The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge

Today an encore presentation of an episode that originally aired on January 30th. We ask Dr Samantha Nutt of War Child Canada to break down her most recent trip to South Sudan, basically to take us with her. So get your maps ready because this will bring you into the heart of one of the most challenging places on earth -- thousands of dead, millions of displaced .. many facing civil war and starvation.

It's said that half the countries in the world that have elections will have them this year. But it seems that in many of those countries the incumbent party is in trouble and set to lose. Why? Our guest, Andrew MacDougall, knows politics as a former Director of Communications for Stephen Harper while Harper was prime minister, and is now a consultant for the Trafalgar Strategy Group in London, England.

An exchange over the weekend has set the relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden in a very hard place. Biden first gave an interview on Saturday night and then Netanyahu responded on Sunday. The two men, it seems, couldn't be further apart on how to resolve the crisis in Israel and Gaza. Today, Janice Stein deconstructs the interview with Biden that started the weekend back and forth. Plus we unveil the question of the week!

Is he just too old, stumbling and incoherent? Not last night it seems. Joe Biden's energetic State of the Union address last night is getting mostly positive reviews and may have given him at least temporary relief from the wolves that seemed poised to ruin his re-election bid.  Bruce and Susan (filling in for Chantal) start with that and quickly move into Canadian politics -- a convincing Conservative by-election win, and how long can the government sustain increased spending? 

The passing of Brian Mulroney had many of you thinking about the country's prime ministers and suggesting who was the most consequential. We have your answers on this week's Your Turn. Plus a very personal commentary from the Random Ranter this week, one many will identify with.

Listen to Peter Mansbridge's chat with Former Prime Minster of Canada Brian Mulroney in South Africa in 2013 for the CBC.

When Brian Mulroney passed last week so did an era in Canadian politics. But did some of the lessons of leadership that he possessed carry on to new generations of leadership? Conservative James Moore and Liberal Gerald Butts carry on their non partisan conversations on The Bridge, started in 2022, this week with the Mulroney legacy as the topic.  

For the first time since Oct 7, a split is open and obvious in the Israeli war cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Benny Gantz is heading to meetings in Washington against his prime minister's wishes raising questions about Israeli government solidarity and what it means to the situation on the ground in Gaza. All this while a new temporary truce seems imminent. Janice Stein gives us her take on the situation.

The 18th prime minister of Canada was a force, a huge force. He changed the country in many ways, some worked, some didn't. He was also a major force on the international stage for himself and for Canada. Today the full hour on Brian Mulroney with Bruce, and filling in for a vacationing Chantal, the Toronto Star's Susan Delacourt. 

The question this week was this: Name the one thing you would do to improve health care in Canada". You obviously care about this issue as most research shows health care is one of the top items bothering Canadians, and your letters show that you have ideas for solutions.  Lots of ideas.  Plus the Random Ranter has the issue that's on his mind this week.

When the longtime CBC news anchor began his career as a reporter in the early 1970's, giving people the news was among the most trusted and important occupations in the country. When he retired in 2017, it was the era of "fake news", as trust in the media was at an all-time low. Seven years later, it's even lower than that.

So what happened? Did the media lose people's trust? Did the internet do it for them? How does a legendary face of Canadian news grapple with the fact that, if he were in the chair today, less than half of Canadians would trust the news he delivered? Can anything be done to fix it? Or is it already too late?

GUEST: Peter Mansbridge, former anchor of CBC's The National, host of The Bridge podcast

The statistics are surprising to say the least. Wildfires are burning in different parts of the country already, some have been burning through the winter.  Are we prepared for what seems almost certain to come from fires to drought? Chris Hatch covers climate for the National Observer from Vancouver and he's our guest.

They've been going on for months now, but what's really happening inside the Gaza Peace Talks and are things close to resolution. We've been here before but never clinched a deal. Could this be different? Janice Stein is with us for her regular Monday briefing.  Plus we reveal our question of the week!

Little things can make a difference is the old saying. And this week a little thing seemed to have some people wondering whether the Liberals have given up any chance of winning the next election. Chantal and Bruce have their thoughts on that and a lot of other things from Ukraine, Pierre Poilievre to walks in the snow.  

A potpourri of concerns this week as the question was pretty general -- What's On Your Mind? Most deal with concerns about the world stage and specifically how desperate things look to many of you. Letters from across the country today, plus a commentary you won't soon forget from the Random Ranter.

Today an encore presentation of an episode that originally aired on January 2nd. Watergate and Richard Nixon brought him fame, and fifty years later Bob Woodward is still doing the journalism that is chasing another U.S. President.  A wide-ranging interview to kick off another year of The Bridge -- Woodward's take on everything from Donald Trump to the state of the media.

This weekend marks the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now experts worry whether this prolonged conflict could threaten the future of world peace. Today a special edition of the Bridge that brings together two of our favourite foreign affairs experts. Veteran correspondent and author Brian Stewart and internationally respected analyst Janice Stein. Their thoughts on where we are entering the third year of a major European based war.

Today an encore presentation of an episode that originally aired on February 6th. It's Black History Month in Canada but what do we really know about black history in our country?  And more importantly, what should we know? This is an important and fascinating conversation with McGill University professor Debra Thompson, recognized around North America as an expert analyst on race politics.

Two potholes for the Liberals in their path to try and find recovery.  One serious. A scandal that could last a while. The other perhaps not so much. Plus the ugliness surrounding demonstrations in Canada on both sides of the Israel-Hamas war -- what does it say about the country. Plus a lot more with Bruce and Chantal.

This week's question was simple -- what one thing would you do to improve air travel in Canada? Your answers certainly show what concerns you most and it has to do with baggage. Lots of entries today competing for the first place prize! Also the Random Ranter takes his swing at auto theft -- what he thinks the real problem is.