The Housewith Chris Hall

On this week’s show: Members of the House of Commons finance committee look ahead to a historic federal budget and Independent Sen. Chantal Petitclerc discusses the government’s bill to expand access to medical assistance in dying. Plus, a discussion of systemic barriers Black organizations face in accessing federal funding and an Alberta mayor talks about powering Canada with hydrogen.

Two public health experts in Toronto say governments must give priority to vaccinating Black Canadians and other people of colour against COVID-19 because the data shows they are most at risk of contracting the virus.

On this week’s show: A panel of journalists discuss the challenges facing provinces choosing to ease COVID-19 restrictions amid the spread of coronavirus variants. Plus, two public health experts talk about an equitable vaccine rollout, Sen. Stan Kutcher shares his efforts to amend Canada’s medical assistance in dying bill and Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna outlines the government’s latest public transit funding.

Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is pushing back against calls for Ottawa to release the contracts it signed with coronavirus vaccine makers amid lingering concerns over delays in delivery.

Halfe is the first poet who was born and raised in an Indigenous community to hold the position.

On this week’s show: Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and a panel of opposition MPs discuss Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Plus: Canada’s new parliamentary poet laureate talks about poetry’s place in a time of crisis, Peel Region’s medical officer of health examines the appearance of a coronavirus variant in Ontario and the CBC’s Chris O’Neill-Yates looks at the potential for renewable energy in Newfoundland and Labrador.

If one thing has become clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that there's no refuge from the virus in Canada or around the world — and that includes those who are trying to find safety in this country as refugees. 

The government could be going further when it comes to battling economic inequality, says economist Miles Corak, including eliminating the difference between how income and capital gains are taxed, or introducing an estate tax.

On this week’s show: Canada's immigration minister discusses resettling refugees as one family shares their search for safety. An expert highlights the need to prioritize children’s mental health during the pandemic. Plus, a look at how Chrystia Freeland could address wealth inequality, a dive into Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s drop in popularity and an exit interview with Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil.

Canada’s ambassador to the United States says there’s no chance of President Joe Biden walking back his decision to kill the Keystone XL pipeline — so she’s turning her attention to other pressing bilateral issues.

In a panel interview on CBC Radio’s The House, Conservative MP Michael Chong and Liberal MP Arif Virani offered duelling analogies to describe Canada’s pandemic response, days before deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected to drop dramatically over the next four weeks.

On this week’s show: Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman reflects on President Joe Biden’s move to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline. Carleton University’s Philippe Lagassé examines the implications of a vacant vice-regal office. Plus, the CBC’s Catherine Cullen recaps a turbulent week for the Conservatives, three MPs look ahead to Monday’s return of Parliament and Japan’s ambassador to Canada discusses green energy goals both countries share.

A top doctor on Ontario's COVID-19 scientific advisory committee says the province could easily face up to 40,000 new cases each day by the end of February if a new virus variant that originated in the U.K. takes hold.

On this week’s show: B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix takes stock of his province’s attempts to flatten the COVID-19 curve — including the possibility of an inter-provincial travel ban. An Ontario epidemiologist discusses potential threats posed by a new variant of the virus. The CBC’s Paul Hunter in Washington weighs in on President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. And an extremism expert talks far-right radicalization here in Canada.

Susan Wild doesn't remember how she wound up on the floor in the gallery of the House of Representatives, or what was going through her mind as she heard the sounds of rioters trying to break through the barricaded doors.

On this week’s show: A U.S. congresswoman describes being locked down in the Capitol after rioters stormed the building. A voting rights advocate explains how Black voters helped the Democrats flip two Senate seats in Georgia. Two provincial officials address the vaccine rollout in their provinces. And we talk about the politics of prioritizing professional hockey during a pandemic.

On the show this week: A new year brings the hope for an eventual return to normalcy, but many of the issues of 2020 will linger. And the House revisits some of the most important events, interviews and audio moments from the past year, including a look back at the pre-pandemic world, the early days of COVID-19, the reckoning over institutional racism, the Conservative leadership race and the WE controversy.

How many headlines do you remember from 2020? It’s time to test your knowledge with The House’s annual end-of-year quiz! Play along with our panel of journalists as host Chris Hall pitches questions about the biggest political stories from January through to December.

The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on so many Canadians this year through job losses, business closures and forced separations from family and friends. Those challenges were felt also by the federal politicians who tried to serve their constituents remotely, and who had to self-isolate each and every time they returned home from Ottawa.

On this week’s show: Three MPs reflect on what it’s been like to represent Canadians in an exceptional year. The CBC’s Murray Brewster speaks with Maj-Gen. Jennie Carignan to get a glimpse of the battle diary of one of Canada’s top soldiers. Two communications experts discuss the effectiveness of governments’ COVID-19 messaging. And the CBC’s Olivia Stefanovich shares the story of a First Nation looking to end a boil-water advisory that's lasted a quarter century.

The co-chair of the task force studying COVID-19 immunity is warning that the arrival of vaccines in Canada doesn't guarantee protection against the virus, or signal that peoples' lives will soon return to normal.

On this week’s show: An Alberta woman who lost her father to COVID-19 shares her story and argues for changes to the government’s response. COVID Immunity Task Force co-chair Dr. Catherine Hankins discusses Canada’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine. Also, CERB recipients talk about an attempted clawback of some people’s benefits, a wide-ranging discussion with Justice Minister David Lametti and an exit interview with Sen. Murray Sinclair.