Episode description

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 Energy
• David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data
• Armine Yalnizyan, economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers
• Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada
• Catherine Connelly, professor of human resources and management at McMaster University
• Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business