Dig into the Canadian election from the best seats in the House

The Backbench

Hosted by Fatima Syed

Dig into politics from the best seats in the House, with host Fatima Syed and our rotating roster of panelists from across the country: Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Jason Markusoff, Drew Brown, Emilie Nicolas, Jaskaran Sandhu, Murad Hemmadi, Leena Minifie, Caroline Elliott, and Stuart Thomson.

Stay on top of things through sharp commentary and incisive analysis. Drops every other Tuesday.

Latest Episodes

#16 Two Former MPs Dish On China & Climate

We invited former MPs on because it was supposed to be the first week of Parliament. It got pushed back, but we get into what the first days of Parliament are like and what issues this government will be inheriting anyway.

October 19, 2021

#15 Truth, Reconciliation and China

Trudeau drops the first apology of his third term and has us wondering how reconciliation can go beyond symbolic actions. And as the Two Michaels make it home, what have we learned from this whole saga?

October 5, 2021

#14 A Conversation With A PPC Voter

This week, we bring you something different: an in-depth chat with a People’s Party of Canada supporter. Derek Taylor emailed Fatima after she called the party racist. He agreed to an interview. Derek gets into how he heard about the party, why he supports them, and the direction the party has taken since its creation in 2018.

September 28, 2021

#13 An Unconsequential Election

At the time of recording this episode, #elxn44 literally has yielded the same number of seats (give or take several seats) for all of our federal parties. Here's a coast-to-coast-to-coast chat on what this outcome suggests and where Canadian politics goes from here.

September 21, 2021

#12 Fairy Tales & Picture Books

What issues did the federal leaders not speak on throughout the campaign? We get into some of them. And a look into what pandemic debts and costed platforms tell us.

September 14, 2021

#11 An Emergency, But First An Election

The show after Labour Day warrants a look at federal parties' commitments to workers and how they say they will grow our economy. And when it comes to climate change proposals, will voters respond to ambition or reality?

September 8, 2021

#10 Health Vs. Healthcare

The Liberals promised to inject 6-billion more dollars into our healthcare system last week, but will more money mean more healthcare? Meanwhile, regional federal parties have dropped their platforms with distinct climate plans, posing a possible threat to major parties.

August 31, 2021

#9 Afghanistan & Affordability

Liberals scramble to respond to the crisis in Afghanistan amid the first week of campaigning. And Trudeau says he wants life to be more affordable while also suggesting it's not his job.

August 24, 2021

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