spicer, former White House press secretary, about what this means for the future of U.S. politics, and the Republican Party, ahead of the 2024 election. Plus, Stephenson talks with Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian astronaut serving on NASA’s lunar mission Artemis II, about the future of deep space exploration.

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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's reputation and morale have seemingly taken hit after hit in recent years. The recent blistering report issued over the Mounties’ performance in the worst mass shooting in Canadian history, where a gunman executed 22 innocent people in Nova Scotia, hasn't helped. The report found the RCMP failed in almost every way. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson spoke with Mike Duheme, the interim RCMP commissioner, about what the force is doing to live up to its claim that it will do better. Plus, Stephenson talks with Armine Yalnizyan, economist and Atkinson fellow on the future of workers, and Craig Alexander, former chief economist at Deloitte and TD Bank, about whether the Rogers-Shaw corporate merger will really mean lower bills for Canadians.

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U.S. President Joe Biden wrapped up his visit to Ottawa with a strong pitch for creating even closer ties between Canada and the United States. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks to David Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada, to find out what that future looks like in real terms. As allegations of Chinese election interference continue to dominate headlines, many in the Chinese Canadian community say this has been a problem they have warned about for years. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks with Cheuk Kwan, co-chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, and Joanna Chiu, reporter for The Toronto Star and author of ‘China Unbound’ about just how pervasive China’s meddling is in Canada.

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'The West Block' host Mercedes Stephenson speaks to Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, about the key priorities for the White House as US President Joe Biden begins his first official visit to Ottawa this week. As concern of a global banking crisis grows, Stephenson speaks to Kevin Page, President and CEO of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy and Lisa Raitt, Vice-Chair, Global Investment Banking, CIBC about the financial turmoil and the economic climate ahead of the upcoming federal budget.

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Opposition parties are urging the federal government to call a public inquiry into foreign interference in light of a series of reports about China meddling in Canada’s democracy. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he won’t commit to an inquiry until a special rapporteur evaluates the situation. With new interference allegations arising seemingly every week, ‘The West Block’ guest host Eric Sorensen sat down with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to discuss what the government’s path forward may look like. Plus, Sorensen speaks with Andrew Wallace, an Australian MP who is the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, about what Canada could learn from down under to fight foreign interference.

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Canadians are calling for immediate action as concerns around alleged meddling in Canadian elections grow. The NDP and Conservatives say a public inquiry is needed to restore faith in our democracy, but former top public servants say there are other methods worth considering. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sat down with former privy council clerk Michael Wernick and former Communications Security Establishment assistant deputy minister Artur Wilczynski to discuss what the government can do now to combat foreign interference. Plus, Stephenson speaks with The Globe and Mail's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife and Stephanie Levitz from the Toronto Star to analyze how foreign interference may shake out for each of the parties when Parliament resumes.

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