Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the headlines of the week. This week, the Prime Minister speaks face-to-face with first responders who deal with the opioid crisis in Vancouver. We start our show with Health Minister Jane Philpott, who explains the government’s approach to the crisis—and also raises the possibility of shifting Canada’s legal smoking age to 21.

This week, the government tried to calm fears about the issue of asylum seekers crossing the border illegally from the U.S. into Canada. But some groups dealing with this influx are calling for more help from the feds. We hear the concerns of the executive director of the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council.

The Trudeau government once again goes to Washington. This week, while Parliament was on a break, a slew of MPs and a couple of cabinet ministers headed south of the border to engage in talks with U.S. lawmakers. The trip comes at a time when there are serious discussions about a new border tax. Joining us to talk about the trip is Wayne Easter, the chair of the Canada-U.S. parliamentary committee.

Reports suggest a key Donald Trump fundraiser is set to become the next U.S. ambassador to Canada. Maclean’s associate editor Shannon Proudfoot tells us more about Kelly Knight Craft, and finishes the show with this week’s Ottawa Power Rankings.

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The full episode

Part 1. Liberals confront the opioid crisis

Fentanyl pills are shown in a handout photo. Police say organized crime groups have been sending a potentially deadly drug through British Columbia to Alberta and Saskatchewan using hidden compartments in vehicles. (Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams/CP)

The Prime Minister speaks face-to-face with first responders who deal with the opioid crisis in Vancouver. We start our show with Health Minister Jane Philpott, who explains the government’s approach to the crisis—and also raises the possibility of shifting Canada’s legal smoking age to 21.

Part 2. What should Ottawa do about the border?

A sign is seen near Emerson, Man. Thursday, February 9, 2016. Refugees have been crossing the closed border port into Canada at Emerson and authorities had a town hall meeting in Emerson to discuss their options. (John Woods/CP)

This week, the government tried to calm fears about the issue of asylum seekers crossing the border illegally from the U.S. into Canada. But some groups dealing with this influx are calling for more help from the feds. We hear the concerns of the executive director of the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council.

Part 3. Ottawa makes inroads in D.C.

Inauguration ceremonies swearing in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States take place on the West front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2017. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

The Trudeau government once again goes to Washington. This week, while Parliament was on a break, a slew of MPs and a couple of cabinet ministers headed south of the border to engage in talks with U.S. lawmakers. The trip comes at a time when there are serious discussions about a new border tax. Joining us to talk about the trip is Wayne Easter, the chair of the Canada-U.S. parliamentary committee.

Part 4. America’s new face in Ottawa

The Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa, Ont., on July 4, 2016. (Lars Hagberg/CP)

Reports suggest a key Donald Trump fundraiser is set to become the next U.S. ambassador to Canada. Maclean’s associate editor Shannon Proudfoot tells us more about Kelly Knight Craft, and finishes the show with this week’s Ottawa Power Rankings.

The post Maclean’s on the Hill: Opioid crisis, Canada-U.S. relations appeared first on Macleans.ca.

Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the headlines of the week.

This week, the Trudeau government unveiled its new defence policy with a promise of pumping billions of new dollars into our armed forces to grow and modernize the military. To kick off our show we have an in depth interview with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who addresses concerns about this major new spending initiative, explains how cyber attacks could allow the military to disrupt organizations like ISIS, and defends the controversial decision to buy unmanned armed drones.

Meanwhile, ahead of the new defence policy, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland gave a speech in the House of Commons outlining the government’s foreign priorities, saying Canada can’t rely on the U.S. anymore for defence or global leadership. Maclean’s Senior Writer Paul Wells and Maclean’s Ottawa Bureau Chief John Geddes share their thoughts.

And we end off our show speaking with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. She was in Ottawa recently in her role as chair of the Global Partnership for Education and we spoke with her about how the Trudeau government can step up its efforts to educate children around the world.

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The full episode

Part 1. How will the government deliver on its $63 billion military promise?

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan addresses concerns about the government’s major new spending initiative.

Part 2 of our interview with Harjit Sajjan

(Chris Wattie/Reuters)

Harjit Sajjan explains how cyber attacks could allow the military to disrupt organizations like ISIS, and defends the controversial decision to buy unmanned armed drones.

Part 3. Canada’s role in a world without U.S. leadership

REUTERS/Chris Wattie

This week Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland gave a speech in the House of Commons outlining the government’s foreign priorities, saying Canada can’t rely on the U.S. anymore for defence or global leadership. Maclean’s Senior Writer Paul Wells and Maclean’s Ottawa Bureau Chief John Geddes share their thoughts.

Part 4. A call for Canada to play a bigger role in education around the world

iStock

We speak with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard who was in Ottawa recently in her role as chair of the Global Partnership for Education. She tells Ottawa Bureau Chief John Geddes that the Trudeau government should step up its efforts to educate children around the world.

The post A new vision for Canada’s foreign policy: Maclean’s on the Hill appeared first on Macleans.ca.

Listen below to the final episode of Maclean’s on the Hill, hosted by Rogers Radio’s Cormac Mac Sweeney—and featuring interviews with Maclean’s staff and major players on Parliament Hill.

As Cormac signed off for the final time, he left listeners with this message:

This episode is the last of Maclean’s on the Hill. It’s been a heck of a ride since we launched this show back in 2014. We’ve covered everything from cabinet shuffles to political scandals to historic election wins, and of course each week we tried to bring you some in-depth analysis of the top political stories.

We’ve had a lot of contributors over the years, but I do want to thank our former colleague, Aaron Wherry, who helped get this idea off the ground; Paul Wells, for his intelligent insights; and of course, Maclean’s Ottawa bureau chief John Geddes, for the incredible hard work and wonderful interviews that he’s provided throughout the run of the show.

The reason why I wanted to help launch this show 176 episodes ago is that I wanted to tell much more about the stories from Parliament Hill, to get into the finer details that you don’t always get to here about in the regular daily news coverage, and as well to give you a different perspective on the issues that matter to every Canadian. The basic goal of journalism is to inform the public, and I truly hope that over the last few years, through Maclean’s on the Hill, we’ve been able to give you the facts, opinions and analysis that allow you to have a better idea of how political policies, decisions and actions impact your life.

While this show may be ending, the news watch never stops. Keep listening to News 95.7, 1310News, 57 News, 680News, 660News or News1130, or keep clicking on macleans.ca for all of your news needs.

But before we go, I do want to say that none of this would be possible without you, the listener. So whether you’ve been tuning in from the start, or you’re one of the many people who have joined us in the past year, I want to say from the bottom of my heart: thank you. Thank you for listening to Maclean’s on the Hill.

The post The best Trudeau impression you’ve ever heard: Maclean’s on the Hill appeared first on Macleans.ca.

Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the headlines of the week. This week, the clock started ticking on NAFTA renegotiations. The Trump administration formally gave 90-day notice to launch trade talks with Canada and Mexico. Now that the trigger has been pulled, what is the Trudeau government in for—and how should it handle these critical economic negotiations? We speak with John Weekes, Canada’s chief negotiator during the first NAFTA deal.

Are the federal government and the province of Saskatchewan heading to a legal battle over carbon pricing? Premier Brad Wall called a recently released discussion paper on the carbon pricing plan a ransom note, and threatened a court challenge. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna joins us to say the announcement is not meant as a pressure tactic, and she’s confident the feds are standing on solid constitutional ground.

The Trudeau government is planning to make a formal apology to the LGBTQ2 community by the end of the year. But critics are wondering why it’s taking so long, and where the details are about pardons and compensation. MP Randy Boissonnault, the Prime Minister’s special adviser on LGBTQ2 issues, joins the show to explain the government’s plan.

Finally, we end our show with the Ottawa Power Rankings, which let you know the three political stars—and the three duds—over the last week.

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The full episode

Part 1. What’s next on Canada-U.S. trade?

U.S. President Donald Trump points to the audience at the conclusion of the United States Coast Guard Academy Commencement Ceremony in New London, Connecticut U.S., May 17, 2017. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

The clock started ticking on NAFTA renegotiations. The Trump administration formally gave 90-day notice to launch trade talks with Canada and Mexico. Now that the trigger has been pulled, what is the Trudeau government in for—and how should it handle these critical economic negotiations? We speak with John Weekes, Canada’s chief negotiator during the first NAFTA deal.

Part 2. The latest federal-provincial showdown

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall arrives for a meeting of provincial premiers in Whitehorse, Yukon, Thursday, July 21, 2016. (Jonathan Hayward/CP)

Are the federal government and the province of Saskatchewan heading to a legal battle over carbon pricing? Premier Brad Wall called a recently released discussion paper on the carbon pricing plan a ransom note, and threatened a court challenge. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna joins us to say the announcement is not meant as a pressure tactic, and she’s confident the feds are standing on solid constitutional ground.

Part 3. When will the government apologize to LGBTQ2 Canadians?

CANADA, Montreal: Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau takes part in Montreal’s Pride Parade on August 14, 2016. The parade took place on Rene-Levesque st. A minute of silence was observed in memory of Orlando’s shooting victims. (Cristian Mijea/CP)

The Trudeau government is planning to make a formal apology to the LGBTQ2 community by the end of the year. But critics are wondering why it’s taking so long, and where the details are about pardons and compensation. MP Randy Boissonnault, the Prime Minister’s special adviser on LGBTQ2 issues, joins the show to explain the government’s plan.

Part 4. Shannon Proudfoot’s Ottawa Power Rankings

We end our show with the Ottawa Power Rankings, which let you know the three political stars—and the three duds—over the last week.

The post NAFTA renegotiation and a Prairie showdown: Maclean’s on the Hill appeared first on Macleans.ca.

Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac Mac Sweeney to discuss the headlines of the week. This week, a broken Promise. The Trudeau government has abandoned its commitment to change Canada’s voting system before the next election. The decision has outraged the opposition, but here to defend the move is the new Democratic Institutions Minister, Karina Gould.

In the wake of the massacre at a Quebec mosque, which left six people dead, there is now a spotlight on a growing problem in Canada: far-right extremism. We speak with expert Stephanie Carvin about the difficulties security agencies face in dealing with the far right, and the likelihood of further attacks.

We may be getting closer and closer to that first meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump. Former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson joins us to discuss what Trump wants from NAFTA renegotiations, and how Trudeau has to walk a fine line with any criticism of an unpredictable president.

Finally, Cormac is joined by Maclean’s associate editor Shannon Proudfoot, who discusses controversy in the Conservative leadership race around gun ranges and resignations—and presents her weekly Ottawa Power Rankings.

Subscribe on iTunes today or play below.

The full episode

Part 1. Trudeau abandons electoral reform

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with the public in a lecture hall at Health Sciences Building on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, Wednesday, January 25, 2017. (Liam Richards/CP)

The Trudeau government has abandoned its commitment to change Canada’s voting system before the next election. The decision has outraged the opposition, but here to defend the move is the new Democratic Institutions Minister, Karina Gould.

Part 2. Canada’s problem with far-right extremism

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (front, 2nd R) joins fellow MPs in a moment of silence after delivering a statement on a deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque, in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 30, 2017. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

In the wake of the massacre at a Quebec mosque, which left six people dead, there is now a spotlight on a growing problem in Canada: far-right extremism. We speak with expert Stephanie Carvin about the difficulties security agencies face in dealing with the far right, and the likelihood of further attacks.

Part 3. On Canada-U.S. relations, a delicate balance

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference in Peterborough, Ont. Friday January 13, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

We may be getting closer and closer to that first meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump. Former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson joins us to discuss what Trump wants from NAFTA renegotiations, and how Trudeau has to walk a fine line with any criticism of an unpredictable president.

Part 4. Shannon Proudfoot’s Ottawa Power Rankings

Cormac is joined by Maclean’s associate editor Shannon Proudfoot, who discusses controversy in the Conservative leadership race around gun ranges and resignations—and presents her weekly Ottawa Power Rankings.

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