The House

Conservative Party members are gathering in Calgary to review Pierre Poilievre's leadership as big questions loom about whether they can win over a larger share of the electorate. In a special edition of The House, captured from the convention floor, host Catherine Cullen sits down with key Conservatives, party insiders, a pollster and Hill watchers to discuss where the party stands today and what...

CBC’s new weekly podcast, Two Blocks from the White House, takes a clear-eyed look at what’s happening in the U.S. right now and what it means for Canadians.  This week CBC’s Katie Simpson, reporting from Minnesota since the weekend, joins Paul Hunter and Willy Lowry to unpack the human toll and political consequences of the unrest in Minneapolis and examine what this moment could mean for bo...

It was a speech heard around the world. In front of global leaders, Prime Minister Mark Carney laid bare Canada's new foreign policy vision: Middle powers need to team up — or they'll be on the menu for hegemons like Russia, China and the United States. Two former diplomats — American Ambassador Tom Shannon, who at one point held the third-highest rank in the U.S. foreign service, and Canadian Sen...

Prime Minister Mark Carney's trade deal with China has sent a jolt through Canada and beyond. In exchange for allowing more Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market, Beijing has agreed to lower duties on some agricultural and seafood products.  Catherine Cullen first speaks with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew about what the deal means for his province; then former Conservative...

We're less than two weeks into 2026, and Canada is starting the year staring down sudden new threats to its economy — and its security. After a surprise operation to establish a foothold in oil-rich Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump is now emphasizing his aspirations for Greenland. Host Catherine Cullen speaks with two national security veterans — Jody Thomas, former national security adviser...

This week, The House revisits an in-depth documentary from the summer, as NATO’s secretary general has warned Russia could launch an attack on the alliance within the next five years. Talk to NATO’s two newest members, Finland and Sweden, and they’ll tell you preparation involves a lot more than just boosting military spending.  As Canada seeks to strengthen ties with both countries, what can...

This week on The House: Three Parliament Hill watchers square off against each other to see who can remember the most from a very eventful and consequential year in Canadian politics.

After eight years in Washington, Canada's U.S. ambassador Kirsten Hillman is coming home. Over that time, she has seen Canada's relationship with the United States transform, for better and for worse. As she prepares to step down from her ambassadorship, she explains in an extended interview with host Catherine Cullen how she’s built critical connections in the U.S. capital — and whether she belie...

'Twas the evening before the Liberal holiday party, when all through the House… Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. And then, a Christmas surprise that sent the Conservatives awry: Markham—Unionville MP Michael Ma announced he was crossing the floor to join Prime Minister Mark Carney.  His move brings the Liberal government within one seat of a majority. Are the Conservatives sweat...

Canadians got to see their 2026 World Cup opponents during the group draw this week in Washington — and Prime Minister Mark Carney got to see U.S. President Donald Trump in-person once again as trade talks remain frozen.  Did their meeting give any indication of progress? Parliament Hill Watchers Stephanie Levitz and Joël-Denis Bellavance dig into the rendezvous and other simmering political...

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an agreement this week paving a path for an oil pipeline — a move that ended up costing Carney a cabinet minister and key ally in Quebec.  Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc joins The House to discuss Steven Guilbeault’s resignation and how Canada plans to address the frustrated B.C. government and coastal Fi...

As Ukraine faces crucial decisions for the future of its four-year fight to defeat Russia’s full-scale invasion, several nations are gathering in Canada for the Halifax International Security Forum to discuss the importance of democracy — including high-profile critics of the Kremlin. One of those dissidents, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in a Siberian gulag for criticizing Putin’...

Looming over the Liberals is whether Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget will pass its final vote on Monday in the House of Commons. So far, no other political party has given a sign they will support it.  Green Party Leader Elizabeth May discusses whether she’ll change her mind and vote with the Liberals on the budget. Christopher Nardi of the National Post and Tonda MacCharles of the...

Budget week on Parliament Hill quickly became a stunning political drama after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost two of his MPs in quick succession. One has crossed the floor to join the Liberals and the other says he’ll resign as an MP in the spring.  How bad is this for the Official Opposition, and where does Poilievre go from here? Conservative strategist Kate Harrison and Liberal...

This is a big week in politics: Mark Carney’s first federal budget. To catch you up on what you missed from the government’s big unveiling, The House brings you this special bonus episode from today’s live CBC Radio broadcast. Co-hosts Catherine Cullen and Susan Bonner spoke to politicians, business owners, voters and experts to dig into just how pivotal this federal budget may be — and whether it...

He may be known as ‘the little guy from Shawinigan,’ but Jean Chrétien’s impact on his hometown has been anything but small. And at 91, the former prime minister seems far from slowing down. In this exclusive documentary, host Catherine Cullen travels to Shawinigan, Que to spend the day with the former prime minister. She learns about how the small city shaped his political career, what he’d say i...

Once again, Canada finds itself in a deep hole in its push to get a trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. This time, an advertisement by Ontario that used Ronald Reagan’s own words criticizing tariffs annoyed Trump so much he cut off negotiations entirely. Derek Burney, who worked with former prime minister Brian Mulroney as he hammered out a Canada-U.S. free trade deal with Reagan, weighs...

As Canada seeks to land a trade deal with the United States, cracks began to emerge this week over whether some sectors — and corresponding provinces — are getting more attention than others. David Paterson, Ontario’s representative in Washington, joins the show to discuss whether Ottawa is too focused on Canada’s auto industry as B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba ask for more help with their lumber...

The Carney government is charging ahead with AI development in an effort to supercharge the Canadian economy and make Canada a global powerhouse — but experts warn that if handled poorly, the technology could be disastrous. Host Catherine Cullen takes a deep dive this week on The House and visits an inventor in Montreal leveraging AI to make a big leap in health care. The CEO of Canada’s largest A...

Mark Carney and Donald Trump met Tuesday in the White House to try and hammer out a resolution to the U.S. trade war that has wreaked havoc on critical Canadian sectors like steel, aluminum, auto manufacturing and forestry. Later in the day, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters that the talks were "substantive," but made no announcement on a deal or tariff relief — saying conv...

Since Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his major projects goals, Alberta has been crystal clear — it wants a new pipeline to the west coast. Now, the province is planning to submit a formal application to Canada’s Major Projects Office, but B.C. won’t play ball. The House checks in with B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix to get the west coast perspective, as well as Alex Pourbaix, Cenovus Energy’s...

Canada Post is on strike for the second time in less than a year, after the government authorized significant changes like ending home delivery across the country and closing some post offices. The Crown corporation is on track to lose $1.5 billion this year and the minister in charge of the file said it was “effectively insolvent.” So: what’s the future for Canada Post? And as the federal governm...

World leaders gathered at the United Nations HQ this week in New York to discuss a wide-ranging set of issues — and Canada made headlines by announcing it now recognizes the state of Palestine. Ambassador Bob Rae joins The House to talk about the federal government’s decision, Trump’s change of heart over Ukraine and what to make of the U.S. president’s hour-long, combative address to the world.&n...

The U.S. Ambassador to Canada says he’s disappointed in what he calls the “anti-American” sentiment of the elbows up campaign. So this week on House Party, we’re asking: are those hurt feelings getting in the way of Prime Minister Mark Carney being able to strike a trade deal with President Donald Trump? Was the ambassador warning Canada’s politicians to stand down? And what does the business comm...

This week, Donald Trump enjoyed a second state visit to the United Kingdom and was feted by King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle — a move some Brits saw as the United Kingdom sucking up to the U.S. president. Canadian podcaster and author Stephen Marche and former Mexican politician Agustín Barrios Gómez discuss whether their countries should suck up or stand up to Donald Trump. Plu...