The House

4.5 (20)
POLITICS
UPDATED WEEKLY

Politics these days can seem like one big shouting match. Catherine Cullen cuts through the noise. Every Saturday she 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. Because democracy is a conversation, and we’re here for it.

23H AGO

Politicians playing chicken — will it mean another election?

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 Toronto Star weigh in on where the government can get the last two votes it needs or if we’re heading into another election this year. Mark Carney announced more major projects to spur Canada’s economic growth. Rick Smith of the Canadian Climate Institute tells The House how Canada’s push to expand mining and energy projects is going down at the United Nations climate change conference in Brazil. Plus, as Canada loses its measles elimination status Dr. Natasha Crowcroft, Vice President of the Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch at the Public Health Agency of Canada explains what needs to be done to win it back. And: J.D.M. Stewart, author of The Prime Ministers: Canada’s Leaders and the Nation they Shaped, takes Catherine Cullen on a tour of the monuments erected on Parliament Hill to commemorate Canada’s leaders. Who were they, what were their funny foibles, and will Canada ever see a statue of Stephen Harper or Justin Trudeau? This episode features the voices of: Elizabeth May, Green Party LeaderChristopher Nardi, National Post parliamentary reporterTonda MacCharles, Toronto Star Ottawa bureau chief Rick Smith, President of the Canadian Climate InstituteDr. Natasha Crowcroft, Vice President of the Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch at the Public Health Agency of Canada J.D.M. Stewart, author of The Prime Ministers: Canada’s Leaders and the Nation they Shaped

52 min
NOV 8

Budget week becomes caucus drama for the Conservatives

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 strategist Marci Surkes discuss the impact on Poilievre’s leadership, the mood in caucus and whether more departures could follow. Plus, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer responds to the caucus commotion and lays out his party’s criticism of the budget; and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne defends his government’s financial plan. And: Business Council of Canada president Goldy Hyder joins Armine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers in a debate over whether this budget can spur investment and growth without making cost-of-living concerns worse; and Sahir Khan, co-founder and VP of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy helps tally up a budget scorecard on how the document has landed as a win or loss for Canadians. This episode features the voices of: Kate Harrison, Conservative strategist and vice chair at Summa StrategiesMarci Surkes, former senior advisor to Justin Trudeau and chief strategy officer at Compass RoseSahir Khan, co-founder of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and DemocracyFrançois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of FinanceAndrew Scheer, Conservative House leaderGoldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of CanadaArmine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers

58 min
NOV 4

Bonus episode: Here’s what you need to know about the federal budget

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’ll gain enough support from opposition parties to stave off an election.

1 hr
NOV 1

Jean Chrétien on Trump’s trade war, Alberta separatism, and his legacy

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 if he was in a room with Donald Trump, and his fiery take on Albertans who want to separate from the rest of Canada. Plus, as the Liberal government prepares to introduce a much-anticipated federal budget, there aren’t many signs opposition MPs will support the critical legislation, raising questions about a snap election. The House Party election podcast team — Catherine Cullen, Daniel Thibeault and Jason Markusoff — reunite to discuss who could support the government and the likelihood of Canada heading into another federal election in 2026. This episode features the voices of: Jean Chrétien, former Liberal prime ministerDaniel Thibeault, parliamentary bureau chief for Radio-Canada and host of Les Coulisses du PouvoirJason Markusoff, CBC Calgary

50 min
OCT 25

Doug Ford ticked off Donald Trump. What now?

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 in on the latest upset, then Tonda MacCharles of the Toronto Star and Stuart Thomson of the National Post discuss where this leaves Canada now. Then, Michael Kovrig, the former diplomat who spent more than 1,000 days detained by China, tells host Catherine Cullen how he feels about Canada’s growing “strategic partnership” with Beijing and what advice he’d offer the Prime Minister before meeting China’s president. Plus, the government is adjusting the rules around bail again, making it harder for some repeat offenders and those charged with serious offences to be released. A victim’s family and a criminal defence lawyer weigh in, and Justice Minister Sean Fraser defends the new legislation. Finally, as Liberals and Conservatives spar over what continues to drive up food costs, economist Christina Caron argues it’s not price gouging or the industrial carbon tax — it’s climate change that’s costing you more at the grocery store. This episode features the voices of: Derek Burney, former ambassador and chief of staff to prime minister Brian MulroneyTonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto StarStuart Thomson, parliamentary bureau chief for the National PostMichael Kovrig, former Canadian diplomat detained by ChinaMeechelle Best, mother of Kellie VerweyJay Herbert, Ontario criminal defence lawyer and member of Rama First NationSean Fraser, Minister of JusticeChristina Caron, economist

57 min
OCT 18

Is Team Canada cracking under Trump’s tariff pressure?

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 and canola sectors. Plus, while the trade war continues to bubble, Prime Minister Mark Carney is attempting a plan to get tougher on crime — and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called RCMP leadership “despicable.” Political strategists Kate Harrison, Marci Surkes and Jordan Leichnitz join The House to dig into some of the biggest headlines of the week. Then, Catherine Cullen speaks with former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell, who’s been tapped by the B.C. government to improve the city’s Downtown Eastside amid ongoing complex problems surrounding drugs, crime and homelessness. And: even with cuts to government spending on the horizon, Carney says he’s making the Trudeau-era National School Food Program permanent. Debbie Field, national coordinator for Coalition for Healthy School Food, discusses the state of the program and whether the funding is still far from hitting the mark. This episode features the voices of: David Paterson, Ontario’s representative in Washington, D.C.Kate Harrison, Conservative strategist and vice chair at Summa StrategiesMarci Surkes, former senior advisor to Justin Trudeau and chief strategy officer at Compass RoseJordan Leichnitz, NDP strategist and Canada Director at the Friedrich Ebert FoundationLarry Campbell, B.C.’s new adviser on Vancouver’s Downtown EastsideDebbie Field, national coordinator of the Coalition for Healthy School Food

49 min
OCT 11

Will AI make or break Canada?

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 AI research institute shares her perspective on needing more guardrails to protect Canadians, and experts explore the potential impacts of AI on the environment and job market. Plus, Catherine sits down with Canada’s first-ever AI minister to learn how the federal government plans to straddle the line between innovation and safety. This episode features the voices of: Frédéric Leblond, founder of Reveal Surgical and co-inventor of the SentryTommy Brasseur, master’s student at Polytechnique MontréalValérie Pisano, CEO of Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence InstituteAngela Adam, senior vice-president of government relations at eStruxtureHamish van der Ven, head of the University of British Columbia’s Business, Sustainability and Technology LabNoel Baldwin, executive director of the Future Skills CentreEvan Solomon, Minister of AI and Digital Innovation

49 min
OCT 8

House Party: Was the Trump/Carney meeting a win, a waste or a wash?

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 conversations with his American counterparts will continue. So was Carney’s visit to Washington a win, a waste of time or a wash? Co-hosts and political nerds Catherine Cullen, Daniel Thibeault and Jason Markusoff tackle the big meeting in this last — for now — episode of House Party.

29 min

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TRAILER

New to The House? Start here.

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.

11/30/2022

•

2 min

Catherine Cullen

Host

4.5

out of 5

20 Ratings

feedback from a Canadian living in the US

07/26/2009

warren r

An outstanding overview and analysis of the Canadian political scene. No question period
Democracy

11/10/2024

Banjoq

The last time I checked, there are 9 definitions for Democracy. Most of the 9 state: a Government selected by a majority of the people. The 9th reads as follows: “The principles and policy of the Democratic Party, so called." It seems to me if you are going to have an honest discussion about “Is the US losing its democracy?” you should 1) define the word and 2) Interview people who are not in academia and have written books on eroding US democracy while living in another country. The question arises from the recent campaign for president where the Democratic Party desperately alleged that voting for Trump was a vote against democracy. On its face, an absurd notion. Yet one of the commentators rightfully described “loosing democracy” as policies that undermine Democratic Party policies and programs. Which, by extension, allows the Democratic Party to call anyone opposing their policy as facist and un-democratic. You could do better on this PodCast if you just try harder.
Too Bad

02/25/2015

Bourne Fan

I used to enjoy listening to The House from CBC Radio. It is no longer available in the iTune Store. It will be missed.

Politics these days can seem like one big shouting match. Catherine Cullen cuts through the noise. Every Saturday she 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. Because democracy is a conversation, and we’re here for it.