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. 

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?

It’s a question that has dogged the PPC since its inception. A question that leader Maxime Bernier blasted journalists for even coming close to asking.

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. 

We look back on the coverage of an absolutely underwhelming, demoralizing election. And we contend with a troubling aspect of Norm Macdonald’s legacy.

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.  

After protestors threw gravel at the Prime Minister during a campaign stop, we ask: has this gotten too much coverage, or not enough? And we scrutinize a budding conspiracy about Michael Spavor, the Canadian entrepreneur detained in China.

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?

With the election coming in two weeks, Jesse sits down for an interview with Tiffany Lam, producer of The Backbench, to discuss what kind of politics show her and Fatima are making and how a politics show can be fun, accessible and nutritious. The interview is followed by the most recent episode of The Backbench. Subscribe to The Backbench to be informed about the important issues of this election.

 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.