The House - podcast cover

The House

Politics these days can seem like one big shouting match. Catherine Cullen cuts through the noise. Every Saturday she 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. Because democracy is a conversation, and we’re here for it. 

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Episodes

Is Carney's strategy truly 'AI For All'?

After a long wait, Canada's AI strategy has arrived — a document that encourages people to learn and adopt the technology in the hopes of creating 250,000 new jobs. Host Catherine Cullen speaks with AI experts and skeptics Jake Hirsch-Allen, Kristen Thomasen and Hamish van der Ven about what it means for employment, children’s safety and the environment. Then, Minister of AI Evan Solomon joins the program to explain why Canadians need to understand this technology despite their low trust in it. ...

Jun 06, 202649 min

Canada's making it rain on defence. Who gets the money?

The House is on the ground at the country’s biggest defence and security show, for an in-depth look at Canada’s plan to spend big on the military. Catherine Cullen meets Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, former Defence Minister Peter MacKay, New Brunswick premier Susan Holt, as well as defence contractors to hear about unmanned fighter jets, AI in warfare, and whether Canada is prepared to tick off Donald Trump with some of its military purchases. Plus, former Environment...

May 30, 202650 min

Alberta calls a referendum on holding a referendum

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has a plan: Hold a referendum in October to decide whether to push for a legally binding referendum on independence in the future. Confused? Host Catherine Cullen has it covered. Pro-separation lawyer Keith Wilson and federalist champion Thomas Lukaszuk will share their thoughts on Smith's decision. And the godfather of Prairie populism, former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, weighs in on the vote. Plus, environmental groups are concerned about Canada's climat...

May 23, 202650 min

Ottawa and Alberta pencil in a pipeline date

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney have made another stride in their important MOU: A new carbon pricing agreement that is far less than the targets set by Justin Trudeau. Is the deal enough to calm down separatists? Could it anger environmentalists within Carney's team? Ottawa bureau chiefs Tonda MacCharles of the Toronto Star and Stuart Thomson of the National Post lay out the stakes. Plus, the House takes an in-depth look at whether the government should ban social ...

May 16, 202650 min

What the heck is going on in Alberta?

Alberta is experiencing a political earthquake after the provincial NDP claimed they had a video showing a separatist organizer showing people how to use a database that included leaked voter information. The House Party podcast team — Catherine Cullen, Daniel Thibeault and Jason Markusoff — reunite to discuss the fallout and how seriously Carney needs to take the separatist movement. And, in a rare and wide-ranging interview the director of Canada’s spy agency, Dan Rogers, sits down with host C...

May 09, 202649 min

What Ottawa's economic update means for your wallet

This week, the Carney government released its first spring economic update — which painted a better-than-expected picture of Canada's finances despite a long U.S. trade war and instability in the Middle East. The question on many Canadians' minds is: How does this update help them? Host Catherine Cullen visits an Ottawa grocery store to hear from owner Eli Njaim and his customers about the rising cost of food. Then, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne explains what the government's late...

May 02, 202652 min

Bonus: How is Canada weathering economic uncertainty?

As Prime Minister Mark Carney fleshes out his vision for how Canada might weather economic uncertainty with the government’s spring economic update, co-hosts Catherine Cullen and John Northcott speak to politicians, experts and voters from the centre of this week’s action on Parliament Hill.

Apr 28, 20261 hr

What exactly is Canada's U.S. trade strategy?

In a week where trade irritants were on full display between Canada and the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a new crew he wants to advise him on Canada's economic relationship with America. Former Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and former Liberal minister and Canadian UK High Commissioner Ralph Goodale have been drafted to that lineup and join The House to talk about how this team of rivals is going to work. Plus, Carney's announcement came days after he posted a ten-mi...

Apr 25, 202650 min

Avi Lewis on selling socialism to Canadians

After weeks of war in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz is now open — and ceasefires in Lebanon and Iran continue to hold strong. So is an end to the war in sight? Host Catherine Cullen asks Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand if she believes the ceasefires will last and if Canada is considering helping efforts to open the Strait. Plus, now that the Liberals command the House of Commons, Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canadians will get "real substance" and "less showboating" from parliame...

Apr 18, 202650 min

How the Liberals won over a floor crosser

He's done it again: Prime Minister Mark Carney has convinced yet another Conservative to join his Liberal government. This time, it's Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong MP Marilyn Gladu, who previously said she was "personally pro-life" and opposed a Liberal bill to ban conversion therapy. She's now recanting those positions as Carney insists Liberal values are unchanged. How does it work when the Liberals try to cajole a Tory to join them? Catherine Cullen sits down with the first Conservative MP who ma...

Apr 11, 202649 min

150 years later, why does Canada still have the Indian Act?

150 years ago this month, the Indian Act became law — a sweeping piece of legislation that governed almost every aspect of First Nations’ lives — and has long been criticized as unfair, racist and “unquestionably sexist." On this special edition of The House, Catherine Cullen explores the history of the discriminatory legislation with Bob Joseph, author of 21 Things You Might Not Know about the Indian Act and Janice Makokis, an Indigenous Legal Rights Scholar and associate professor at the Unive...

Apr 04, 202649 min

Is the NDP ready to win?

Loyal Dippers are gathering in Winnipeg this weekend to decide their next leader — and the direction of the party. Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi joins The House to explain why he told frontrunners to not do anything that could affect his party's electoral fortunes. Then, political strategists Marci Surkes, Kate Harrison and Jordan Leichnitz weigh in on who the Liberals and Conservatives want to see win the race, and whether there could be an NDP rupture after the votes are tallied. And this w...

Mar 28, 202652 min

Joe Rogan gets the Pierre Poilievre experience

In a marathon interview, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre discussed tariffs, 51st-state threats, mixed martial arts and kettlebells with popular and controversial podcast host Joe Rogan. Author Paul Wells and Globe and Mail senior reporter Stephanie Levitz break down Poilievre's performance and whether his appearance helps — or hurts — his push to reach more voters. Next, the federal government says it's ready to help ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz as the war in Iran continues and o...

Mar 21, 202649 min

How Carney attracts Conservative and NDP floor-crossers

After back-to-back-to-back successes in attracting Conservatives to join his team, Prime Minister Mark Carney has secured a fourth floor-crosser. And this time, it's from the NDP. Are more still to come? The House Party podcast team — Catherine Cullen, Daniel Thibeault and Jason Markusoff — reunite to talk about Carney's ability to lure MPs from all sides of the political spectrum. Then Liberal House Leader Steven MacKinnon defends the floor crossers and hints that more Conservatives may make th...

Mar 14, 202649 min

What is Canada's stance on Iran?

More than a week has passed since Israel and the United States launched a massive attack on Iran — a move the prime minister says Canada supports "with regret." How does that stance square with the vision Carney laid out in Davos? Former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae weighs in on the Canadian view and shares concerns around how the conflict may end. Plus, tanker traffic in one of the world's key oil passageways in the Middle East has ground to a halt, leaving some countries c...

Mar 07, 202651 min

Why Carney and Poilievre are each going global

Two leaders, two visions, two itineraries. Prime Minister Mark Carney is once again travelling abroad to strengthen Canada's trading relationships with fellow middle powers like India, Japan and Australia. How much sway does Canada hold in this new geopolitical era? Anne-Marie Slaughter, former Obama-era senior U.S. State Department director, joins The House to weigh in on this middle-power moment. And Pierre Poilievre is headed to Europe in his first official overseas trip as Leader of the Oppo...

Feb 28, 202651 min

Why is Mark Carney attracting so many floor-crossers?

Once again, Prime Minister Mark Carney has convinced a Conservative to cross the floor and join his Liberal Party — the third MP to do so in just a few months. And it comes as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tries to manage the fallout from a caucus member’s trip to Washington. The National Post's Stuart Thomson and the Globe and Mail's Shannon Proudfoot take a look at Poilievre’s mounting challenges and how close the Liberals may be to a majority. Plus, the U.S Supreme Court ruled this wee...

Feb 21, 202649 min

MPs unite to help Tumbler Ridge heal

The small community of Tumbler Ridge, B.C. is in mourning after an attack that left eight people dead, including children, an educator and the shooter's mother and half-brother. Conservative MP for northeastern B.C. Bob Zimmer speaks to The House about supporting people in Tumbler Ridge as they grapple with the tragedy and devastation of Tuesday’s violence. Then, Liberal MP and École Polytechnique shooting survivor Nathalie Provost joins the program to share why the children affected don’t neces...

Feb 14, 202651 min

Carney shifts gears to get more EVs on Canada's roads

Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled the government's new auto strategy – which pulls the plug on the EV sales mandate, but includes measures to encourage Canadians to buy EVs and companies to build and sell those cars here. Host Catherine Cullen asks Industry Minister Mélanie Joly why taxpayers should continue to spend money to help automakers. Then, auto industry expert Greig Mordue explains how auto makers may react, and climate scientist Simon Donner weighs in on whether the policy will r...

Feb 07, 202649 min

Is Trump trolling Canada? | Analysis from Washington

CBC’s new weekly podcast, Two Blocks from the White House, takes a clear-eyed look at what’s happening in the U.S. right now and what it means for Canadians. In this episode, the White House was back at it last week, threatening tariffs on Bombardier and aircraft made in Canada. And Prime Minister Mark Carney was warned by the U.S. Treasury Secretary not to ‘pick a fight’ ahead of CUSMA trade negotiations. When it comes to the Trump administration’s trolling comments and tariff threats, how can ...

Feb 04, 202629 min

Where do the Conservatives go from here?

Conservative Party members are gathering in Calgary to review Pierre Poilievre's leadership as big questions loom about whether they can win over a larger share of the electorate. In a special edition of The House, captured from the convention floor, host Catherine Cullen sits down with key Conservatives, party insiders, a pollster and Hill watchers to discuss where the party stands today and what it needs to do to secure that elusive election win. This episode features the voices of: Steve Outh...

Jan 31, 202649 min

Minneapolis backlash reaches the White House | Analysis from Washington

CBC’s new weekly podcast, Two Blocks from the White House, takes a clear-eyed look at what’s happening in the U.S. right now and what it means for Canadians. This week CBC’s Katie Simpson, reporting from Minnesota since the weekend, joins Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry to unpack the human toll and political consequences of the unrest in Minneapolis and examine what this moment could mean for both Trump’s broader immigration strategy and his 2026 prospects. Find and follow Two Blocks from the White ...

Jan 28, 202629 min

A 'stunning' speech... But what does Carney do now?

It was a speech heard around the world. In front of global leaders, Prime Minister Mark Carney laid bare Canada's new foreign policy vision: Middle powers need to team up — or they'll be on the menu for hegemons like Russia, China and the United States. Two former diplomats — American Ambassador Tom Shannon, who at one point held the third-highest rank in the U.S. foreign service, and Canadian Senator Peter Boehm, who has served as a G7 sherpa — discuss the significance of the Carney doctrine an...

Jan 24, 202651 min

Carney's got a trade deal with China. What's under the hood?

Prime Minister Mark Carney's trade deal with China has sent a jolt through Canada and beyond. In exchange for allowing more Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market, Beijing has agreed to lower duties on some agricultural and seafood products. Catherine Cullen first speaks with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew about what the deal means for his province; then former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole discusses the risks of a closer relationship with China; and Business Council of Canad...

Jan 17, 202656 min

Venezuela, Greenland, an emboldened Trump: What should Canada do?

We're less than two weeks into 2026, and Canada is starting the year staring down sudden new threats to its economy — and its security. After a surprise operation to establish a foothold in oil-rich Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump is now emphasizing his aspirations for Greenland. Host Catherine Cullen speaks with two national security veterans — Jody Thomas, former national security adviser to the prime minister, and Retired Gen. Wayne Eyre, former chief of defence staff — about their con...

Jan 10, 202652 min

The threat next door: How NATO’s newest members are preparing to defend against Russia

This week, The House revisits an in-depth documentary from the summer, as NATO’s secretary general has warned Russia could launch an attack on the alliance within the next five years. Talk to NATO’s two newest members, Finland and Sweden, and they’ll tell you preparation involves a lot more than just boosting military spending. As Canada seeks to strengthen ties with both countries, what can we learn from our newest NATO allies about preparing for the worst? Supported by the R. James Travers For...

Jan 03, 202649 min

Canada’s woman in Washington opens up before her departure

After eight years in Washington, Canada's U.S. ambassador Kirsten Hillman is coming home. Over that time, she has seen Canada's relationship with the United States transform, for better and for worse. As she prepares to step down from her ambassadorship, she explains in an extended interview with host Catherine Cullen how she’s built critical connections in the U.S. capital — and whether she believes there’s a limit to what Trump can do. Plus, author and former presidential speechwriter David Fr...

Dec 20, 202549 min

Conservatives lose another MP — and a Secret Santa gift

'Twas the evening before the Liberal holiday party, when all through the House… Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. And then, a Christmas surprise that sent the Conservatives awry: Markham—Unionville MP Michael Ma announced he was crossing the floor to join Prime Minister Mark Carney. His move brings the Liberal government within one seat of a majority. Are the Conservatives sweating this? Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman joins The House to discuss whether Pierre Poilievre's leadership ...

Dec 13, 202549 min

Did Trump and Carney’s FIFA meetup move the ball on trade?

Canadians got to see their 2026 World Cup opponents during the group draw this week in Washington — and Prime Minister Mark Carney got to see U.S. President Donald Trump in-person once again as trade talks remain frozen. Did their meeting give any indication of progress? Parliament Hill Watchers Stephanie Levitz and Joël-Denis Bellavance dig into the rendezvous and other simmering political challenges for the prime minister, like what to do next with his cabinet. After that, housing experts Mike...

Dec 06, 202553 min
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