Power & Politics

David McGuinty, Federal Defence Minister, explains Canada will not join the Iran offensive. Katie Simpson, Doha reporter, files on strikes and regional security. Lisa Raitt, former Conservative minister, and Nathan Cullen, former NDP MP, debate political and NATO implications. Emily Nicola and Supriya D. offer political commentary. Éric Grenier discusses surprising Liberal polling gains and what it means for upcoming byelections.

Katie Simpson, CBC reporter in Doha, brings on-the-ground accounts of missile alerts and Gulf disruptions. Don Drummond, economist at Queen's, breaks down inflation quirks and how rising oil could push prices up. They discuss U.S. appeals for help in the Strait of Hormuz, allied reluctance, NATO tensions, and risks to regional security in concise, on-the-ground and economic perspectives.

Michael Solberg, former Conservative staffer and commentator, provides conservative analysis. Zain Velji, ex-Alberta NDP strategist, offers a New Democrat perspective. Carleen Varion, former Liberal chief of staff, breaks down parliamentary strategy. They debate NDP floor crossing and decline. They weigh Liberal momentum, Conservative responses, leadership timing, regional dynamics, and what reshaped progressive politics could mean.

R.J. Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories, talks about federal plans for $35 billion in northern defence and infrastructure and how that could affect local development. Ian Bremmer, founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, provides geopolitical analysis of the Iran war, global pressure points and prospects for de-escalation. Multiple short, focused conversations tie the economic shock and international security issues together.

Cameron Ahmed (former communications lead), Lisa Raitt (ex‑Conservative cabinet minister), Andrew Thompson (former NDP minister), Emily Nicola (columnist), Gary Anandasangaree (Federal Public Safety Minister) and David Common (CBC reporter in Amman) discuss Iran's threats to the Strait of Hormuz and risks of mines. They cover oil price shocks, how that could affect Canadian production and affordability, and political and policy responses at home.

Lori Idlout, MP for Nunavut who switched from NDP to Liberal, speaks about northern priorities like food security. John Main, Premier of Nunavut, discusses local impacts, infrastructure and hopes for investment. Heather McPherson, NDP MP and leadership candidate from Alberta, talks party rebuilding, caucus dynamics and northern issues. Multiple short conversations explore the political ripple effects and regional stakes.

Claudio Papa, cybersecurity and privacy expert, weighs in on TikTok monitoring versus bans. Don Davies, interim NDP leader and MP, condemns shifting government support for strikes and questions legality. Patty Hajdu, federal minister for jobs and families, outlines $228.8M ‘insurance policy’ to reskill tariff-affected workers. They discuss worker supports, trade negotiations, regional conflict responses, and digital privacy safeguards.

Iran announced Monday that the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, will be his successor. The Stimson Center's Randa Slim and NATO Defense College fellow Bessma Momani discuss how the selection of a hardliner with 'revenge intentions' could impact Iran's approach to the war. Plus, as Prime Minister Mark Carney calls three byelections, The Writ's Éric Grenier breaks down the challenge the Liberals could face in winning all three ridings to pass the threshold for a majority in the House of Commons.

Michael Solberg, former Harper staffer turned commentator on party strategy. Zain Velji, ex-Alberta NDP strategist focused on messaging and trade. Laura D'Angelo, Trudeau-era advisor skilled in federal communications. They spar over Mark Carney’s shifting Iran statements. They weigh trade wins from his overseas trip and debate substance versus photo-ops on the international stage.

In the first high-level trade meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump called off negotiations with Canada in October, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Friday. CBC's Kate McKenna reports the few details we've received surrounding the meeting, and former prime minister Justin Trudeau's deputy chief of staff Brian Clow previews what to expect from the CUSMA talks with Trump this month. Plus, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield led one of the lawsuits that saw the U.S. Supreme Court strike down Trump's broadest tariffs, and explains his argument as he leads a 24-state lawsuit against the tariffs Trump used to replace them.