ottawapolitics

It’s been quite a tumultuous year in federal politics, from allegations of foreign interference involving China and India, to the expansion of industrial and dental subsidies, and a rejigging of public support for Canada’s two main parties. We asked Toronto Star readers and “It’s Political” podcast listeners for their questions — and received many probing queries about themes from the last year, especially about the influence of Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre on Canadian politics and the future of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We gathered a few of our parliamentary journalists to answer them.

In this episode: National Columnist Susan Delacourt, Ottawa deputy bureau chief Stephanie Levitz and reporter Mark Ramzy join host Althia Raj.

Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, CTV, Global, the NDP’s Instagram account, Rex Murphy’s Full Comment podcast and Pierre Poilievre’s Facebook page.

This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Michal Stein. Kevin Sexton mixed the program. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Guest: Susan Delacourt, national columnist

Wednesday’s oath-taking ceremony at Rideau Hall marked one of the most significant cabinet shuffles of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s eight-year tenure, a move that’s being framed as a game changer ahead of a pivotal moment. Seven newcomers were welcomed to the front bench, seven were dropped and almost 30 out of 38 ministries saw big changes. The Liberals have positioned it as a crucial reboot of a team that will lead them to their fourth re-election. The opposition is not buying it, as ordinary Canadians are focused on the economy, health, and housing among other serious issues. Will this be enough to satisfy Canadian voters? We try to untangle the political knots.

Audio sources: CTV News, CPAC

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Raisa Patel, federal politics reporter

Bill C-11, Canada’s new Online Streaming Act, is now law. Considered a refresh to the outdated Broadcasting Act, there are still several questions about how this law will affect streaming platforms and what discoverability of Canadian-made content will look like. And what about cat videos? While the government insists the act doesn’t cover user-generated content, critics are not so sure.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: The Cat Academy/YouTube

This Matters would like to let you know about another Toronto Star podcast launching today. ‘It's Political with Althia Raj’ is the Star’s new Canadian politics podcast. Every two weeks, Raj brings listeners behind the scenes on Parliament Hill with exclusive interviews, in-depth reporting and thoughtful analysis. Join us as we explore the ins and the outs of the drama unfolding in Ottawa with humour and intelligence.The first episode drops Thursday, May 5. Listen and follow or subscribe at thestar.com/itspolitical.

Guests: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, along with Jennifer Howard, Singh’s chief of staff, NDP National Director Anne McGrath, Star columnist Susan Delacourt, former NDP staffer Brad Lavigne, Liberal Government House Leader Mark Holland and Abacus Data CEO David Coletto. Hosted by Althia Raj

This week on "It’s Political," we take stock of the NDP-Liberal supply and confidence agreement. First, with a behind-the-scenes look at how the deal came together, with the voices of those who did the negotiating. And then, we sit down with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. He accuses the Liberals of already breaking the spirit of the agreement, but hear why he’s not ready to pull the plug.