Front Burner

For the first time in 22 years, Canada has released a new national security strategy. The 13-page document lays out the government’s goals and priorities for, as they put it, a “stronger Canada”. It covers everything from military spending and protecting the Arctic to bolstering Canada’s intelligence services and vaccine procurement.

But as Canada puts up its defences, is it losing sight of itself? Our guest, former Foreign Affairs Minister and retired chair of the World Refugee and Migration Council, Lloyd Axworthy, wrote a piece for the Toronto Star headlined, “Mark Carney has flipped the plan on how to protect Canada and here is why I’m concerned.”

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

The federal budget was unveiled Thursday afternoon, and it lays out some of the big bets the Carney government plans on making in the years ahead. A $36-billion tax break to kickstart an “investment supercycle”. A number of affordability measures. A plan to end homelessness within a decade.

But those bets also raise some uncomfortable questions.

Can we really fast track huge nation building projects and still hit our climate goals? How much debt are we taking on to pay for it all? And will any of this actually make life more affordable?

CBC senior parliamentary writer Aaron Wherry was in the budget lockup, and he’s here to break it all down.

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

In the wake of the Democratic sweep of the U.S. midterms, we take a deeper look at the factors that got us here, from Iran to data centres. We also examine what could come next from a rejected Republican Party and a blue Congress.

David A. Graham joins us. He's a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America.

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

Trump-backed picks lost and Republican strongholds crumbled as Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate.

Alex Shephard, senior editor at The New Republic, is here. We talk about some of the stunning Democrat wins, like Texas and South Carolina. How will they wield their newfound power?

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

As the U.S. voters head to the midterm polls, Republican candidates and leaders are targeting Muslim and Arab Americans casting them as suspect, questioning their loyalties, and their place in American life.

Much of this has centred on Michigan Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and Minnesota Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, but they are not alone.

Today, we take a closer look at Islamophobia on the Republican campaign trail and ask how anti-Muslim fear, skepticism and hate can be cultivated and used for political ends.

Moustafa Bayoumi is a professor of English at Brooklyn College and the author of 'How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America.' He's our guest today.

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