10/3: Canada Covered

Since last fall, residents of Iqaluit have faced uncertainty over the city’s water supply. The problem, sparked by the discovery of fuel in the water, has left residents in the remote community wary of officials and demanding transparency about how this happened. Emma Tranter, who covers Iqaluit for the Canadian Press, joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how the discovery was made, why there is a l...

In the wake of the fall of Kabul and the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, Canada has attempted to resettle thousands of refugees, including people who risked their lives helping Canadian Forces during the war. However, many have faced bureaucratic roadblocks in their attempts to reach the safety of Canadian soil. National Post political reporter Bryan Passifiume joins host Dave Breakenrid...

Tech giants like Facebook and Google could soon be forced to share online revenues with Canadian news publishers under legislation tabled by the Trudeau government. The legislation follows a similar law in Australia, and seeks to ensure that news outlets are compensated for work shared on the platforms, which control a large majority of advertising revenues. National Post political reporter Anja K...

The Trudeau government’s latest budget talks of stability and sustainability, while trying to address issues of affordability and economic recovery. But does it do all the things Canadians had hoped it would? National Post columnists Jesse Kline and Sabrina Maddeaux join Dave Breakenridge to discuss budget highlights, where it fell short, and how the Liberal-NDP pact factors into the government’s...

Canada’s men’s national soccer team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986, buoyed by strong performances from stars like Alphonso Davies, Cyle Larin and Jonathan David. Despite some international success in the 1980s, our men’s program struggled for many years before turning things around to reach the biggest tournament in the sport. Postmedia national soccer writer De...

Among political issues that have been decided by parliament in the last decade, few are as controversial as Medical Assistance in Dying. While many Canadians feel it has given loved ones a sense of autonomy, and has spared them prolonged pain at the ends of their lives, there are some in the medical community who say changes to legislation that expand the practice are a step too far. Dr. Ferrukh F...

COVID-19 has been the top health story around the world for two years now, but in Canada, there has been growing health concern looming. For the last several years, cases of syphilis have skyrocketed in the country, and the COVID pandemic has actually made things worse. National Post health reporter Sharon Kirkey joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss what’s driving these cases, why it has doctors con...

The fight within Alberta’s United Conservative Party over Jason Kenney’s leadership took another twist when the planned in-person vote in April was turfed in favour of mail-in ballots. This has created further controversy, with some of Kenney’s own MLAs suggesting he step down, triggering a leadership race. Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why Kenney is facing a l...

A few short months after Canadians elected a minority government, the Liberals and the NDP announced they were forming a pact to keep the Liberals in power until 2025. The move, announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as an agreement that will provide stability, will see the NDP support the government on confidence matters. National Post political reporter Christopher Nardi joins Dave Breakenri...

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta has seen deaths from drug overdoses climb higher than ever before. That culminated in a record year in 2021, with more than 1,700 deaths. Edmonton Journal reporter Anna Junker joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss Alberta’s grim milestone, what’s driving these deaths, and what advocates want to see from the provincial government. Background reading: Toxi...

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an impassioned plea to Canada’s parliament this week. Zelenskyy is seeking support from NATO leaders to create and enforce a no-fly zone over his country, which raises the prospect of wider conflict. National Post political reporter Ryan Tumilty joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss Zelenskyy’s speech, the mood in the House of Commons, and what Canada is w...

The war in Ukraine has forced millions from their homes amid Russian bombardment. Many of these refugees are heading west to Poland, where organizers are working to keep up with seemingly endless arrivals. National Post columnist Adam Zivo spent time on the ground in Warsaw and Lviv and he joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the effort to help refugees flooding into Poland, what the situation is li...

The race to replace Erin O’Toole as leader of the federal conservatives got a little more crowded this week. Ontario MPP Roman Barber, federal MP Leslyn Lewis and former Quebec premier and federal PC leader Jean Charest all announced their candidacies. Charest joins the race as a possible contender to Pierre Pollieve’s frontrunner status. National Post political reporter Catherine Lévesque joins D...

As the world has reacted in horror to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, global attention has been captured by the steely resolve of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has positioned himself as a rallying force amid a deadly crisis, in contrast to the authoritarian Vladimir Putin. National Post reporter Joseph Brean joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss Ukraine’s unlikely hero, the stark diffe...

A pair of Canadian men have been convicted in Australia for their roles running a multi-million-dollar criminal drug network. The pair are the latest Canadians lured by a lucrative drug market only to be swept up down under in a high profile drug sting by Australian authorities. National Post reporter Adrian Humphreys joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how the men got involved in the criminal unde...

Canada has joined the international community with a series of escalating sanctions and measures targeting Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. This has included economic sanctions, military supplies and a ban on Russian products. National Post political reporter Ryan Tumilty joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss Canada’s anti-Russia efforts, the international co-operation in support of Ukr...

Since the start of the pandemic, misinformation and conspiracies about COVID-19 or the government response to it have spread widely online. But a new report from the federal intelligence service suggests that extremist groups could be using that worldview to recruit and attempt to destabilize government, Ottawa Citizen writer Tom Spears joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the groups the intelligenc...

The Olympic Winter Games wrapped up in Beijing without a major COVID incident, and Canada wound up with a respectable 26 medals. Despite some judging controversy and questions over whether we might wind up with a bronze in figure skating down the line, Canadian officials feel we fared rather well. Postmedia national sportswriter Dan Barnes joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss our surprise medallists...

After weeks of blockades in Ottawa and border crossings in several provinces, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with what the PM calls an “illegal obstruction.” What was purported to be a protest against vaccine mandates for truckers has dragged on, and public opinion polls have shown a growing frustration with the blockades, and for the government’s handling of the...

The Olympics are supposed to be an event that fosters competition and fair play while encouraging athletes to strive to do their best. But the Winter Games in Beijing have shown that there’s a disconnect between the ideal, and reality. National Post columnist Sabrina Maddeaux joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why Russia continues to flout rules, problems with Olympic judging, and the optics of al...

As the women’s Olympic hockey tournament hits the elimination round, Canada and the U.S., as expected, have been the dominant teams. But is a tournament where two teams shine brighter than the others involved good for the games? Postmedia national sports writer Scott Stinson, who is part of our team covering the Olympics, joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why the rivalry between the Canadians and...

The federal Conservatives are looking for a new leader after Erin O’Toole was dumped in a vote by members of his caucus. This comes on the heels of a disappointing election result, and as the party reckoned with its response to the convoy that has occupied swaths of downtown Ottawa for nearly two weeks. In a special panel discussion, National Post Comment Editor Carson Jerema and National Post Col...

Despite rising case numbers, and in some cases even rising hospitalizations, some jurisdictions are lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Denmark, the UK and Ireland are among some of the countries rolling back public health measures, and some officials in Canada are hinting we could be approaching that stage here. National Post reporter Tristin Hopper joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why the mood is c...

The Olympic Winter Games kick off this week in Beijing, and Canada looks to match the high bar our athletes set in South Korea in 2018. With NHLers not taking to the ice, and some key athletes from past Olympics retiring, not to mention an ongoing pandemic, it’s shaping up to be tough-to-predict couple of weeks. Postmedia national sports writer Scott Stinson, who is part of our team covering the g...

Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have caught the attention of Western allies, including the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. The deployment of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine’s border have some concerned about an invasion on a larger scale than the Crimean annexation in 2014. National Post political reporter Bryan Passifiume joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss our country’s response,...