It's Political with Althia Raj

• The Conservatives attempt to rewrite their playbook

  For the past two years, the Conservatives drove home the message that things were “broken” in Canada and that the governing Liberals, specifically Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was to blame. Whether it was branding the rising cost of living  ‘Justinflation’ or blaming those costs on the Liberals’ carbon price and urging Canadians to ‘Axe the Tax,’ the Tories’ messaging was working perfectly fine. Then U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House and, with that, a new obstacle blocked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's path to power. Trump says he's serious about annexing Canada through economic means. His threats to impose across-the-board tariffs have already caused panic in this country, and it's led to a bounce in the polls for the federal Liberals. Though the Conservatives had enjoyed a 27-point lead over the Liberals for a while, a Leger poll this week seemed to confirm a new trend: a single-digit gap between both parties — and if Mark Carney led the  Liberals, the possibility the Grits could win. With Trudeau’s resignation, and Liberal leadership candidates pledging to axe-the-tax, those issues are now off the table. Is it Trump's return that changes the ballot question for the next Federal election? Does winning now depend on whether the Conservatives can be seen as the best defenders of Canada against an unpredictable threat coming from our southern border? In this episode of “It’s Political,” Pollara Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold and 338canada.com’s editor-in-chief Philippe J. Fournier join us for a deep dive on what the numbers really signal. Then, we’ll explore the current challenges facing Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative party with Toronto Star Ottawa reporters Raisa Patel and Ryan Tumilty, along with Radio-Canada’s Christian Noël. In this episode: Pollara Strategic Insight’s Chief Strategy Officer Dan Arnold, 338canada.com Editor-in-Chief and Politico Contributor Philippe J. Fournier; Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Raisa Patel; Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty; and Radio-Canada parliamentary bureau journalist Christian Noël. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, Fox News, CBC, CTV, Radio-Canada, Global News, CP24, Toronto Sun, the X accounts of Pierre Poilievre, Chrystia Freeland, and Mark Carney, and Poilievre’s YouTube account. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

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• No traitors but many concerns: Foreign Interference Commission wraps up

  Two years ago bombshell allegations emerged suggesting foreign actors were succeeding in influencing Canadian electoral contests and Canadian parliamentarians. Media reports suggested the Liberal government hadn’t done enough to warn the public or even MPs about the matter, and a political debate emerged about how best to get to the bottom of it. After a series of false starts, it was Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue who was appointed to investigate and weigh in with findings and recommendations.  Tuesday, Hogue issued her final report.  While Hogue left some questions answered, she came to a very different finding on a key matter involving foreign interference and parliamentarians. This week on “It’s Political,” we unpack what we learned from Hogue’s report and what it says about where foreign interference threats now lie.  Then NDP MP Charlie Angus joins us to discuss what he see as the next and most concerning phase of foreign interference. Hint: it’s at your fingertips.  In this episode: The Center for International Governance Innovation’s senior fellow Wesley Wark, Timmins—James Bay NDP MP Charlie Angus, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, Global, ABC and CTV. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

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• How Trudeau’s departure and Trump’s tariffs change political calculations

  The 2025 political landscape is looking very different than it did just a few weeks ago. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pending resignation, the prorogation of Parliament, and the sudden Liberal leadership race has offered the Grits a new lifeline.  U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to hit Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on Feb. 1 also offers the political parties another chance at reframing themselves and what they want the ballot question to be at the next election, whether that’s in eight weeks or eight months.  This week on “It’s Political,” former Conservative party campaign director Fred DeLorey, former Prime Minister's Office head of policy and cabinet affairs Marci Surkes and former NDP press secretary Allison Gifford join Althia to talk about the shifting landscape and what it means for the major players.  But first, Future Borders Coalition’s Laura Dawson explains what Trump’s latest threats could mean for Canada, and how best to brace for the impact. In this episode: Compass Rose Group chief strategy officer and former senior advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Marci Surkes; NorthStar Public Affairs chair Fred DeLorey; Clear Strategy vice-president of public policy Allison Gifford; and Future Borders Coalition executive director Laura Dawson. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CP24 and the White House.  This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton.  Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

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• Fielding reader questions — from Freeland’s resignation to the Trump threat

  It’s been an eventful year in Canadian politics — from Chrystia Freeland’s bombshell resignation, to allegations of foreign interference involving Parliamentarians, to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming return to the White House. As 2024 draws to a close, the Star’s Ottawa bureau takes your questions and looks back on the year that was and what we can expect in 2025.  In this episode: Ottawa bureau reporters Raisa Patel, Ryan Tumilty, and Mark Ramzy. Hosted by Althia Raj. Some of the clips this week were sourced from the House of Commons, CPAC, CP24, the Canadian Press, and CBC. This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

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• How prepared is the Canadian military for the threats we face?

  United States President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House is renewing pressure on Canada to focus more on defense spending and border security. In February, Trump warned NATO members that if they didn’t pay their fair share — spending 2 per cent of their country’s GDP on their military — they should not assume the U.S. would leap to their defence.  In July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada would meet the 2 per cent target, but only in 2032. The Liberals have invested billions to update the Canadian Armed Forces, but decades of underinvestment have led to serious capability gaps. This week, on “It’s Political,” we take a look at the state of the Canadian Armed Forces and ask how prepared Canada is for the threats we face. First, we’ll hear from experts: Canadian Army Commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Carleton University Associate Professor Philippe Lagassé, University of Calgary Associate Professor Rob Huebert, Observatory on Politics and Security in the Arctic Director Mathieu Landriault, Canadian Global Affairs Institute President David Perry, Royal Military College of Canada Professor Jane Boulden, and retired Royal Canadian Air Force brigadier general Kevin Whale. Then, Althia will sit down with National Defence Minister Bill Blair.  Some of the clips this week were sourced from the House of Commons, CPAC, the Halifax International Security Forum, the CBC, CTV, Global, NBC and ABC.  This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton.  Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

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