The Decibel

For years, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been framing the federal race as a “ carbon tax election .” But then Mark Carney became the Liberal Leader and Prime Minister and “axed the tax” for him, setting the consumer carbon price to zero. Now, Poilievre is targeting another federal carbon tax – the one on the industry’s largest emitters. It’s part of a broader shift in this election towa...

In the age of gentle parenting , a new trend has emerged: parents are changing the ways they talk to their young children about sharing . Rather than forcing their kids to share their toys, relenting to their playmates’ demands, some parents are encouraging their children to say “no” and stand up for themselves. Amberly McAteer is a contributing parenting columnist for the Globe. She joins the sho...

Last week, the U.S. Senate vote to pass Senator Tim Kaine’s resolution to end the state of emergency that allows U.S. President Donald Trump to issue tariffs on Canadian goods. President Trump’s stated reason for the tariffs is that the fentanyl flowing into the United States from Canada “constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat.” The number he’s been citing is 43 pounds for the fiscal year...

It’s the end of the week, which means it’s time for Campaign Call…our election panel where we make sense of the major issues. This week we’re going to talk about one of the central themes in the campaign: the uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump . We also get into why the Conservatives are fighting in public , and what each major party is promising to help workers affected by Trump’s...

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on Wednesday to put reciprocal tariffs on goods from most of its international trading partners. Trump called the tariffs a “declaration of economic independence” and accused other nations of stealing American jobs. However, Canada and Mexico, which have been in Trump’s crosshairs for months, are exempt from the new tariffs, as long as...

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, immigration lawyers have reported seeing a rise in non-U.S. citizens being denied entry. At the beginning of March, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian who had previously been able to obtain a U.S. work visa, was detained for nearly two weeks when she tried to renew her visa. European tourists have been detained at the border, and Canadians born in...

In the first week of the federal election campaign, several new foreign interference stories have bubbled up. The first involves allegations that CSIS believed agents working on behalf of India organized support for Pierre Poilievre ’s 2022 Conservative leadership bid. Meanwhile, the Liberals are dealing with fallout from the allegations that former Member of Parliament Chandra Arya had ties with...

This March, Adrial and Adiah Nadaraja turned three years old . Born at 22 weeks, they were the youngest premature twins ever to survive to their first birthday. If they had been born just two hours earlier, health care workers would not have medically attempted their resuscitation. Today, Kelly Grant joins the show with an update about how Adrial and Adiah are doing, how far the family has come, a...

During the election campaign, the Globe and Mail is travelling across the country to hear about the issues facing people in Canada today. In small communities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this week, producer Kasia Mychajlowycz spoke to students, business owners, retirees and more. She found that as some struggle to make ends meet with the rising cost of living in rural Atlantic Canada, many ar...

Welcome to The Decibel’s inaugural election panel! Each week, we’re going to focus on a major theme from the week’s campaign, and provide some analysis about what’s happening. Then, we’re going to unpack specific policy promises from the big parties to help you decide how to vote. We’ll end by answering your questions. So here’s a reminder to send us an e-mail or voice note with your questions abo...

For decades, scientific research at the Great Lakes has meant close partnership between Canada and the U.S., but President Trump’s latest job cuts may be changing that. Last Thursday, the U.S. agencies overseeing the health and conditions of oceans, lakes and rivers became the latest target of the Trump Administration’s federal job-cutting spree. Patrick White reports on water issues for the Globe...

Last week, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that China has executed four Canadians since the beginning of the year. The move further escalates already tense diplomatic relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, China’s retaliatory tariffs on Canadian goods went into effect on Thursday. And all of this is happening in the middle of Canada’s trade war with the United States. Now, Canada finds it...

The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status expires, even if they are not legally allowed to work or live in Canada and risk being deported. Globe journalist Sarah Efron , and freelance photograp...

At midday on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney asked Governor-General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and begin an election campaign. Canadians are heading to the polls to elect the next federal government on Monday, April 28. Three months ago, this election was the Conservatives’ to lose. But polling has Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney neck and neck . The race is set to be one of the most unp...

Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a federal election by Sunday, after being sworn into office last week. And he’s had a busy week. Between announcing that he’ll be cutting the consumer price on carbon and introducing a leaner cabinet, he took his first trip as prime minister, travelling to Paris, London, and Iqaluit . But why hasn’t Carney’s tour included a trip south of the border, w...

Project 2025 was meant to be a U.S. Republican transition bible, outlining a vast set of proposed policies for the next leader. Within its 900 pages, was a plan to use tariffs to correct a perceived imbalance in trade, and to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Once U.S. President Donald Trump took office, he endorsed this plan – but then, he went off-book . Now, other Republicans, and Wall...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited ceasefire with Ukraine after a discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal, also supported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, would mean Russian and Ukrainian troops will stop targeting energy and infrastructure for 30 days. This ceasefire plan falls short of the original proposal , which would’ve seen an immediate 30-day h...

Canadian dairy is a recent target of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariffs coming in April. Trump’s proposed levies are in retaliation for the sector’s massive tariffs, which apply to American imports over a certain limit. According to the International Dairy Food Association, the import limits have never been exceeded. It’s part of a system called supply management . It contro...

Measles cases in Ontario are higher than we’ve seen in a decade , and we’re only three months into the year. Measles is one of the world’s most contagious viruses that can, in some cases, be deadly. While the virus has been effectively eliminated in Canada since 1998, rates of infection and hospitalization in Southern Ontario are growing, along with cases across Canada. But this is a vaccine-preve...

The host of The Globe and Mail's newest podcast, Garvia Bailey, gets some crowd-sourced wisdom from people nominated by loved ones as ‘the happiest people in Canada’ for a recent Globe and Mail feature. They live across the country, in cities and rural areas. They include toddlers and seniors, men and women, and people who have been through extremely hard times. She speaks with Erin Anderssen, The...

In a moment when more people are looking to buy Canadian, Canada’s oldest retailer is facing a financial crisis. Last week, Hudson’s Bay was granted creditor protection . Court documents showed that last year, the company recorded a loss of nearly $330 million, and that they were within days of not being able to pay their staff. Now, they’re working on a restructuring plan that could include closi...

On Wednesday, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, with Canada hitting back with counter levies on nearly $30 billion dollars worth of U.S. goods. In response to the ongoing trade war, the Bank of Canada cut its interest rate to 2.75% as the trade war rattles the economy. Between stock market downturns , increasing fears of a recession, and the volatility of U.S. President Donald Trump...

Throughout his campaign, Pierre Poilievre has taken an antagonistic attitude towards Canada’s business elite – a historically uncharacteristic approach for the Conservative party. During a time of economic uncertainty, Canadians are looking for a leader to protect them from a trade war with the U.S. and business leaders are hoping to show a united front with the next Prime Minister. The Globe’s bu...

For the last four years, Dave Lavery — a former soldier and UN security advisor — has helped Afghans safely evacuate to Canada. But this past November, during his most recent trip to Afghanistan, he was detained by Taliban Intelligence and Security Forces. But what happens when the person sent in to rescue needs saving? The Globe’s international affairs reporter, Janice Dickson , sat down with Dav...

The Liberal Party of Canada have chosen their new leader — and the country’s 24th prime minister. Former Bank of Canada Governor, Mark Carney won in a landslide , capturing nearly 86% of the vote. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps aside , Carney will take his place as the first Canadian prime minister with no political experience. While the Liberals have gained in the polls , Carney will be c...