10/3: Canada Covered

A Canadian airline crew has been stuck in an ongoing nightmare, ever since they alerted police in the Dominican Republic to the presence of cocaine in a compartment on their charter aircraft. For their efforts, they were jailed, subject to threats and have been ordered to stay put in the Caribbean nation. National Post reporter Tom Blackwell joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how the crew found th...

Ontario voters handed Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario a renewed mandate with even more seats than the last election. The PCs managed a strong win despite the fact that less than 50 per cent of voters turned up at the polls. The loss also has both main opposition parties looking for new leaders. National Post politics reporter Bryan Passifiume joins Dave Breakenr...

Canada’s gun laws are facing a host of updates, including a freeze on new handgun sales and imports. The bill replaces an earlier version previously proposed by the feds, and also includes a mandatory buyback of assault-style guns previously targeted by the government. National Post political reporter Chris Nardi joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss what’s covered under the bill, how this could impa...

Quebec’s controversial new language bill was passed in the legislature last week. It governs wide swaths of Quebec life, including college spaces and in what language people can access healthcare. Montreal Gazette columnist Allison Hanes joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why the bill is so controversial, how it could affect relations between Anglophones and francophones, and whether it offers Que...

Ontario voters go to the polls in just a few days, but it hasn’t exactly been a barn-burner of a campaign. Despite trying to make a dent in Doug Ford’s support in opinion polls, the Liberals and the NDP still trail the PCs. National Post columnist Sabrina Maddeaux and Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley join Dave Breakenridge to discuss why voters may be feeling disengaged, how the leaders have far...

The debate of whether mercy killing can be used as a defence in a murder case is once again in the spotlight after a domestic homicide in Ottawa. Richard Rutherford, a former principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and officer with the Canada Council for the Arts, was found dead in his home Easter weekend. His longtime spouse Phillipe Hebert has been charged in his death. Ottawa Citizen re...

Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party is looking for a new leader after Jason Kenney announced he would be stepping down. Kenney made the announcement after receiving a bare majority of support in a scheduled leadership review. Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why Kenney fared so poorly with members of a party he built, what’s next for the UCP, and how thi...

Canada’s top court has struck down a section of the criminal code that could allow for extreme intoxication to be used as a defence in violent crimes. The ruling upheld the acquittal of a Calgary man who attacked a university prof after consuming alcohol and magic mushrooms. Calgary Herald reporter Bill Kaufmann joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the initial court case, the Supreme Court ruling an...

Ontario voters go to the polls June 2, and the much-anticipated election campaign got off to a slow start last week. Much debate centred around highways and transit, as the Liberals and the NDP tried to make a dent in the PCs polling lead. National Post columnist Sabrina Maddeaux joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how the major parties have fared so far, why the province’s COVID-19 response has no...

Been feeling the pinch on your utility bills this year, or maybe at the grocery store? You’re not alone. Canada has been hit with rising inflation, which has meant people are paying more for, gas, food and just about everything else. Edmonton Journal columnist Keith Gerein, who has been exploring the impact of inflation on people’s day-to-day lives, joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss where people...

Devastating floods and fires in B.C. last year showed the havoc these disasters can bring to communities. But it also laid bare how vulnerable some communities are to widespread destruction from future emergencies. Vancouver Sun reporters Gordon Hoekstra and Glenda Luymes join Dave Breakenridge to discuss an investigation that reveals just how unprepared some B.C. communities are, what’s keeping c...

The Ontario election campaign is set to get underway this week, but the Ford government gave it the unofficial kickoff, with a campaign-style budget. Rebuilding the economy after COVID will likely be a key theme during the campaign, but so could the government’s response to the pandemic, which still looms over the political landscape. Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley joins Dave Breakenridge to d...

The NHL playoffs are set to kick off in a return to near normalcy after two years under the shadow of COVID-19. And as the post-season looms, many are wondering whether this is the year Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid will lead their teams to glory, whether the Calgary Flames will up their game, or if the Lightning is poised for a three-peat. National post sports writer Scott Stinson joins Dave...

Conservative leadership contestant Pierre Poilievre has wound up an early front-runner in the race to replace Erin O’Toole. The famously combative MP has played up the fight for freedom as one of his key messages, but he has also given a lot of focus to an issue gaining traction across the country: Housing affordability. National Post columnist Chris Selley joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why h...

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...