It's Political with Althia Raj
Episodes
Breaking down Mark Carney's first year in Canadian Politics
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "It's Political," the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty and deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall join host Althi...
Did Ottawa Just Get Hosed by Alberta?
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta yesterday, pledging support to build a new pipeline and make changes to envir...
After a budget, a defection, a resignation, can the Liberals survive Monday's vote?
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont's decision to cross the floor to the Grits handed them a crucial vote to pass their budget and triggered a chain of e...
Canada's auto industry is on the brink. Should it be saved?
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. President Donald Trump is clear and consistent: he wants Canadian auto sector jobs on his side of the border. He's refused to craft a side deal o...
Do we need bail reform?
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party says Canada's justice system is broken, and that overly lax bail laws are leading to preventable violent crime. ...
The federal NDP's leadership races begins
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Things might look dire for the NDP, with the loss of official party status and its seven members not always seeing eye to eye. But at least three indi...
How Carney's government is shaping up
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newly minted Liberal Leader Mark Carney ran on an ambitious platform. He promised quick and bold action. But six months into his tenure as prime minis...
It's Political returns Friday, September 19
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Althia Raj and the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau as they get ready to cover a busy and unpredictable fall in Canadian politics.
Our Defence Minister on threats, bigger budgets, and Canada's new relationship with the U.S.
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Canada's Minister of National Defence David McGuinty joins Althia to discuss increases to the country's defense budget and what the relationship loo...
The banker and the King: Parliament returns
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
MPs returned to the House of Commons this week with three leaders missing from the chamber: Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh. But ...
Conservatives on their election loss and what happens now
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are Conservative MPs and candidates thinking as the party regroups after their election loss and charts a path forward? On this week's show, we a...
Our "recovering partisans" dissect the 2025 election results and what comes next
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal election results are in. The Liberals have won a fourth term with Mark Carney at the helm, besting Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives but fa...
Post-election huddle
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Toronto Star Ottawa deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall and Ottawa bureau reporters Ryan Tumilty, Raisa Patel and Mark Ramzy. Hosted ...
Party platforms, leaders tour, Trump's return: our "recovering partisans" weigh in
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal election campaign is in the final stretch with just a few days to go. The party leaders are crisscrossing the country, trying to shore ...
Unpacking the parties' promises on growing the economy
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Canada's political parties have now released their election platforms and put a price tag on their plans. Some of their costing is a little suspect, s...
Who won the debates? Our "recovering partisans" weigh in
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With less than two weeks left until election day, the leaders' debates were a crucial time for the parties to make a pitch to voters and take their ...
Unpacking the parties' promises on fighting crime
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed this week that if elected prime minister, his government would invoke the notwithstanding clause to ens...
Our "recovering partisans" on rallies and the press on the campaign trail
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pierre Poilievre held massive rallies in Alberta this week and received an endorsement from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But why is he spendi...
Unpacking the parties' climate change promises
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Halfway through this five-week federal election campaign, no major party has yet released its platform and there have been no big climate change ann...
From Trump's tariffs to bozo eruptions, our 'recovering partisans' break down the campaign's second week
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Canada was spared Wednesday when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced new punishing tariffs on the rest of the world. But many Canadian indu...
Unpacking the parties' housing promises
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conservative party infighting! Candidate removals! U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs! There's been a lot of issues flying around this election cam...
'Recovering partisans' break down the campaign's first week
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. President Donald Trump injected himself into the Canadian election campaign this week but he was already a central figure. This week on "It's P...
From the campaign trail: the first 24 hours
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The election has kicked off, leaders have hit the trail, rallies were had, press conferences were held and photo ops were taken. It's been a busy 24 h...
The race begins
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Liberal Leader Mark Carney spent his 10th day as prime minister asking Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, and then asking Canadians f...
And they're (almost) off!
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal parties are putting the final touches on their election campaigns. What just recently seemed like an easy victory for the Conservatives is...
Mark Carney's first day
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's new Prime Minister Friday morning, after winning the Liberal leadership race in a landslide. He unveiled a new, l...
Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership. Next up? Trump, Poilievre and a likely early election
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada governor, trounced the competition Sunday winning the Liberal leadership with nearly 86 per cent support. Carne...
Mélanie Joly on dealing with the Trump tariffs
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was slapping tariffs on Canada this week, and the federal government — along provincial premiers — respon...
Liberal leadership contenders face off
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Liberal leadership contenders faced off in two debates this week, and the stakes were high, with the winning candidate set to replace Justin Trudeau a...
The Conservatives attempt to rewrite their playbook
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the past two years, the Conservatives drove home the message that things were "broken" in Canada and that the governing Liberals, specifically Pri...
No traitors but many concerns: Foreign Interference Commission wraps up
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two years ago bombshell allegations emerged suggesting foreign actors were succeeding in influencing Canadian electoral contests and Canadian parliame...
How Trudeau's departure and Trump's tariffs change political calculations
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 2025 political landscape is looking very different than it did just a few weeks ago. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's pending resignation, the pror...
Fielding reader questions — from Freeland's resignation to the Trump threat
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's been an eventful year in Canadian politics — from Chrystia Freeland's bombshell resignation, to allegations of foreign interference involving P...
How prepared is the Canadian military for the threats we face?
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 sec...
Stalemate: Why the House of Commons has ground to a halt
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The House of Commons is in gridlock. Government bills and private members' legislation have stalled. The Senate is running out of government matters...
Donald Trump Wins. Now what?
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump will be president of the United States for a second time. Trump's decisive victory Tuesday plunges the U.S., the world and Canada into un...
Internal and external interference
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced down more than two dozen MPs this week who suggested he should take time to contemplate his leadership and many wh...
How to fix Canada's immigration system?
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration has become a hot political issue with politicians — federally and provincially — and Canadians are telling pollsters what they're feel...
The Liberal government survives – for now
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Liberal government survived its first confidence vote Wednesday, when the Bloc Québécois and the NDP decided to offer Prime Minister Justin Trud...
Can Justin Trudeau's Liberals Hang On?
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Parliament is back with a bang! In a slick social media video, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced he couldn't stomach working with the minority Libera...
Listener questions on the year's biggest politics stories
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The spring sitting on Parliament Hill is coming to a close. There's been a lot to keep track of — the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the introduction of ...
How do we solve the opioid crisis?
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If 22 people were being shot each day on Canadian streets, you might expect a federal state of emergency to be called, a co-ordinated federal-provinci...
Party money: Is it time to change how we finance politics?
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hours after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was expelled from the House of Commons for calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "a wacko" and refusi...
Is the NDP winning the fight for working people?
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We started "It's Political" two years ago with an episode on the NDP's supply and confidence agreement. Back then, we wondered, would the party get an...
Do budgets matter?
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled her latest budget Tuesday, with big spending plans to increase the housing supply, deliver on commitments to...
Does the Online Harms Act go too far?
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government's latest effort to regulate speech on the internet was met with relief from parents who've long advocated for a safer space onl...
What would Prime Minister Pierre Poilievre do?
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre attempted to topple the Liberal government this week by introducing a motion calling for a non-confidence vote on...
The reality of the Liberals' pharmacare bill
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Feb. 29, Canada's Health Minister Mark Holland introduced a pharmacare bill in Parliament, seemingly laying down the foundation for a new national ...
Is Canada ready for Trump 2.0?
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau managed one chaotic term under U.S. President Donald Trump, and he's made it clear he'd prefer to continue working with ...
Is Canada's consensus on immigration fracturing?
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, there was solid political and social consensus on immigration in Canada. But recently, cracks in that consensus have emerged. In 2023, Ca...
A sit down with the prime minister
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Public opinion polls suggest Canadians have had enough of Justin Trudeau's government, and yet the prime minister vows to stay on. As 2024 began, Toro...
Year-end listener questions on Trudeau, Poilievre, dental subsidy, foreign interference and more
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been quite a tumultuous year in federal politics, from allegations of foreign interference involving China and India, to the expansion of industr...
Chasing views: How social media is changing Canadian politics
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alberta Conservative MP Damien Kurek was kicked out of the House of Commons this week for using unparliamentary language. Within minutes of his expuls...
Is carbon pricing dead?
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been described as a signature blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's signature policy. Last month, the Liberals announced a three-year pause to ...
Is it time for Justin Trudeau to go?
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eight years ago, Justin Trudeau and 30 ecstatic Liberal MPs walked up to Rideau Hall, ready to be sworn in as Canada's next government. But after thre...
Canada and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A month ago, we weren't talking about the Israelis-Palestinian conflict. The world's attention was elsewhere, on Ukraine and Russia, on China. But on ...
The NDP gears up for a fight
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Timmins—James Bay NDP MP Charlie Angus, South Okanagan—West Kootenay NDP MP Richard Cannings, Skeena—Bulkley Valley NDP MP Tayl...
Salvaging Bill C-18: Will the Liberals' gamble pay off?
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, Toronto Star Publisher Jordan Bitove, Ottawa University law professor Michael Geist, Toronto Star ...
What Pierre Poilievre's surge in the polls means for him and Justin Trudeau
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Abacus Data CEO David Colettto, Toronto Star Reporter Stephanie Levitz, Conservative Party members Kevyn Nightingale, Emilie Matheson...
Is Canadian politics getting nastier?
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With Parliament about to break for the summer, exchanges between MPs in the House have gotten tense. But is it just June — when the hours run long a...
What will it take to fix Canada's housing crisis?
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're trying to buy a house or struggling to find a decent and affordable place to rent, it seems Canadians across this country are experienc...
Danielle Smith vs. Rachel Notley: What's at stake in the Alberta election?
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political" we check in on the Alberta election. NDP Leader Rachel Notley and UCP Leader Danielle Smith are in a hotly contested rac...
Where can Justin Trudeau take the Liberals now?
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Liberals from across the country gather in Ottawa for the party's first in-person national convention since the pandemic, "It's Political" digs int...
As the leaker requested, a conversation on foreign interference
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In an op-ed in the Globe and Mail last month, that newspaper's confidential national security source explained why they decided to leak secret documen...
Two topics we're not supposed to talk about: religion and politics
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They say it's dangerous to talk about politics and religion. We're not listening. This week on "It's Political," we mark April's high religious holida...
Subsidizing big business: Canada's new green industrial policy
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, Volkswagen announced it will build its first overseas electric vehicle battery gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario. The federal and provinci...
Why Jagmeet Singh still wants to prop up the Liberals
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we take stock of the supply and confidence agreement the Liberals and NDP agreed to last March. In exchange for support...
No stick and a small carrot: Can the federal government fix health care?
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we take a look at what's plaguing the country's health-care system, from long wait lines in emergency rooms to the lack...
Justin Trudeau's next moves: A sit down with the Prime Minister
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we bring you Toronto Star's columnist Susan Delacourt's interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The two sat down ...
Standing down to stand up: Is ministerial accountability dead?
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we dive into ministerial accountability. Mistakes and ethical lapses happen all the time. Whether it's allowing tins of...
Emergencies Act: The inquiry's most shocking revelations
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we dig into the government's rationale for invoking the Emergencies Act to end last winter's "Freedom Convoy" protests....
Is Canada expanding Medical Assistance in Dying too quickly?
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we tackle some of the issues around the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada. A word of caution....
Chrystia Freeland's Balancing Act: The fall economic update and what it signals
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we focus on the inflation crisis and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's fall economic update. First, we'll look back ...
Programming note: To respond to the news agenda, today's episode will be released early this evening
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"It's Political" will be coming to you a little bit later today because of yesterday's Fiscal update. We'll have a round table discussion on Finance M...
An attack on free speech or a lifeline for Canadian culture?
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we take a deep dive into the controversial Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. Is it really about censorship and gover...
What if we're having a constitutional crisis and no one is noticing?
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we focus on the threads connecting François Legault's big win in Monday's election in Quebec and the United Conservati...
Pierre Poilievre's Big Tent: How Pierre Poilievre won the battle for the soul of the Conservative party
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on "It's Political," we focus on Pierre Poilievre's leadership. First, we'll take a look back at the divisive leadership race and Poilievre'...
We'll be back with a new episode Friday, September 23
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the House is back in session, Althia Raj will be returning every other Friday, with Canada's top political insiders. Keep an eye on your feed...
Fact or Fiction: Weaponizing political division for partisan gain
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on It's Political, we focus on political polarization and the political advantages and drawbacks of sowing division, and whether Canadians ...
Useful — but necessary? Unpacking the use of the Emergencies Act
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guests: Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Ottawa City Councillor Diane Deans, the former chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board. This week on...
Growing the Tories' Vote: Inside the Conservative Leadership Race
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on It's Political, we focus on the Conservative leadership race. First, we take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each of the si...
Playing for keeps: Inside the Liberal-NDP Deal
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guests: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, along with Jennifer Howard, Singh's chief of staff, NDP National Director Anne McGrath, Star columnist Susan Delacou...
Introducing 'It's Political with Althia Raj,' a new Canadian politics podcast
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
'It's Political with Althia Raj' is the Toronto Star's new Canadian politics podcast. Every two weeks, Raj brings listeners behind the scenes on Parli...