Breaking down Mark Carney's first year in Canadian Politics
In this episode of "It's Political," the Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau reporter Ryan Tumilty and deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall join hos...
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It's Political with Althia Raj
Probing and insightful conversations with Canada's top political insiders, hosted by Althia Raj. A bi-monthly political podcast from the Toronto Star.
Episodes
20 of 83 episodesDid Ottawa Just Get Hosed by Alberta?
The federal government signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta yesterday, pledging support to build a new pipeline and make change...
After a budget, a defection, a resignation, can the Liberals survive Monday's vote?
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...
Canada's auto industry is on the brink. Should it be saved?
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 s...
Do we need bail reform?
Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party says Canada's justice system is broken, and that overly lax bail laws are leading to preventable viole...
The federal NDP's leadership races begins
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...
How Carney's government is shaping up
Newly minted Liberal Leader Mark Carney ran on an ambitious platform. He promised quick and bold action. But six months into his tenure as p...
It's Political returns Friday, September 19
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.
Canada's Minister of National Defence David McGuinty joins Althia to discuss increases to the country's defense budget and what the relation...
The banker and the King: Parliament returns
MPs returned to the House of Commons this week with three leaders missing from the chamber: Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Sin...
Conservatives on their election loss and what happens now
What are Conservative MPs and candidates thinking as the party regroups after their election loss and charts a path forward? On this week's...
Our "recovering partisans" dissect the 2025 election results and what comes next
The federal election results are in. The Liberals have won a fourth term with Mark Carney at the helm, besting Pierre Poilievre's Conservati...
Post-election huddle
In this episode: Toronto Star Ottawa deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall and Ottawa bureau reporters Ryan Tumilty, Raisa Patel and Mark Ramz...
Party platforms, leaders tour, Trump's return: our "recovering partisans" weigh in
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...
Unpacking the parties' promises on growing the economy
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...
Who won the debates? Our "recovering partisans" weigh in
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 tak...
Unpacking the parties' promises on fighting crime
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed this week that if elected prime minister, his government would invoke the notwithstanding cla...
Our "recovering partisans" on rallies and the press on the campaign trail
Pierre Poilievre held massive rallies in Alberta this week and received an endorsement from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But why is...
Unpacking the parties' climate change promises
Halfway through this five-week federal election campaign, no major party has yet released its platform and there have been no big climate ch...
From Trump's tariffs to bozo eruptions, our 'recovering partisans' break down the campaign's second week
Canada was spared Wednesday when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced new punishing tariffs on the rest of the world. But many Canadian...