It's Political with Althia Raj

With less than two weeks left until election day, the leaders' debates were a crucial time for the parties to make a pitch to voters and take their opponents down a peg. Our panel of ‘recovering partisans’ weighs in on the highlights of the debates and the Leaders’ Debate Commission’s decision to exclude the Green Party and  accredit right-wing “media” to the debates. In this episode: Karen Vecchio, outgoing Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London; David Christopherson, the former NDP MP for Hamilton Centre; Kristina Michaud, the outgoing Bloc Quebecois MP for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia; and Rodger Cuzner, the former Liberal MP for Cape Breton—Canso, and now an independent Senator. Hosted by Althia Raj. “It’s Political” is produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Kevin also mixed this episode. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. Some of the audio clips this week were sourced from CPAC and CBC.

Irvin Waller, an Emeritus professor of criminology at the University of Ottawa, and Anthony Doob, Emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, dive into pressing crime narratives. They discuss the controversial use of the notwithstanding clause by Pierre Poilievre for mandatory sentences, highlighting the tension between public safety and civil liberties. The experts critique ineffective political narratives and advocate for community-based strategies over pure incarceration, emphasizing the need for evidence-based discussions on crime reduction.

Pierre Poilievre held massive rallies in Alberta this week and received an endorsement from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But why is he spending precious campaign time in a province with solid Conservative support?  We’ve also seen members of the media increasingly speaking out against the Conservative campaign for exerting too much control over the press. Our “recovering partisans” compare the parties’ media strategies, weigh in on what the leaders’ movements can tell us about the campaign, and look ahead to next week’s debates. In this episode: David Christopherson, the former NDP MP for Hamilton Centre; Kristina Michaud, the outgoing Bloc Quebecois MP for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia; Karen Vecchio, the outgoing Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London; and Senator Rodger Cuzner, the former Liberal MP for Cape Breton—Canso. Hosted by Althia Raj.  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. Some of the audio clips this week were sourced from CPAC and CBC.

Halfway through this five-week federal election campaign, no major party has yet released its platform and there have been no big climate change announcements either. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and affordability concerns top of voters’ minds, addressing our heating planet seems to be taking a back seat to other considerations, namely how to build up Canada’s economy through energy exploration and diversifying our international markets. But what will that mean for Canada’s climate commitments?  In this episode of “It’s Political,” Rick Smith, the president of the Canadian Climate Institute, catches us up on the state of Canada’s current fight against climate change and Chris Severson-Baker, the executive director of the Pembina Institute, joins host Althia Raj to discuss what the parties’ policy proposals mean, and what questions are still left unanswered by their plans.  This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Kevin also mixed the program. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. Some of the audio clips this week were sourced from CPAC and the CBC.

Canada was spared  Wednesday when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced new punishing tariffs on the rest of the world. But many Canadian industries are already feeling the pinch from tariffs Trump had imposed earlier, and big job losses are on the horizon.  This week, Liberal Leader Mark Carney headed to Ottawa and put on his prime minister’s hat to respond to the crisis, just as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was attempting a different strategy to address the Trump threat — to the country and to his own election campaign. This week, our panel of “recovering partisans” joins us to discuss the campaign’s second week, from Trump’s tariffs and who they politically benefit, to the policy offerings and the response  — or lack of response — to candidates saying things they simply shouldn’t.  But first, Abacus Data’s David Coletto gives us the lie of the land: what’s moved, what hasn’t and what to make  of it. In this episode: David Christopherson, the former NDP MP for Hamilton Centre; Kristina Michaud, the outgoing Bloc Quebecois MP for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia; Karen Vecchio, the outgoing Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London; John McKay, the outgoing Liberal MP for Scarborough—Guildwood; and David Coletto, the CEO of Abacus Data. Hosted by Althia Raj.  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. Some of the audio clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, CTV, Global, CNBC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN and ABC. 

Conservative party infighting! Candidate removals! U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs! There’s been a lot of issues flying around this election campaign but one thing might be flying below the radar: the parties' actual policy proposals. Today, we offer the first in a series examining policy offerings. We’ll unpack issues that matter to you, and matter to the politicians hoping to represent you. First off: housing. Carolyn Whitzman, an adjunct professor and housing researcher and the University of Toronto’s School of Cities joins us to discuss the housing crisis. Then Mike Moffatt, the founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative will join host Althia Raj to discuss what the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP have so far promised and whether it goes far enough to address the crisis. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Kevin also mixed this show. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. Some of the clips this week were sourced from Empire Club of Canada, CPAC, CBC and CTV.

U.S. President Donald Trump injected himself into the Canadian election campaign this week but he was already a central figure. This week on “It’s Political” our panel of recovering partisans break down the campaign’s first week. Join David Christopherson, the former NDP Hamilton Centre MP;  Sen. Rodger Cuzner, the former Liberal MP for Cape Breton—Canso; Kristina Michaud, the outgoing Bloc Quebecois MP for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia;  and Karen Vecchio, the outgoing Conservative MP for Elgin—Middlesex—London. 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. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, and CPSAN.

The election has kicked off, leaders have hit the trail, rallies were had, press conferences were held and photo ops were taken. It’s been a busy 24 hours. In this episode of "It's Political," join Toronto Star reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty as they break down Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's and Liberal Leader Mark Carney's first foray into their campaigns. In this episode: Toronto Star Ottawa bureau reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty. Hosted by Althia Raj.This episode of "It's Political" was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Kevin also mixed this show. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC.

David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data and an expert in Canadian polling, shares insights on the dynamic political landscape as the 45th general election campaign kicks off. He delves into the shifting support for the Liberals and Conservatives, influenced by regional trends and U.S. politics. Coletto discusses the importance of consistent messaging for candidates while navigating voter sentiment that favors change. He also explores the challenges facing the Conservative Party and the implications of provincial interests on national unity.

The federal parties are putting the final touches on their election campaigns. What just recently seemed like an easy victory for the Conservatives is no longer so certain. This week, several public opinion polls had the Liberal ahead and in majority territory.  Canada’s 45th general election will be an unexpectedly tight race. This week on “It’s Political,” Toronto Star Ottawa bureau reporters unpack the strategies of the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens going into this campaign. Then, three conservative former strategists join Althia to discuss leader Pierre Poilievre’s response to new Liberal Leader Mark Carney. Is Poilievre’s strategy working? Does it need to change? In this episode: Melanie Paradis, the president of texture communications and a former deputy campaign director to former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole; Rudy Husny, a former Conservative leadership candidate and a former advisor in Stephen Harper’s government; Evan Menzies, a vice-president at Crestview Strategy and a former director of communications for the United Conservative Party of Alberta; as well as Toronto Star Ottawa reporters Raisa Patel, Ryan Tumilty and Mark Ramzy. Hosted by Althia Raj. 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. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CTV, CBC and Fox News, and the Parliamentary Press Gallery.