CBC Radio's The House: Making plans for mass vaccinations

CBC News: The House48:32Parsing plans for mass vaccinations

On this week’s show: New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shephard outlines her province’s vaccine preparations and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson talks about his city’s plans to get a head start on inoculations. Plus: Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault looks at what Australia’s battle with tech giants means for Canada’s own regulatory efforts, and clean energy advocate Merran Smith reacts to a new era of Canada-U.S. climate talks. 48:32

Are provinces ready for mass vaccinations?

Canada is now expecting hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses to roll in weekly, but some provinces are still deciding who should be first in line for the shots, while others scramble to set up online booking systems.

The House checks in with New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shephard to talk about her province's strategy, which recently shifted to prioritize long-term care residents. Then, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson explains why his city isn't waiting for Ontario's vaccine booking portal to open up before inoculating seniors in high-risk neighbourhoods next week.

CBC News: The House21:48Are provinces ready for mass vaccinations?

New Brunswick’s health minister Dorothy Shephard joins The House to talk about her province’s vaccination strategy, and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson explains why his city is going its own way in vaccinating seniors in high-risk neighbourhoods. 21:48

What does Australia's standoff with Facebook mean for Canada?

Australia passed a new digital media law this week that will require Facebook and other international tech giants to pay for content picked up from Australian outlets. The country is at the forefront of efforts to force companies like Facebook and Google to negotiate payments for news stories posted on their platforms. 

But what does Australia's experience signal about Canada's work to get digital giants to negotiate fair prices for the content they gather here? Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault joins The House to discuss the legislation he hopes to table this spring. 

CBC News: The House8:47What does Australia’s standoff with Facebook mean for Canada?

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault joins The House to discuss Australia’s efforts to force tech giants to negotiate fair prices for the content they gather from media companies and what that could signal for Canada. 8:47

Climate cooperation between Canada and the U.S.

The roadmap for a renewed Canada-U.S. partnership came out this week, sparking a flurry of meetings between Canadian and American leaders and cabinet members. Both countries say they're ready to double down on meeting their climate commitments and are prepared to work in tandem to do so. 

Merran Smith has been watching those talks closely. She's the executive director of Clean Energy Canada, a think tank at Simon Fraser University, and spoke to host Chris Hall about what a new cross-border climate relationship could mean for Canada. 

Then, Vuntut Gwitchin Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm — who also watched the climate talks this week — shares a personal story about why the U.S. government's renewed commitment to protecting the sacred porcupine caribou herd means so much to Indigenous people on both sides of the border. 

CBC News: The House7:58Climate cooperation between Canada and the U.S.

Following a flurry of meetings between Canadian and American leaders and cabinet members, Merran Smith, the executive director of Clean Energy Canada, joins The House to discuss what a new cross-border climate relationship could mean for Canada. 7:58