Party Lines

Two of this country’s former top military leaders are facing accusations of sexual misconduct. Last week, recently appointed chief of defence staff Admiral Art McDonald stepped aside after it was discovered he was under investigation by the military's National Investigation Service; his predecessor, Gen. Jonathan Vance is also under investigation for inappropriate behaviour. All of this has had many people wondering: what did Canada’s minister of defence know, and when did he know it? Opposition parties hoped to find answers this week as former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne testified before a House of Commons committee — and that testimony did not look good for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. Rosie and Elamin break down what came out of the committee, what it says about the state of Canada’s military and what kind of change might be necessary after years of efforts to root out sexual misconduct among their ranks. The two also check in on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, as the feds expect about 945,000 doses to arrive this week alone. As more jurisdictions are able to start vaccinating more people, are governments prioritizing those who need it most?

It's been a quiet week in the U.S. presidential race, relatively speaking, considering the dizzying drama of the last few. But even still, there have been plenty of news stories that under normal circumstances would dominate headlines for weeks — the Senate confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett for a seat on the Supreme Court, the cancellation of a second debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and Trump's first public appearance since his COVID-19 diagnosis are just a few. This gives us a chance to dig into something that had been simmering in the background and exploded into view again last week — the negotiations over a new stimulus bill to help people and businesses impacted by COVID-19. What is the holdup? And what are the consequences of this political impasse for the average American? Elamin calls up BuzzFeed News reporter Paul McLeod for the politics, and the Star Tribune's Marissa Evans for a view from the ground.

Elamin has turned to a simultaneously fun and frustrating way to pass the time during the pandemic: scrolling through real estate listings. He’s just one of an endless number of millennials hoping to somehow grab onto the real estate ladder and buy their first home — but when? And how? The national average home price in February was up 25 per cent from the year before (jumping from just under $542,500 to just over $678,000, if you’re curious) and there’s research out there that suggests a young Canadian would have to log more than two decades of full-time work just to afford a decent down payment in certain markets. Rosie points out the grim reality that her cohort of first-time buyers who got in the door some 15 or 20 years ago simply had luck on their side; but it’s going to take a whole lot more than luck to cool Canada’s hot housing market in 2021. The two examine how the government could step in to help, as the federal budget is set to land in just a few weeks’ time; they also take a close look this week at the third wave of COVID-19 hitting several provinces where variants of concern are driving an increase in daily case counts.

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.

The second wave of the pandemic has begun, according to the prime minister and the premier of Ontario. That doesn’t cover the whole country, of course — hat tip to the Atlantic bubble — but it does turn up feelings of apprehension in Canada’s hardest-hit areas. Are tighter restrictions around the corner? And if so: is there enough political will to lock things down again, or will it be too tough a sell? Elamin and Rosie also sift through the new CERB-replacing economic aid measures that were fast-tracked through the House of Commons in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday. The NDP have made it clear they played a big part in making it all happen — what does it say about their role in this minority parliament, going forward?