In this episode of "It's Political," the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty and deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall join host Althia to discuss the year in Canadian politics and what to look ahead to in 2026. What to make of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first year in office and how long can his minority government survive? This episode of "It's Political" was produced by Althia Raj and mixed by Matt Hearn. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. The audio clips this week were sourced f...
Dec 12, 2025•32 min
The federal government signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta yesterday, pledging support to build a new pipeline and make changes to environmental regulations. Prime Minister Mark Carney celebrated a "big day" for Alberta and Canada, but opposition to the deal was vast, including from environmental groups, B.C's Premier, Coastal First Nations, and even within the Liberal Caucus. After the deal was signed, Stephen Guilbeault resigned from Carney's Cabinet. So what did the Liberals get...
Nov 28, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont's decision to cross the floor to the Grits handed them a crucial vote to pass their budget and triggered a chain of events that left Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre struggling to maintain his grip on his caucus. In this episode of "It's Political," the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau reporters — Raisa Patel, Mark Ramzy, Ryan Tumilty and deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall — join Althia to discuss the events since the tabling of the Liberals' budget and what fac...
Nov 14, 2025•48 min
U.S. President Donald Trump is clear and consistent: he wants Canadian auto sector jobs on his side of the border. He's refused to craft a side deal on autos and has plainly said he'll increase tariffs until it makes no economic sense for Canada to build cars. This week on "It's Political" we look at whether the auto industry is worth saving, and how it could be propped up – despite the uncertainty Trump creates. Then, we'll shift gear and talk about uncertainty of a different kind. In Alberta, ...
Oct 31, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party says Canada's justice system is broken, and that overly lax bail laws are leading to preventable violent crime. Prime Minister Mark Carney seems to agree. But are they misdiagnosing the problem? In this episode, we take a look at the state of our corrections system, what's not working, and what can be done about it. Althia is joined by Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, and Melanie Webb, chair of criminal justice section of The Can...
Oct 17, 2025•46 min
Things might look dire for the NDP, with the loss of official party status and its seven members not always seeing eye to eye. But at least three individuals — Edmonton MP Heather McPherson, former broadcaster Avi Lewis, and union leader Rob Ashton — have stepped up offering to lead New Democrats to greener pastures. In this episode of "It's Political," the Althia Raj sits down with Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Mark Ramzy for an update on what's happened to the NDP since election night, t...
Oct 03, 2025•51 min
Newly minted Liberal Leader Mark Carney ran on an ambitious platform. He promised quick and bold action. But six months into his tenure as prime minister, what have Canadians witnessed? This week on "It's Political" we'll get a variety of viewpoints on how Carney is dealing with Trump, the economy, the environment, among other issues. Then, the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau will discuss the challenges this government faces in passing its agenda. Who will be Carney's dance partner? And how does th...
Sep 19, 2025•48 min
Join Althia Raj and the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau as they get ready to cover a busy and unpredictable fall in Canadian politics.
Sep 18, 2025•39 sec
Canada's Minister of National Defence David McGuinty joins Althia to discuss increases to the country's defense budget and what the relationship looks like with the U.S. going forward. Their conversation follows Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement this week that Canada will greatly increase military spending to 2 per cent of GDP just as NATO allies get together later this month to discuss raising the bar to 5 per cent. We also speak to industry experts about just how integrated the Canadia...
Jun 13, 2025•55 min
MPs returned to the House of Commons this week with three leaders missing from the chamber: Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh. But that wasn't the only difference on Parliament Hill. His Majesty, King Charles III, came to Canada to read Prime Minister Mark Carney's first throne speech — widely seen as a message to U.S. President Donald Trump and to Canadians about this country's unflinching sovereignty. On today's episode of "It's Political," the Star's Ottawa bureau breaks down...
May 30, 2025•40 min
What are Conservative MPs and candidates thinking as the party regroups after their election loss and charts a path forward? On this week's show, we ask some of them. But first, Toronto Star reporter Raisa Patel gets us caught up on what happened at the Conservatives' caucus meeting Tuesday. In this episode: Toronto Star politics reporter Raisa Patel; Greg McLean, MP for Calgary Centre; Bernard Généreux, MP for Côte-du-Sud-Rivière-du-Loup-Kataskomiq-Témiscouata;and Garry Keller, former Conservat...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min
The federal election results are in. The Liberals have won a fourth term with Mark Carney at the helm, besting Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives but falling just shy of a majority government. While the Tories have much to celebrate, Poilievre's seat loss in Carleton is a major wrinkle that will impact his party for the next few months and possibly years. The NDP also saw its leader Jagmeet Singh lose his seat. Singh said he would resign on election night after leading the party to the worst elect...
May 02, 2025•53 min
In this episode: Toronto Star Ottawa deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall and Ottawa bureau reporters Ryan Tumilty, Raisa Patel and Mark Ramzy. Hosted by Althia Raj. Mark Carney will remain prime minister. On Monday, he led the Liberals to a fourth consecutive term. It was a close two-way race that saw the Liberals underperform their own expectations. The NDP lost official party status and their leader, Jagmeet Singh, announced his intention to resign. The Conservatives made gains in Ontario, wit...
Apr 29, 2025•35 min
The federal election campaign is in the final stretch with just a few days to go. The party leaders are crisscrossing the country, trying to shore up support in new ridings and protect turf they've long considered their own. With the platforms finally released — most with large deficits and some creative accounting — what is really on the voters' mind? Our panel of recovering partisans will offer their thoughts. We've also hit the campaign trail asking electors across the country, what's behind ...
Apr 25, 2025•53 min
Canada's political parties have now released their election platforms and put a price tag on their plans. Some of their costing is a little suspect, some uses creative accounting, it all fails to go far enough to address the problem economists say political leaders should be grappling with: increasing the country's productivity. This week, on "It's Political," we look at productivity. What is it, and what should Canada be doing to increase it. Then, we'll sit down and dissect the party's platfor...
Apr 23, 2025•32 min
With less than two weeks left until election day, the leaders' debates were a crucial time for the parties to make a pitch to voters and take their opponents down a peg. Our panel of 'recovering partisans' weighs in on the highlights of the debates and the Leaders' Debate Commission's decision to exclude the Green Party and accredit right-wing "media" to the debates. In this episode: Karen Vecchio, outgoing Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London ; David Christopherson, the former NDP MP for ...
Apr 19, 2025•41 min
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed this week that if elected prime minister, his government would invoke the notwithstanding clause to ensure mass murderers serve consecutive sentences without a chance for parole. "They should only come out in a box," the Tory leader said Monday. In this episode of "It's Political," we look at the impact of Poilievre's decision and what the main parties are suggesting to tackle crime. We'll also discuss what they should be proposing instead. In this ...
Apr 16, 2025•34 min
Pierre Poilievre held massive rallies in Alberta this week and received an endorsement from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But why is he spending precious campaign time in a province with solid Conservative support? We've also seen members of the media increasingly speaking out against the Conservative campaign for exerting too much control over the press. Our "recovering partisans" compare the parties' media strategies, weigh in on what the leaders' movements can tell us about the campai...
Apr 11, 2025•47 min
Halfway through this five-week federal election campaign, no major party has yet released its platform and there have been no big climate change announcements either. With U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and affordability concerns top of voters' minds, addressing our heating planet seems to be taking a back seat to other considerations, namely how to build up Canada's economy through energy exploration and diversifying our international markets. But what will that mean for Canada's climate...
Apr 09, 2025•29 min
Canada was spared Wednesday when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced new punishing tariffs on the rest of the world. But many Canadian industries are already feeling the pinch from tariffs Trump had imposed earlier, and big job losses are on the horizon. This week, Liberal Leader Mark Carney headed to Ottawa and put on his prime minister's hat to respond to the crisis, just as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was attempting a different strategy to address the Trump threat — to the coun...
Apr 04, 2025•51 min
Conservative party infighting! Candidate removals! U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs! There's been a lot of issues flying around this election campaign but one thing might be flying below the radar: the parties' actual policy proposals. Today, we offer the first in a series examining policy offerings. We'll unpack issues that matter to you, and matter to the politicians hoping to represent you. First off: housing. Carolyn Whitzman, an adjunct professor and housing researcher and the Universi...
Apr 01, 2025•32 min
U.S. President Donald Trump injected himself into the Canadian election campaign this week but he was already a central figure. This week on "It's Political" our panel of recovering partisans break down the campaign's first week. Join David Christopherson, the former NDP Hamilton Centre MP; Sen. Rodger Cuzner, the former Liberal MP for Cape Breton—Canso; Kristina Michaud, the outgoing Bloc Quebecois MP for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia ; and Karen Vecchio, the outgoing Conservative MP for El...
Mar 28, 2025•44 min
The election has kicked off, leaders have hit the trail, rallies were had, press conferences were held and photo ops were taken. It's been a busy 24 hours. In this episode of "It's Political," join Toronto Star reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty as they break down Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's and Liberal Leader Mark Carney's first foray into their campaigns. In this episode: Toronto Star Ottawa bureau reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty. Hosted by Althia Raj.This episode of "It'...
Mar 25, 2025•29 min
Liberal Leader Mark Carney spent his 10th day as prime minister asking Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, and then asking Canadians for a mandate to keep his current job for longer. She agreed and Canadians will now go to the polls on April 28. There is a lot at stake with U.S. President Donald Trump looming over this Canadian election like no other. On this episode of "It's Political," Abacus CEO David Coletto joins host Althia Raj to discuss the current political landscape, an...
Mar 24, 2025•28 min
The federal parties are putting the final touches on their election campaigns. What just recently seemed like an easy victory for the Conservatives is no longer so certain. This week, several public opinion polls had the Liberal ahead and in majority territory. Canada's 45th general election will be an unexpectedly tight race. This week on "It's Political," Toronto Star Ottawa bureau reporters unpack the strategies of the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens going into this campaign. Then, th...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's new Prime Minister Friday morning, after winning the Liberal leadership race in a landslide. He unveiled a new, leaner cabinet but tapped many of outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau's ministers for key portfolios. Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles and national politics reporters Ryan Tumilty and Mark Ramzy join host Althia Raj to talk about Carney's cabinet picks, his first move as prime minister and what it says about the timing of the nex...
Mar 15, 2025•45 min
Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada governor, trounced the competition Sunday winning the Liberal leadership with nearly 86 per cent support. Carney will become prime minister in the days ahead. He will appoint a new cabinet. And is widely expected to call a federal election campaign next week. In this bonus episode of "It's Political," the Toronto Star's national columnist Susan Delacourt joins Althia Raj to discuss Sunday's leadership event, from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's speech to Ca...
Mar 10, 2025•27 min
U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was slapping tariffs on Canada this week, and the federal government — along provincial premiers — responded. This week on "It's Political," Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly joins Althia for an in-depth interview during the ongoing trade war with the United States. Joly talks about the hectic week which saw Trump impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, negotiating with an unpredictable administration, and how Canada is preparing for a future with a mor...
Mar 07, 2025•54 min
Liberal leadership contenders faced off in two debates this week, and the stakes were high, with the winning candidate set to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister and lead the party into the next election. The debates were dominated by the spectre of Donald Trump, with a central question being who can best lead Canada in this moment of national crisis. Our political panel, Toronto Star Deputy Bureau Chief Alex Ballingall, Ottawa bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty, and Abacus Data CEO David Coletto...
Feb 28, 2025•43 min
For the past two years, the Conservatives drove home the message that things were "broken" in Canada and that the governing Liberals, specifically Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was to blame. Whether it was branding the rising cost of living 'Justinflation' or blaming those costs on the Liberals' carbon price and urging Canadians to 'Axe the Tax,' the Tories' messaging was working perfectly fine. Then U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House and, with that, a new obstacle blocked ...
Feb 14, 2025•42 min
