On this week’s show: U.S. Ambassador David Cohen kicks off a special episode on the Canada-U.S. relationship. Canadian senator Peter Boehm and the governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, discuss the state of democracy in both countries. Plus — Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland gives her take on the bilateral relationship and NORAD commander Gen. Glen VanHerck talks about efforts to modernize the continental air defence force.

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Making sense of the political decisions that affect your life. Every Saturday, host Catherine Cullen takes you to Parliament Hill — and across Canada — for in-depth coverage and analysis of the week’s major political news.

News

Politics

They’re working late, because they want your attention. The Liberals and Conservatives are locked in a political battle for the attention and support of Canada’s youth, with the government looking to win back support of a key demographic that helped launch them to power in 2015. The House digs into the issue, hearing from some MPs trying to shakeup their communication style, and some strategists on whether it will work. 
 First, though, the federal minister for international development sits down with host Catherine Cullen to talk about the government’s position on Palestinian statehood and the status of Canadian aid in Gaza. 
 Also — we’ll speak with the head of a government think tank that put out a report listing dozens of potential crises that could change life as we know it. 
 And then, we’ll hear about a Supreme Court case that could have implications for the way that third party groups — non-political parties — are able to advertise in future elections. 
 Finally: The head of an organization who supports victims of domestic abuse discusses the concept of coercive control, and Canadian legislators’ efforts to fight it. 
 This episode features the voices of:  
Ahmed Hussen, minister of international development Kristel Van der Elst, director general, Policy Horizons CanadaRandy Boissonnault, federal employment ministerJulie Dzerowicz, Liberal MPDan Arnold, chief strategy officer, Pollara Strategic InsightsDennis Matthews, president, Creative CurrencyDanica Nelson, personal finance influencerThe CBC’s Christian Paas-LangAndrea Silverstone, CEO, Sagesse

Politicians search for a fountain of youth votes

Canada’s spies have been busy this year. There have been accusations of foreign interference, industrial espionage — and of course the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil. And don’t forget a few looming issues, like whether Canadians can trust TikTok with their data. David Vigneault, the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, sits down in a rare interview to talk through it all. 
 Then, CBC has found itself in the news a few times this year, amid declining revenues, job losses and a pledge by the Conservatives to defund at least part of the Crown corporation. Host Catherine Cullen talks with CBC head Catherine Tait about the president and CEO’s plans to shepherd the public broadcaster through a turbulent time in the media world. 
 Plus — two journalists talk about their new books chronicling the prime minister. 
 This episode features the voices of: 
David Vigneault, director of CSISCatherine Tait, president and CEO of the CBCPaul Wells, journalist and author Stephen Maher, journalist and author

Spy chief warns Canadians of TikTok risks

Conservatives this week hammered the government on drug decriminalization, but Liberals countered with another hot-button issue: abortion. The House digs into both of those issues, hearing from an addictions doctor about what the heated political rhetoric means for people on the ground, and then weighing whether the Liberals’ claims on reproductive rights have any substance. 
 Then, we’ll sit down with Canada’s top diplomat in Moscow for her first interview since taking on that role. She says Canada-Russia relations might never have been worse — we ask what it’s like dealing with Putin’s regime. 
 Plus, Canada Post is losing money — a lot of it. Two experts sit down to talk through the options for saving, selling or changing the postal service. 
 This episode features the voices of:  
Dr. Vincent Lam, addictions doctor and authorShachi Kurl, president, Angus Reid InstituteSarah Taylor, ambassador to RussiaIan Lee, associate professor, Carleton University Marvin Ryder, associate professor, McMaster University

Abortion, drug decriminalization dominate the political discussion

A dramatic development in a shocking case: police on Friday arrested three men in connection with the killing of the pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. We’ll break down what led to the arrest and what we know so far. The public safety minister also joins the program to discuss the situation, as well as the foreign interference inquiry’s first report. 
 Then, two of Ottawa’s keenest Hill-watchers break down a wild week in the House of Commons, which featured more than its fair share of theatrics. 
 Politicians were fighting over B.C. drug decriminalization policy, which the province is looking to partially roll back. The co-founder of an anti-overdose advocacy group, and a Richmond, B.C. city councillor, both discuss that proposal. 
 Finally, Pierre Poilievre suggested this week that he’d use the notwithstanding clause to pass some criminal justice reforms if he’s elected prime minister. The House takes an in-depth look at what that could mean. 
 This episode features the voices of:  
The CBC’s Evan DyerPublic Safety Minister Dominic LeBlancShannon Proudfoot, Globe and MailChristopher Nardi, The National Post Leslie McBain, co-founder, Moms Stop the HarmAlexa Loo, city councillor, RichmondSujit Choudhry, constitutional lawyer, Haki ChambersLindsay Board, partner, Daniel Brown Law Geoffrey Sigalet, associate professor, UBC Okanagan

Alleged hit squad arrested, and chaos in the House

There’s a lot of garbage talk happening in the nation’s capital, as representatives from 176 countries try to hammer out a global deal on plastic pollution — one of the planet’s most significant and growing environmental issues. We speak with some of the participants at the conference — from officials, to advocates, to industry members — about the stakes of the negotiations and the odds of success. 
 But first: The federal government, Ontario government and Honda came to a major agreement this week that will see billions of dollars worth of investment poured into new EV manufacturing facilities in this country. The minister responsible talks about why it’s worth taxpayer dollars, then Honda’s head in Canada discusses the road ahead for electric vehicles — and the jobs that come with them. 
 This episode features the voices of:  
Industry Minister François-Philippe ChampagneJean Marc Leclerc, president and CEO, Honda CanadaRufino Varea, Scientist Coalition for an Effective Plastic TreatyMarian Ledesma, Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk, president of Inuit Circumpolar Council CanadaAllen Langdon, CEO, Circular MaterialsEli Browne, director of corporate sustainability, Sobeys; Inger Andersen, head of the UN Environment Programme

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