The House

It ended with a shocking cabinet resignation — but 2024 was packed with plenty more political ups and downs. How many headlines do you remember? Listen along and test your smarts as host Catherine Cullen quizzes three keen Parliament Hill watchers who battle it out in The House's annual showdown, featuring Brian Platt of Bloomberg News, Nojoud Al Mallees of The Canadian Press, J.P. Tasker from CBC’s Parliamentary Bureau — and a very special American media guest.

This week in politics has been so massive, one MP’s stunned response summed it up: “WTF?” In the span of five days, the finance minister resigned; a growing list of Liberal MPs called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to quit; the federal cabinet got shuffled; NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh vowed to bring down the government; and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to the Governor General to ask her to reconvene Parliament.On today’s pod, a longtime Liberal MP calls for Trudeau to go. A minister explains why he thinks Trudeau should stay. Then, two columnists dissect whether Trudeau — and the country — can survive the turmoil. Finally, as Donald Trump and his supporters taunt Canada about becoming the 51st state, Catherine Cullen sits down with the departing American ambassador to Canada to discuss whether Canadians need to loosen up — or whether we deserve a little more respect.This episode features the voices of:Rob Oliphant, Liberal MP for Don Valley WestSteven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and LabourShannon Proudfoot, columnist for The Globe and MailPaul Wells, author and podcasterDavid Cohen, U.S. ambassador to Canada

Ontario premier Doug Ford made a splash this week when he suggested his province could withhold energy exports to the United States if president-elect Donald Trump slaps steep tariffs on Canadian goods. Is Ontario gearing up for a trade war with the U.S? Ontario’s energy minister explains how far the province is willing to go on the issue.Then, the CEO of Abacus Data joins the program to discuss his new poll that shows Trump is more popular in Canada than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and what it means for Trudeau’s tariff negotiations with the Trump administration.Plus, with days to go until Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presents her fall economic update, two economists debate the deficit, which fiscal anchors matter the most and what Canada should do about Trump’s concerns on trade.Finally, the Liberals have tightened rules around the temporary foreign worker program, but why is it so susceptible to abuse? The House does a deep dive into the program to understand the problems and benefits for businesses and workers.This episode features the voices of: Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of EnergyDavid Coletto, CEO of Abacus DataArmine Yalnizyan, economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of WorkersGoldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of CanadaCatherine Connelly, professor of human resources and management at McMaster UniversityDan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for interparty unity in the face of Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. But it didn’t take long for the Liberal-Conservative divisions to appear. So is it still realistic to talk about Team Canada? Two Ottawa bureau chiefs weigh in on Canada’s attempt to show a united front against the incoming U.S. president.Next, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly joins Catherine Cullen to discuss Canada’s new Arctic foreign policy, the crisis in the Middle East and whether there’s a way to stop Trump’s tariff threat before the president-elect takes office in January.Then, representatives and experts of Canadian universities and colleges explain how the federal government’s dramatic cut in international student visas will affect their institutions, including whether they need to shave programs. Minister of Immigration Marc Miller and Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy also share their thoughts on who’s to blame for the funding crisis facing Canadian post-secondary institutions.This episode features the voices of:Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto StarStuart Thomson, parliamentary bureau chief for the National PostMélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign AffairsMeti Basiri, CEO and co-founder of ApplyBoardAlan Shepard, president of Western UniversityPari Johnston, president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes CanadaMarc Miller, Minister of ImmigrationPeter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario Minister of Finance

First up, Trudeau makes a surprise visit to see Donald Trump the same week the president-elect promised to slam Canada with 25% tariffs on all goods. Then, Canada’s former ambassador to the U.S. discusses whether the threat is real, and what Canada should do about it. Next, it’s a building that very few Canadians ever get to go inside. The Immigration Holding Centre in Toronto detains migrants who are either considered a flight risk, a danger to the public, or can’t be identified. The House gets an exclusive tour of this centre to understand the conditions they face and how their fates are determined. Also, an immigration lawyer shares his concerns with Canada’s deportation process; and a top Canadian border official discusses Canada’s approach to deportation and whether his agency is prepared for Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States.This episode features the voices of:Alexander Panetta, CBC Washington correspondentDavid MacNaughton, former Canadian ambassador to the United StatesSajjad Bhatti, acting director of immigration enforcement operations division at the Canada Border Services Agency for the GTAMinley Lloyd, acting assistant director of immigration enforcement operations division at the Canada Border Services Agency for the GTAJared Will, immigration and refugee lawyerAaron McCrorie, vice-president of intelligence and enforcement at the Canada Border Services Agency

Democracy is a conversation, and we're here for it. Every Saturday, Catherine Cullen makes politics make sense, taking you to Parliament Hill and across Canada for in-depth interviews, documentaries, and analysis of the week’s news — from across the political spectrum.