Front Burner

It wasn't too long ago that much of Canada's political class was united in their embrace of immigration to help grow the population and with it, the economy. Now, many of those same politicians are singing a different tune as it's regularly stated as fact that Canada's immigration consensus is broken.

Today, part one of a two-part documentary on the political 180 on immigration, how it happened so quickly, and what it means for Canada as the country shrinks its population for the first time in history.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

For more than a decade, Nigel Farage has been one of the most influential people in British politics. His anti-Europe crusade was key to securing Brexit. And up until recently, it seemed quite possible that his right-wing populist party, Reform UK, could win the next general election.

Then, Andy Burnham took over as the new Labour prime minister. And a string of financial scandals appeared to put the normally unflappable Farage on his heels.

In July, Farage quit his seat in parliament, saying he wanted voters to judge him in a "people versus the establishment" by-election. The other main political parties called it a stunt, and refused to put forward any candidates.

On Thursday, Farage will face off against his main opponent: a joke candidate who goes by Count Binface. Farage is expected to win, but will still face an investigation and possible suspension when he returns to parliament.

Sam Blewett is Politico’s UK Political Correspondent, and he joins guest host Jason Markusoff to discuss, with his approval rating at an all time low, whether Nigel Farage missed his moment.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

When Bashar al-Assad fled Syria in December 2024, it brought a sudden end to a family dynasty that had ruled the country for more than fifty years. The collapse of his government also prompted a new wave of reporting into the lives of the Assads — and particularly Bashar’s wife, Asma al-Assad.

Before she became Syria’s first lady, Asma was Emma Akhras, a British-born investment banker from West London. Once profiled by Vogue as a modernizing force and “a rose in the desert,” she became one of the most controversial figures of Assad's brutal dictatorship.

Chloe Hadjimatheou is The Observer's narrative editor and host of the podcast 'We Call Her Emma.' She joins guest host Jason Markusoff to discuss the transformation of Syria's former first lady and her complicity in her husband's regime.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

There's been talk of high-speed rain for generations in Canada and while there's been a lot of studies and political promises, there's not a lot to show for it.

Finally, plans are taking shape for the Alto high-speed rail project, which could get you from Toronto to Montreal in just 3 hours. Except well before construction begins, it's facing push back.

Farmers in Ontario and Quebec are worried about how the proposed route will affect their land. A growing chorus of politicians from the opposition Parti Quebecois to the federal Conservatives are pushing back on its massive price tag. And now, Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives in Ontario are also questioning the project.

The Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Rob Benzie joins guest host Jason Markusoff to tackle the question: could political disagreement derail this long-awaited train project?

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes throughout B.C. due to wildfires over the past week. The province warns that the fires could get worse in the coming days.

The list of communities devastated by wildfires, and the intensity of the fires themselves, keeps growing. What was once a rare event has become disturbingly common. So why haven't we figured out a better way to fight wildfires? And what could we be doing differently?

Mike Flannigan joins us to answer those questions. He's a professor of wildland fires at Thompson Rivers University and runs the Canada fire weather outlook.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts