It's Political with Althia Raj

Public opinion polls suggest Canadians have had enough of Justin Trudeau's government, and yet the prime minister vows to stay on. As 2024 began, Toronto Star columnist Susan Delacourt sat down with the prime minister for her yearly chat, and she allowed our microphones to listen in. This conversation was recorded on Jan. 12 in Guelph, Ont. In this episode: Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau...

It's been quite a tumultuous year in federal politics, from allegations of foreign interference involving China and India, to the expansion of industrial and dental subsidies, and a rejigging of public support for Canada's two main parties. We asked Toronto Star readers and " It's Political " podcast listeners for their questions — and received many probing queries about themes from the last year,...

Alberta Conservative MP Damien Kurek was kicked out of the House of Commons this week for using unparliamentary language. Within minutes of his expulsion, Kurek had the video of his outburst up on social media proudly showcasing his outrage at the Liberal government.  Last week, another Alberta Conservative, Rachel Thomas, was forced to apologize after requesting Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge...

It's been described as a signature blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's signature policy. Last month, the Liberals announced a three-year pause to the application of the carbon price on home heating oil to help ease the costs, especially in Atlantic Canada where it's used in about a third of all households. Climate and energy experts decried it as a weakening of Trudeau's policy, former environ...

Eight years ago, Justin Trudeau and 30 ecstatic Liberal MPs walked up to Rideau Hall, ready to be sworn in as Canada's next government. But after three elections, the Liberal glow has faded – drastically – as more and more Liberals suggest it's time for the prime minister to step down. This week on "It's Political," Abacus Data CEO David Coletto, P.E.I. Sen. Percy Downe and Toronto Star reporter A...

A month ago, we weren't talking about the Israelis-Palestinian conflict. The world's attention was elsewhere, on Ukraine and Russia, on China. But on October 7, all that changed. Hamas' brutality — the hunting of young adults at a music festival, the burning of homes, shooting of grandmothers, allegations of rape of women and girls, and the kidnapping of more than 200 Israelis and foreigners — pla...

In this episode: Timmins—James Bay NDP MP Charlie Angus, South Okanagan—West Kootenay NDP MP Richard Cannings, Skeena—Bulkley Valley NDP MP Taylor Bachrach, Abacus Data CEO David Coletto, Traxxion Strategies President Karl Bélanger, Canadian Strategy Group senior manager of public affairs Sally Housser, University of Saskatchewan Political Studies Professor David McGrane,, St-John's East riding as...

In this episode: Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, Toronto Star Publisher Jordan Bitove, Ottawa University law professor Michael Geist, Toronto Star reporter Raisa Patel, Meta's head of public policy Rachel Curran, Google Canada's Richard Gingras, News Media Canada President Paul Deegan, Village Media CEO Jeff Elgie. La Presse President Pierre-Elliott Levasseur, Yellowknife evacuee Kelsey Worth,...

In this episode: Abacus Data CEO David Colettto, Toronto Star Reporter Stephanie Levitz, Conservative Party members Kevyn Nightingale, Emilie Matheson, Nancy Bangsboll and Adrian Tarcea, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's former executive director of policy and cabinet affairs Marci Surkes, former NDP MP David Christopherson, former spokesman for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Anthony Koch, and...

With Parliament about to break for the summer, exchanges between MPs in the House have gotten tense. But is it just June — when the hours run long and the frustrations high — or has decorum in the chamber taken a nasty slide? This week on "It's Political," we survey MPs about the tone in the chamber and what it is leading to outside the House, and we sit down with three insiders, former Liberal MP...

Whether you're trying to buy a house or struggling to find a decent and affordable place to rent, it seems Canadians across this country are experiencing the housing crisis in one form or another. This week on "It's Political," we look at this growing problem and what politicians have done to address it. We'll first look at the problem from different perspectives with the help of several experts,...

This week on "It's Political" we check in on the Alberta election. NDP Leader Rachel Notley and UCP Leader Danielle Smith are in a hotly contested race and there's lots at stake for Albertans and all Canadians.  First, Toronto Star reporter Kieran Leavitt brings us a report from Lethbridge, in a riding the NDP needs to win if it is to form government. Then, we'll hear from Abacus Data's David Cole...

As Liberals from across the country gather in Ottawa for the party's first in-person national convention since the pandemic, "It's Political" digs into Justin Trudeau's record as party leader and his time as prime minister. With bleak polling numbers and an ambitious Conservative opponent, how can the Liberals   correct their course? First, we sit down with Trudeau's former principal secretary Ger...

In an op-ed in the Globe and Mail last month, that newspaper's confidential national security source explained why they decided to leak secret documents on China's interference attempts. They wrote they had hoped to spur a much deeper discussion about foreign interference and how to combat it, but were disappointed the conversation had become "marked by ugliness and division." So this week on "It'...

They say it's dangerous to talk about politics and religion. We're not listening. This week on "It's Political," we mark April's high religious holidays, such as Easter, Ramadan, Passover and Vaisakhi, with a conversation on faith and politics. How it influences MPs' policy positions, where they believe the line between state and church should be drawn, and the impact of political parties using re...

Last week, Volkswagen announced it will build its first overseas electric vehicle battery gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario. The federal and provincial governments declined to say what they'd paid to lure Volkswagen to Canada rather than the U.S. but the Financial Times reported the price was around $15 billion. That's a lot of public money going to subsidize a private company, even one that will...

This week on "It's Political," we take stock of the supply and confidence agreement the Liberals and NDP agreed to last March. In exchange for supporting the Liberal government on confidence matters until June 2025, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh received assurances Ottawa would enact a dental care program for low and middle income Canadians, as well as move ahead on a number of shared priorities, such...

This week on "It's Political," we take a look at what's plaguing the country's health-care system, from long wait lines in emergency rooms to the lack of family doctors. What will it take to fix health care in Canada? First, we hear directly from health professionals about the problems they've witnessed firsthand and the solutions they'd like to see. Then, host Althia Raj sits down with Canada's H...

This week on "It's Political," we bring you Toronto Star's columnist Susan Delacourt's interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The two sat down together on Jan. 17 in Windsor, Ont., for a candid conversation on his future and the future of his government. In this episode: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Toronto Star columnist Susan Delacourt. Hosted by Althia Raj. 08:10 - On what's s...

This week on "It's Political," we dive into ministerial accountability. Mistakes and ethical lapses happen all the time. Whether it's allowing tins of tainted tuna to hit the market or leaving secure documents where they shouldn't be, Canadian parliamentarians have a long history of resigning when they mess up. Today, we ask the question: Why does it seem like ministers don't step down anymore? Fi...

This week on "It's Political," we dig into the government's rationale for invoking the Emergencies Act to end last winter's "Freedom Convoy" protests. First, Toronto Star reporters Tonda MacCharles and Alex Ballingall will walk us through all of the drama and pivot points exposed during the Public Order Emergency Commission's hearings. The parade of high-profile witnesses and thousands of internal...

This week on "It's Political," we tackle some of the issues around the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada.  A word of caution. Today's program discusses death and suicide. Please take care while listening. If you are having suicidal thoughts, there is help. The Canada Suicide Prevention Service can be reached at 1-833-456-4566 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a ye...

This week on "It's Political," we focus on the inflation crisis and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's fall economic update. First, we'll look back on what policies, decisions and events contributed to the current inflation numbers that are putting the squeeze on many Canadian households with Toronto Star Ottawa bureau chief and economics columnist Heather Scoffield; Kevin Page, the president an...

"It's Political" will be coming to you a little bit later today because of yesterday's Fiscal update. We'll have a round table discussion on Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's latest numbers, and look back on what's led to these rising interest rates and the possible recession around the corner.

This week on "It's Political," we take a deep dive into the controversial Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. Is it really about censorship and government control over what you see and listen to on the internet? Or is it about safeguarding and promoting Canadian culture and the French language in Quebec on new streaming platforms? In this episode: Toronto Star reporter Raisa Patel, Heritage Minis...