It's Political with Althia Raj

It's Political with Althia Raj

Probing and insightful conversations with Canada's top political insiders, hosted by Althia Raj. A bi-monthly political podcast from the Toronto Star.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    The Conservatives attempt to rewrite their playbook

    For the past two years, the Conservatives drove home the message that things were “broken” in Canada and that the governing Liberals, specifically Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was to blame. Whether it was branding the rising cost of living  ‘Justinflation’ or blaming those costs on the Liberals’ carbon price and urging Canadians to ‘Axe the Tax,’ the Tories’ messaging was working perfectly fine. Then U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House and, with that, a new obstacle blocked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's path to power. Trump says he's serious about annexing Canada through economic means. His threats to impose across-the-board tariffs have already caused panic in this country, and it's led to a bounce in the polls for the federal Liberals. Though the Conservatives had enjoyed a 27-point lead over the Liberals for a while, a Leger poll this week seemed to confirm a new trend: a single-digit gap between both parties — and if Mark Carney led the  Liberals, the possibility the Grits could win. With Trudeau’s resignation, and Liberal leadership candidates pledging to axe-the-tax, those issues are now off the table. Is it Trump's return that changes the ballot question for the next Federal election? Does winning now depend on whether the Conservatives can be seen as the best defenders of Canada against an unpredictable threat coming from our southern border? In this episode of “It’s Political,” Pollara Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold and 338canada.com’s editor-in-chief Philippe J. Fournier join us for a deep dive on what the numbers really signal. Then, we’ll explore the current challenges facing Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative party with Toronto Star Ottawa reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty, along with Radio-Canada’s Christian Noël. In this episode: Pollara Strategic Insight’s Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold, 338canada.com Editor-in-Chief and Politico Contributor Philippe J. Fournier; Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Raisa Patel; Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty; and Radio-Canada parliamentary bureau journalist Christian Noël. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, Fox News, CBC, CTV, Radio-Canada, Global News, CP24, Toronto Sun, the X accounts of Pierre Poilievre, Chrystia Freeland, and Mark Carney, and Poilievre’s YouTube account. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

    42 min
  2. 31 JAN

    No traitors but many concerns: Foreign Interference Commission wraps up

    Two years ago bombshell allegations emerged suggesting foreign actors were succeeding in influencing Canadian electoral contests and Canadian parliamentarians. Media reports suggested the Liberal government hadn’t done enough to warn the public or even MPs about the matter, and a political debate emerged about how best to get to the bottom of it. After a series of false starts, it was Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue who was appointed to investigate and weigh in with findings and recommendations.  Tuesday, Hogue issued her final report.  While Hogue left some questions answered, she came to a very different finding on a key matter involving foreign interference and parliamentarians. This week on “It’s Political,” we unpack what we learned from Hogue’s report and what it says about where foreign interference threats now lie.  Then NDP MP Charlie Angus joins us to discuss what he see as the next and most concerning phase of foreign interference. Hint: it’s at your fingertips.  In this episode: The Center for International Governance Innovation’s senior fellow Wesley Wark, Timmins—James Bay NDP MP Charlie Angus, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, Global, ABC and CTV. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

    42 min
  3. 24 JAN

    How Trudeau’s departure and Trump’s tariffs change political calculations

    The 2025 political landscape is looking very different than it did just a few weeks ago. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pending resignation, the prorogation of Parliament, and the sudden Liberal leadership race has offered the Grits a new lifeline.  U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to hit Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on Feb. 1 also offers the political parties another chance at reframing themselves and what they want the ballot question to be at the next election, whether that’s in eight weeks or eight months.  This week on “It’s Political,” former Conservative party campaign director Fred DeLorey, former Prime Minister's Office head of policy and cabinet affairs Marci Surkes and former NDP press secretary Allison Gifford join Althia to talk about the shifting landscape and what it means for the major players.  But first, Future Borders Coalition’s Laura Dawson explains what Trump’s latest threats could mean for Canada, and how best to brace for the impact. In this episode: Compass Rose Group chief strategy officer and former senior advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Marci Surkes; NorthStar Public Affairs chair Fred DeLorey; Clear Strategy vice-president of public policy Allison Gifford; and Future Borders Coalition executive director Laura Dawson. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CP24 and the White House.  This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton.  Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

    39 min
  4. 06/12/2024

    How prepared is the Canadian military for the threats we face?

    United States President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House is renewing pressure on Canada to focus more on defense spending and border security. In February, Trump warned NATO members that if they didn’t pay their fair share — spending 2 per cent of their country’s GDP on their military — they should not assume the U.S. would leap to their defence.  In July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada would meet the 2 per cent target, but only in 2032. The Liberals have invested billions to update the Canadian Armed Forces, but decades of underinvestment have led to serious capability gaps. This week, on “It’s Political,” we take a look at the state of the Canadian Armed Forces and ask how prepared Canada is for the threats we face. First, we’ll hear from experts: Canadian Army Commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Carleton University Associate Professor Philippe Lagassé, University of Calgary Associate Professor Rob Huebert, Observatory on Politics and Security in the Arctic Director Mathieu Landriault, Canadian Global Affairs Institute President David Perry, Royal Military College of Canada Professor Jane Boulden, and retired Royal Canadian Air Force brigadier general Kevin Whale. Then, Althia will sit down with National Defence Minister Bill Blair.  Some of the clips this week were sourced from the House of Commons, CPAC, the Halifax International Security Forum, the CBC, CTV, Global, NBC and ABC.  This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton.  Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

    59 min
  5. 22/11/2024

    Stalemate: Why the House of Commons has ground to a halt

    The House of Commons is in gridlock. Government bills and private members’ legislation have stalled. The Senate is running out of government matters to study.  Parliament is paralyzed by a Conservative filibuster that started in late September.  The Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Green Party accuse the Tories of hijacking the Commons for their own parliamentary games. The Conservatives say they are filibustering their own motion — tabling one sub-amendment after another —  to pressure the Liberals to turn over documents to the RCMP. The documents were requested by parliamentarians months ago — but the Liberals have ignored the demand, refusing to hand all the records over in unredacted form.  The Conservatives accuse the government of trying to hide evidence of Liberal corruption involving millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money. Who’s telling the truth? This week on “It’s Political,” we turn our attention to the Conservative filibuster and the allegations at the heart of the standoff in Parliament.   First, we’ll dig into the substance of the request for documents with Toronto Star Ottawa bureau reporter Mark Ramzy.  Then our panel of experts – former PMO senior director Marci Surkes, former senior Conservative communication adviser Yaroslav Baran and former NDP MP Matthew Dubé –  will join Althia to discuss the political strategies at play, and what it will take to finally end the standoff.  6:08 — Mark Ramzy outlines the substance behind the filibuster 18:18 — Political panel discusses the parties’ political strategies around the filibuster. In this episode: Toronto Star reporter Mark Ramzy, Compass Rose Group chief strategy officer and former senior advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Marci Surkes; Pendulum Group Co-founder and former senior Conservative advisor Yaroslav Baran; and Proof Strategies vice-president and former NDP MP Matthew Dubé. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from the House of Commons, CPAC, the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, and the National Post. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton.  Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

    44 min
  6. 08/11/2024

    Donald Trump Wins. Now what?

    Donald Trump will be president of the United States for a second time. Trump’s decisive victory Tuesday plunges the U.S., the world and Canada into uncharted territory. The president-elect pledged to deport American residents, slap tariffs on imported goods, and renegotiate a crucial trade deal with Canada and Mexico. Not only are Canada and the U.S. each other’s largest trading partner with $3.6 billion worth of goods and services crossing the border each day, but millions of jobs also rely on that two-way trade and investment. This week on “It’s Political” we’ll take a look at the Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) or as it is called in the United States, the U.S.M.C.A., and the trade irritants that have popped up since the deal came into effect four years ago. Automotive Parts Manufacturers'​ Association President Flavio Volpe, Ontario Independent Senator and former president of the Canadian Labour Congress Hassan Yussuff, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Strategic Policy and Global Partnerships Catherine Fortin LeFaivre, International Trade Lawyer and McMillan Partner William Pellerin, and Future Borders Coalition Executive Director Laura Dawson will join us. But we’ll begin with the first of a two-part discussion about the impact of Trump’s election on geopolitics, lessons learned from the last round of trade negotiations, and how Canadians political parties can prepare with Canada’s former ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton and prime minister Justin Trudeau’s former principal secretary and Eurasia Group Vice Chairman Gerald Butts.  5:24 -- MacNaughton and Butts part 1 25:00 -- Mini-documentary on CUSMA and trade irritants 48:40 -- MacNaughton and Butts part 2 Some of the clips this week were sourced from the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, CPAC, Global, Fox, Bloomberg, CTV, CBC, C-SPAN, and CP24. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Kevin Sexton and host Althia Raj. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

    1h 3m
  7. 25/10/2024

    Internal and external interference

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced down more than two dozen MPs this week who suggested he should take time to contemplate his leadership and many who told him to his face that for the good of the Liberal party, and its upcoming electoral chances, he should resign. Trudeau was adamant, however, that he feels he is the best person to lead the Grits and Thursday he suggested he wasn’t going anywhere. In this episode of “It’s Political,” we’ll unpack what happened at the Liberals’ three-hour caucus meeting and what it means for Trudeau’s future and his vocal dissenters. Then, we’ll take a look at interference of another kind: foreign interference. The  Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions wrapped its public hearings this week. We’ll look at what the Commission heard, and how it’s been politicized and what to make of last week’s bombshell announcement by the RCMP involving India’s top diplomats in Canada. In this episode: Toronto Star Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star National Columnist Susan Delacourt, Centre for International Governance Innovation Senior Fellow Wesley Wark, Carleton University Associate Professor Stephanie Carvin, Conservative MP Michael Chong’s Commission Counsel Fraser Harland. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from the House of Commons, the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, CPAC, as well as the CBC, CTV, and CP24.  This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Kevin Sexton and Althia Raj. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. Listen here and follow or subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

    1h 2m

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Probing and insightful conversations with Canada's top political insiders, hosted by Althia Raj. A bi-monthly political podcast from the Toronto Star.

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