The House

Once again, Canada is staring down the barrel of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on almost all Canadian goods. After a month-long pause, the tariffs are slated to go into effect on March 4 — as Trump continues to claim fentanyl and illegal immigrants are pouring into his country from Canada. In a special episode of The House, host Catherine Cullen walks Washington’s corridors of...

In one corner: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has for years pledged to defund Canada’s public broadcaster. In the other: the current Liberal government, which after months of delay has unveiled their plan for CBC — one that overhauls its mandate but also calls for increased funding. Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge joins The House to discuss her pitch, as host Catherine Cullen asks why...

World leaders are gathering in Germany this weekend to discuss threats to international security, including Russia’s war on Ukraine. But for some countries — Canada included — the latest threat is coming from U.S. President Donald Trump. CBC’s defence correspondent Murray Brewster guest hosts The House to look at international crises unfolding in real time. We start with Oleksandra Matviichuk — he...

Canada got a temporary reprieve from Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the fight is far from over — and may be more existential than we thought. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now says the U.S. president’s threat to turn Canada into the 51st state ‘is a real thing.’ Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, joins The House to discuss if Trump is actually a threat to Canadian sovereignty and whether Canada’s...

We’ve been waiting weeks for this, and even now — we’re still not exactly sure what to expect. But today, we may finally see U.S. President Donald Trump level punishing tariffs on Canada. The White House has told reporters tariffs are happening this weekend, and Trump himself has said there’s nothing Canada can do to avoid them.  One of CBC’s foreign correspondents in Washington joins the pro...

Time's up for anyone mulling a bid to lead the Liberal Party. With the deadline to enter behind them, candidates have just a few days left to sign up new members, and a little over a month to drum up support. One of the frontrunners joins The House in studio: former finance minister Chrystia Freeland sits down with host Catherine Cullen to make her case for running the country Then: Ontario Premie...

Donald Trump is headed back to the White House on Monday, meaning his tariff threats could become a reality and wreak havoc on the Canadian economy. So what’s Canada’s opening move if Trump charges forward? Host Catherine Cullen checks in with premiers at their important meeting in Ottawa this week to strategize a response, but not everyone is on the same page. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. join...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he will step down from his job once the Liberals find someone to replace him. Now, the leadership race is on, with all sorts of politicians in the Liberal caucus and beyond feeling out whether they’ve got a shot to succeed Trudeau. The backdrop to all of this is U.S. president-elect Donald Trump claiming he’ll use economic force to absorb Canada as a...

This week, The House brings you some of the most compelling interviews from our coverage of immigration issues in Canada — from ministers who’ve overseen major policy changes to experts who say Ottawa’s recent clampdown will shake up the Canadian economy and post-secondary institutions. Plus, rare access to Toronto’s immigration holding centre, where migrants are locked up while waiting to hear if...

It ended with a shocking cabinet resignation — but 2024 was packed with plenty more political ups and downs. How many headlines do you remember? Listen along and test your smarts as host Catherine Cullen quizzes three keen Parliament Hill watchers who battle it out in The House's annual showdown, featuring Brian Platt of Bloomberg News, Nojoud Al Mallees of The Canadian Press, J.P. Tasker from CBC...

This week in politics has been so massive, one MP’s stunned response summed it up: “WTF?” In the span of five days, the finance minister resigned; a growing list of Liberal MPs called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to quit; the federal cabinet got shuffled; NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh vowed to bring down the government; and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to the Governor General to ask h...

Ontario premier Doug Ford made a splash this week when he suggested his province could withhold energy exports to the United States if president-elect Donald Trump slaps steep tariffs on Canadian goods. Is Ontario gearing up for a trade war with the U.S? Ontario’s energy minister explains how far the province is willing to go on the issue. Then, the CEO of Abacus Data joins the program to discuss...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for interparty unity in the face of Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. But it didn’t take long for the Liberal-Conservative divisions to appear. So is it still realistic to talk about Team Canada? Two Ottawa bureau chiefs weigh in on Canada’s attempt to show a united front against the incoming U.S. president. Next, Foreign Affairs Mi...

First up, Trudeau makes a surprise visit to see Donald Trump the same week the president-elect promised to slam Canada with 25% tariffs on all goods. Then, Canada’s former ambassador to the U.S. discusses whether the threat is real, and what Canada should do about it.  Next, it’s a building that very few Canadians ever get to go inside. The Immigration Holding Centre in Toronto detains migran...

Democracy is a conversation, and we're here for it. Every Saturday, Catherine Cullen makes politics make sense, taking you to Parliament Hill and across Canada for in-depth interviews, documentaries, and analysis of the week’s news — from across the political spectrum.