Front Burner CBC News & Politics
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- News
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Your essential daily news podcast. We take you deep into the stories shaping Canada and the world. Hosted by Jayme Poisson. Every morning, Monday to Friday.
Visit https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner for show descriptions, links, and transcripts.
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Is lobbying corrupting Canadian governments?
On Friday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre published an op-ed criticizing Canadian businesses’ use of lobbyists. He’s also called out the Liberals for high-priced fundraisers and "undue handouts” to the business lobby.
But since Poilievre became leader, dozens of federal lobbyists have also paid to attend the roughly 50 private fundraising events he’s spoken at.
So despite all the critiques of big money and lobbying in politics, why do they still seem to be everywhere? How has lobbying shifted power in our democracy? And if parties are concerned, why haven’t any of them made bigger efforts to reform it?
Duff Conacher has been pushing for MPs to close lobbying loopholes for almost three decades. He’s a co-founder of Democracy Watch, a non-profit advocating for government accountability.
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. -
Is India hiring gangs to kill political enemies in Canada?
In June of 2023, Sikh activist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., after evening prayers. Three men have now been arrested and charged with his murder, and all three are affiliated with a gang with ties to Punjab. But sources close to the investigation believe these men were just hired guns, acting on orders from the top levels of the Indian government's intelligence service.
CBC senior reporter Evan Dyer breaks down his exclusive reporting on this story and the increasingly blurring lines between organized crime and Indian foreign policy.
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. -
At the McGill encampment: Calls to divest from Israel
Unless it was dismantled last night after we put this podcast to bed, the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University is now entering into its 11th day. It's just one of several across Canada, and one of many more across North America.
So last Tuesday, we headed to Montreal to check out the McGill encampment for ourselves.
We went to speak to students there about their central demand: divestment. We wanted to learn more about what it means, why the students are calling for it, and why the broader push that “divestment” is part of — the movement known as BDS — is so controversial.
For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. -
How Loblaw inspires anger, boycott
On May 1st, the people behind a subreddit called r/loblawsisoutofcontrol launched a nationwide boycott of Loblaw-owned stores for the month.
The very same day the boycott began, Loblaw Companies Limited released its first quarter earnings numbers. Its profits went up by almost 10%, and its revenue by over $13-billion.
Today on Front Burner, why did Loblaw become the primary target of Canadians’ grocery anger? Can something like a boycott or more competition really keep it in check? And should we think of Loblaw less like a retailer, and more like Amazon?
Vass Bednar is our guest. She's the executive director of McMaster University's Master of Public Policy and Digital Society program. -
When Drake and Kendrick beef, who wins?
A long-simmering feud between Toronto's Drake and Compton's Kendrick Lamar has finally erupted into open lyrical warfare. The bars being traded on diss tracks like "Push Ups" and "Euphoria" bring to mind some of the most iconic rap beefs in history — and it's far from the first time the 6 God has found himself in the crosshairs.
Shadrach Kabango — you may know him as the rapper Shad — weighs in on the feud, and the role of big-name beefs in hip hop culture. -
Backlash and walk backs: BC reverses drug policy
In April, a hospital memo was released by the British Columbia’s official opposition party. It was from July 2023, a few months after the possession of small amounts of certain hard drugs were decriminalized in the province under a three-year pilot project.
And it advised nurses to not impede patients using illicit drugs within the hospital.
The province said the advice in the memo had been walked back. But it became another example used by the plan’s critics for why progressive drug policies were failing.
Then, last week, B.C. Premier David Eby asked Health Canada to recriminalize the use of hard drugs in public spaces, such as hospitals and restaurants.
So how did growing backlash from residents, health-care workers, police and conservative politicians end a key component of decriminalization?
Today, we unpack those questions with CBC British Columbia reporter Moira Wyton.
Customer Reviews
LAVENDER-AI -GAZA TARGETING
Jayme welcome back! Stick with what you do exceedingly well.
Your American politics programs were annoying. Canadas politics are innumerable.
What an excellent revealing show.
Much like Israel’s Pegasus spyware Lavender reveals true face of current regime. Nasty!
Big Fan
KHF-Albuquerque, NM
Great topic today 4/29, horrible guest!!
The guest this morning Arielle Angel, was a horrible choice for a guest. She had a very apparent agenda and her reporting was very one side, not to mention she even said she had only been to 2 days of protests at Columbia so not sure how that makes her a expert. This should have been an hour long show with multiple guests from across the country. I would have no problem with Arielle Angel being on the show if their were another journalist with a differing opinion. Jayme did a good job of trying to play devils advocate but was unsuccessful in the end. I myself have no problem with the protests but wish the show was not so one sided and someone pushing their personal agenda.
Background music
Please get rid of it; very annoying