Party Lines

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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney continues to face criticism from all sides for his handling of the pandemic in the prairie province, where doctors are begging for an immediate lockdown as the health care system remains on the brink of collapse. Other premiers and leaders across the country have not faced the same kind of crisis in this fourth wave — how did Alberta get here, and what happens next? Rosie and Elamin also look ahead to what priorities Justin Trudeau is hoping to tackle as his Liberal Party will continue to govern and as Parliament is set to return before the end of the fall. Party Lines is also saying farewell for now — but you can expect to hear Elamin and Rosie back here in your feeds, whenever the next federal election rolls around.

Now that Rosie and Elamin have mostly — mostly — caught up on sleep after Monday’s big night, they’re ready to look ahead at what happens next. Sure, this new Parliament may look pretty similar to the last, but each federal party now has plenty of questions to grapple with: how do the Liberals move forward with their agenda in another minority? Will the Conservative Party have to re-identify who they are? Will the NDP devise a list of demands they expect the Liberals to fulfill in order to secure their support? And what happens next with the Green Party, and the People’s Party of Canada? As Rosie points out, there’s an endless stream of stories to follow once an election wraps up — and a new Parliament could very well bring significant change to this country.

This is it: the final stretch before election day. Rosie and Elamin have noticed that the major party leaders have shifted their tone into more negative territory this week — but does that risk alienating voters and reaffirming the worst feelings people have about politics? And what about the risk of people feeling more divided than ever before? Elamin also breaks down some of the biggest differences between what the major parties are putting on the table as they continue to court voters, and Rosie maps out what she’ll be watching for, come Monday evening (which could, potentially, be a very late night).

Tonight, five federal party leaders go head-to-head in the sole official English-language debate of this election. Elamin and Rosie lay out the stakes — which are much higher this side of Labour Day — and look at whether tonight’s event could have a greater impact than most leaders’ debates of the past. The two also take stock of the latest issues to add pressure to party leaders in recent days, including gun control, continued protests over vaccines and carbon pricing. How are the major federal leaders responding, with less than two weeks to go?

We heard you loud and clear: climate change is a top issue for many Party Lines listeners. This week, Rosie and Elamin dive into what the major parties are promising when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and examine how the climate change conversation on this campaign trail is pretty different, compared to 2019. And before they get into that: the two dissect the recent shift in tone, as groups of protesters continue to direct anger over vaccines at Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. What impact might this have, politically, on the rest of the campaign? Could vaccines and COVID-19 drive the final weeks of this election?

We’re two weeks (out of five!) into this federal election campaign, and while parties have so far attempted to push a whole range of issues to the forefront, there was one that dominated the conversation early this week: health care. Rosie and Elamin get to the root of why, exactly, the Liberals and Conservatives appeared at odds over this, and what prescriptions leaders are pitching to improve Canada’s health-care system. The two also take a close look at the Conservative Party’s recent gains in the polls and what’s changed in the last couple of weeks as the Tories aim to make Erin O'Toole a household name.

They’re back! Rosie and Elamin have tossed the rest of their summer plans out the window and are settling in for a five-week federal election campaign that will culminate in a trip to the polls September 20. They kick things off with a close look at what might be the biggest question on a lot of people’s minds: why are we even having an election right now, anyway? With COVID-19 still present, wildfires raging in parts of the country and many would-be voters still in summer vacation mode, it’s understandable that you might’ve even missed that an election was called. Elamin and Rosie have got you covered: they’ll set the stage for Canada’s 44th federal election and look ahead to what issues could ultimately take centre stage in this campaign.

Welcome to Party Lines! Co-hosts Rosemary Barton and Elamin Abdelmahmoud demystify Canadian politics, one issue at a time. Because talking politics is for everyone.

The way Elamin sees it, this Canada Day comes after a year full of questions that included: what is Canada about? And who is Canada for? As Indigenous leaders call for reflection today, and as some cities opt to pull back on celebrations, Rosie and Elamin look at the politics involved in the decision on how to mark July 1 this year. And before pausing for the summer — they’ll be back in August! — the two explore another big-picture question: what will Canada look like, coming out of this pandemic? The past year has also forced the country to face inequalities underscored by COVID-19. What will be asked of governments once the virus is in the rearview?

Questions about a possible trip to the polls have been floating around Ottawa for months, but election speculation hit a new level this week as the House of Commons prepared to break for the summer. Rosie and Elamin point out a few key signs that an election may be nigh — and take stock of where the federal parties currently sit. Plus: as the country hits a milestone of more than 20 per cent of eligible Canadians fully vaccinated, you might be wondering — what are you allowed to do, following your second dose? Our neighbours to the south have been benefiting from such guidance, but Canadian federal health officials have not yet released any national guidelines, saying it can’t exactly be a one-size-fits-all approach. After months of following detailed public health rules, would more post-vaccination guidance help ease the transition into a further re-opened world?

On this week's podcast, Rosie and Elamin discuss the Ontario government's use of the notwithstanding clause for the first time in the province's history. Why did the Ford government resort to the constitutional "nuclear option," and how have other provinces used it or threatened to use it? The hosts break it down. And it's been a week for the federal Green Party. Leader Annamie Paul had a member of her caucus cross the floor to the Liberals, and now she's under fire from some party members for how she's handled disagreements within the Greens — especially when it comes to the issue of Israel and the Palestinians. Rosie and Elamin discuss how the party ended up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and how Paul has handled a still unfolding crisis.

In the wake of a fatal attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont., we've heard some familiar sentiments: “This is not who we are.” “This is not what Canada is about.” “This cannot happen here.” Elamin Abdelmahmoud, who brings lived experience to this conversation, wants to unpack some of that language — and discuss how it squares with the main messages coming from federal politicians of all political stripes. Nearly all party leaders condemned Islamophobia in general at a massive vigil earlier this week, but most carefully avoided mention of specific policy and legislation (like Quebec’s controversial Bill 21, or the 2017 anti-Islamophobia motion M-103.) Plus, Rosie Barton connects the dots to last week's conversation about reconciliation, and how this country talks about its past, especially the residential school system. As statues like that of Egerton Ryerson continue to topple, she wonders how Canada plans to move the conversation beyond monuments and names on buildings.

It’s a heavy one this week, as Elamin and Rosie explore the state of Canada’s path to reconciliation with the help of CBC colleague Duncan McCue. Over the past week, many people across the country have reacted with shock and horror at the preliminary discovery on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., where the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation said they found the potential remains of possibly as many as 215 children in an undocumented burial site. But is the news surprising, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission told Canadians more than five years ago it had documented the deaths of at least 3,200 Indigenous children, with likely thousands more yet to be acknowledged? The three take stock of the reaction across the country this week, and what it says about Canadians’ understanding of the reality — and the urgency — of the issue of residential schools. A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. Access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419. An earlier version of this podcast misattributed the quote indicating the goal of residential schools was "to kill the Indian in the child." That error has been fixed.

Anytime the words “Quebec” and “Constitution” come up in political conversation, it’s usually a pretty big deal — and, historically, it’s led to some pretty divisive situations. So why aren’t more federal politicians making noise over Quebec’s proposed Bill 96, which aims to strengthen provincial language laws and tweak Canada’s Constitution to recognize Quebec as a nation? Rosie and Elamin lay out the political stakes and connect the dots to the next eventual election. Plus: as other provinces unveil their summer reopening plans, Manitoba is running out of hospital beds — sending some COVID-19 patients as far away as Ottawa. The two look at how and why Manitoba is the latest province to face a devastating third wave of the pandemic.

This week, U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to ship 20 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines to countries that need them — meaning our southern neighbours will be sending abroad a total of 80 million shots by the end of June. This comes just days after the WHO urged rich countries like Canada and the U.S. to consider sharing shots before vaccinating its youngest citizens. As Canada gets closer to surpassing the U.S. in administering first doses, should the federal government follow Biden’s lead and consider sending shots to countries that haven’t yet had the chance to protect their citizens? Or does a government’s own citizens need to be taken care of first? Rosie and Elamin also can’t help but notice how the U.S. is reopening far faster than Canada, even as Quebec (and a few weeks ago, Saskatchewan) unveiled its plan to ease restrictions and allow, for example, restaurants and gyms to welcome people indoors as soon as the end of May. Will governments be able to manage the patience of Canadians over the coming months?

For weeks, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been urging the federal government to tighten border restrictions in an effort to prevent more cases of COVID-19 from entering Canada. But how much is travel influencing the spread of the virus in this third wave? Elamin and Rosie take stock of what the federal government has implemented up to this point, and weigh Ontario’s asks against the latest data. The two also dive into the hullabaloo surrounding Bill C-10, the government’s broadcasting bill, and the confusion over whether it would involve regulating people who post to YouTube and TikTok. Rosie and Elamin break down what’s at the core of the proposed legislation, and what’s at stake politically.

For months, the Prime Minister has said that the best COVID-19 vaccine is the first one that’s offered to you. If you’ve been watching the headlines this week, that might have felt hard to square with the message brought forward by the independent body of experts offering guidance on approved vaccines (you may know them as the National Advisory Committee on Immunization). NACI this week reiterated their position that mRNA shots — like those from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna — are their “preferred vaccines” over viral vector shots like AstraZeneca, because of the latter’s rare risk of blood clots. But as Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam underscored this week, it all comes down to weighing that risk against the risk of contracting COVID-19. Elamin and Rosie realize it’s a lot of information for anyone to navigate, which has them wondering: if NACI’s main role is to provide recommendations to those distributing vaccines, namely provinces and territories — should this committee be speaking directly to Canadians? Rosie and Elamin also turn their attention to Alberta, which is experiencing the highest active case rate per capita compared to any other province or U.S. state. Premier Jason Kenney has announced a new round of public health restrictions, after facing criticism over waiting too long to enact further measures — and additional criticism from even inside his own caucus, as some MLAs have condemned further restrictions. How can Alberta climb out of this?

After months of mounting pressure from opposition parties, scientific advisers, labour groups and local medical officers of health across the province, the Ontario government has unveiled a plan to provide three paid sick days by reimbursing employers through a temporary pandemic program that will run through to September. Does it meet what many have been calling for? Rosie and Elamin take a close look at the proposal and how Doug Ford’s government handled the highly anticipated announcement on Wednesday. The two also reflect on a story that held the attention of many people this week: the death of 13-year-old Emily Viegas in Brampton, Ontario, one of the youngest Canadians to die of COVID-19. Elamin and Rosie examine whether enough messaging is getting through about the severity of this variant-driven third wave of the pandemic.