The latest questions about his support from China and his corporate tax dodging have had Mark Carney stumbling and snapping at reporters, even suspending his campaign to seek refuge in the image-friendly prime minister’s office. But the bigger question is whether he can avoid fumbling his front-runner status in the last two weeks of the campaign, as Brian discusses in our weekly election panel with Tasha Kheiriddin and Stuart Thomson from Postmedia’s Political Hack newsletter. They also consider whether Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s campaign will finally get the boost it needs with the coming leaders’ debates after weeks of struggling against U.S. President Donald Trump’s intrusions and irksome infighting conservative infighting. (Recorded April 11, 2025)
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56:32
The Conservative gains the Liberal-led polls could be missing
Things are happening in the election campaigns behind the headlines that may reveal a different version of what’s showing up in the polls. Stuart Thomson and Tasha Kheiriddin, the team behind Political Hack, Postmedia’s politics insider newsletter, join Brian to talk about some of the challenges inside Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s campaign, which Stuart travelled with this week. Brian and Stuart discuss the fragility of a Liberal polling lead that relies on President Donald Trump’s seemingly softening tariff attack, while Stuart talks vulnerabilities in Carney’s campaigning abilities. And Tasha and Brian consider the supporters who might not be counted in surveys, and could be Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s secret weapon. (Recorded April 4, 2025)
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59:58
Conservatives are caught in a perfect electoral storm, but aren’t blown away yet
In any other election the kind of poll numbers Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are putting up would be cause for celebration. And their campaign so far has been perfectly executed, as Stuart Thomson and Tasha Kheiriddin from Postmedia’s Political Hack newsletter discuss with Brian this week. Meanwhile Liberal Leader Mark Carney has stumbled and underwhelmed. But the dynamics of this race in the first week played entirely to the Liberals’ sole advantage and they’re dominating the polls. So far Conservatives have mostly stuck to their main pre-Donald Trump message of affordability and change. On our Election 2025 panel this week, Tasha, Stuart and Brian hash out whether Conservatives should pivot or stay focused, while waiting (and hoping) for a shift in voters’ thinking. (Recorded March 28, 2025)
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53:41
We’re still being deceived about the carbon tax
It’s finally dead… or is it? New Liberal Leader Mark Carney reduced the carbon-tax rate to zero before calling an election, but as Franco Terrazzano tells Brian, there are still questions about what Canadians will pay. Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, is author of the new book Axing the Tax. He discusses how the federal Liberal government snuck in the carbon tax and managed to convince everyone (even Conservatives!) that it was popular, effective and affordable — until a new Tory leader, Pierre Poilievre, exposed the lie. Now Carney wants a tougher business carbon tax claiming it’s necessary not for the environment, but for trade. And again, Terrazzano says, Liberals are hiding the truth about what it will really cost us all. (Recorded March 20, 2025)
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46:09
Liberals can win with Trump’s foreign interference
Canada’s crucial relationship with the U.S. is in its worst crisis ever. And Mark Carney’s first urgent trip as prime minister is … to Europe. Brian talks with John Ivison and Lorne Gunter this week to assess Carney’s first curious moves as the newly selected Liberal leader. But while Carney’s already saddled with loads of negative baggage — and just added more with some cabinet picks — none of it may matter, they say. Climate-regulatory alarmism like Trudeau on steroids? Weak French? Soft on crime? Cosy with China? Carney can skate past all of it by calling an election soon, as long as Trump keeps threatening us and Liberals keep persuading voters Carney’s the right man to handle him. (Recorded March 14, 2025)
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Full Comment is Canada’s podcast for compelling interviews, controversial opinions and fascinating discussions. Hosted by Brian Lilley. Published by Postmedia, new episodes are released each Monday.
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