While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Peter Mansbridge.
Liberal Bruce Anderson and Conservative Fred DeLorey continue their 2025 election conversation with two new topics this week. The LIberals get caught playing dirty tricks, while both parties prepare for this week's debates. With little time left in the campaign, is the die cast, or is anything still possible?
We've passed the halfway point of the campaign with the television debates just around the corner. And you have to wonder when the Conservatives, or at least some of them, start to question the validity of the polls, that there's trouble in the Tory ranks. Both Rob Russo and Chantal Hebert have been travelling this week, one on the west...
As the week ends thousands of Canadians are out of work because of the Donald Trump tariffs. Thousands more could be soon. But that's not all as grocery prices and a lot more will soon start going up as well. The trade war is on. The question now is how will it impact the federal election campaign as it approaches...
Jean Chretien used to call them "nervous nellies", those who constantly worry their party's strategy is wrong. With their lead in the polls having collapsed, the Conservatives are divided about what to do. The LIberals meanwhile stumble over one of their candidates. Backroom strategists Bruce Anderson and Fred DeLorey give us their spin on how serious both issues are. Plus...
It was bad enough last week when Doug Ford told Pierre Poilievre he didn't have time to campaign for him. But now Ford's top strategist says Poilievre is heading for defeat unless he changes his campaign. And he has the polls to back that up. On the face of it the Conservative leader has big crowds, but behind the scenes...
It's only been forty eight hours and opening impressions rarely last long, but what about these? How damaging was Danielle Smith's US interview to Pierre Poilievre? What about Mark Carney's yes then no on the TVA debate? And more. Bruce Anderson and Fred DeLorey are here with their spin.
The election will be called this weekend and the country's voters will be determining Canada's future. There could be as many as six main leaders but the main context will be between Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre. Are they ready for the five or six weeks ahead? Chantal Hebert and Rob Russo are here for some Good Talk on that.
There seems to be a poll a day recently and while they're each a bit different. there is one common theme. The Liberals are back and the race between them and the Conservatives is very tight. Long gone are the huge leads the Conservatives had. And the NDP? -- they've collapsed. So how are the political pros responding to this...
Day One of the Carney administration reveals a much smaller cabinet, almost half the size of previous ones of late. But is this all about optics or does it really mean a slimmer, more accountable and effective "war" cabinet for the fight ahead? Chantal and Rob tackle that question along with the latest rumblings about what's really happening in the...
Bruce Anderson and Fred Delorey drop by for a Smoke Mirrors and the Truth episode that deals with what is now a daily issue -- how to deal with the Trump Factor in A Campaign? Can Trump remain the top issue during a campaign and if so how do you deal with it and him? The Anderson-DeLorey spin room will...
In two days, LIberals will have a new leader, and the country will know who their next Prime Minister will be. It's a huge decision and the consequences for the party and the country are significant. Chantal and Rob set the scene on that, plus where we are in the trade war with a guy who changes his mind almost...
Canada is in a series of high stakes political races, for party leadership, for an upcoming national election. But is there any focus more important than Donald Trump and the damage he could cause from tariffs and annexation talk? How do opposing parties deal with that? Enter the Bruce Anderson, Fred DeLorey spin room.
So much for Britain's PM Keir Starmer. Given the chance to stand up for Canada with Donald Trump by his side, Starmer instead left Canada, his Commonwealth ally, twisting in the wind. How bad does that look? Does it even matter? Chantal Hebert and Rob Russo have their say on that, plus Mark Carney's latest issue and the Ontario election...
Enter the Fred DeLorey/Bruce Anderson spin room as we deconstruct elements of last night's french language liberal leadership contender's debate. There were various moments, and especially one, where views differ and they are worth discussing. Also, the Ontario election is days away -- is a massive win for one side good for democracy?
Blaming the media is a common tactic when you feel your competition is getting better coverage than you are. Is that why some Conservatives are saying Mark Carney is getting a free pass from the media in his campaign for the Liberal leadership? Is it true or are Conservatives just showing they are nervous about the gains being made against...
While Canada is being beaten up, and its sovereignty questioned, both by Donald Trump, what are our friends and allies saying? Anything? Why the silence? And what does it say about our situation that Trump clearly likes Russia more than Canada? This, plus how worried are the Conservatives as the Liberals seem to get back in the political game? Chantal...
These are crazy times to be running campaigns either for party leadership, a provincial campaign or prepping for a national campaign. It's how the Trump factor has changed everything, even things that have nothing really to do with him. That's the topic for SMT this week and both Fred DeLorey and Bruce Anderson have thoughts on this. Also, a feature...
The polls suggest it, the Liberals think it, and the Conservatives look like they're trying to reposition because of it. Have two things: the tariff dispute and Trump's ramblings, changed the country's political landscape? That's the main focus for today's Good Talk with Chantal Hebert and Rob Russo. We'll also talk about the new push for dropping interprovincial trade barriers...
Bruce Anderson and Fred DeLorey go head to head on the tariff issue, or are they in agreement? Who blinked? Trump or Trudeau? These are strange times and this YouTube conversation provesit! Then Keith Boag joins The Bridge podcast for his always incisive, non partisan take on the same story.
Le Grand Orange is poised to hammer Canada with tariffs tomorrow, or so he says. Chantal and Rob put the Trump promise into perspective including what Canada is ready to do about it. Mark Carney is the front runner in the race to replace Justin Trudeau and he finally dropped his plans to abandon the carbon tax today -- why...
Political campaigns have often depended on candidates getting endorsements and getting interviews. Does either matter anymore? Bruce Anderson and Fred DeLorey bounce that one back and forth on this week's SMT. Plus, will a Doug Ford campaign get in the way of the Liberal Leadership. Segment two (for the audio show only) is an excerpt from my onstage interview at...
The candidates are racking up endorsements but one thing seems clear. Most cabinet ministers are endorsing an outsider not an insider. How damaging is this for Chrystia Freeland? That and a lot more on this week's Good Talk with Chantal Hebert, and sitting in for the rest of the leadership race, the Economist's Canadian correspondent Rob Russo.
Bruce Anderson joins with former Conservative campaign manager, Fred DeLorey who joins our Tuesday lineup for insider political talk during the Liberal leadership race. Today, the two look at how campaign decisions that take place in the background can impact the race.
By this weekend the Liberal leadership race will likely be all set. Carney is in already, Freeland should be in by Sunday. What are the impressions so far? Who's up, who's down? And is the idea of a carbon tax election still likely or is that all but gone now? And what about Donald Trump and the faltering attempt at...
Liberals are gathering at the gate, with some poised to enter the race for the leadership. Meanwhile, most eyes are focused on Donald Trump and his threat of tariffs and annexation. Where's this leading? Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson set things up for what is likely to be a fascinating few days ahead.
We can finally stop asking "Will he or Won't he?" because he did. He called it quits and now the race is on to see who leads the Liberals to either possible extinction or surprise recovery. No small task, yet no trouble finding names who seem like they want to give it a go. Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson join...
Late reaction to the shuffle, the Singh threat, and Poilievre's request.
I don't know whether in those dying moments of April 1912 they actually shuffled the deck chairs on the Titanic, but it sure looks like they are doing just that on the ship Trudeau as wave after wave batters the hull. Can a pre-Christmas cabinet shuffle save the government or is it just another delay to the inevitable? Bruce and...
Could Ottawa get any wilder? Apparently not. A finance minister quits hours before the fall economic statement. A prime minister is considering his future with most of his remaining caucus considering theirs. Bruce and Chantal have their says on what all this means and where its heading.
The minister of finance prepares her Monday Economic Statement while rumours fly, again, that Mark Carney is about to join the cabinet. But if that sounds crazy just look at the chaotic Canadian response to Donald Trump's trade threats. It's another Good Talk Friday as Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson settle in with their take on another weird week.
A week after their Mar a Lago dinner what was actually accomplished by the Trudeau-Trump dinner? Is Canada now dancing to the Trump tune or is there a chance for a meaningful all-Canadian approach to dealing with the new President and his agenda? Bruce and Chantal join in for their assessment of the new top line item on the Ottawa...
Donald Trump threatens 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico unless both countries clean up their border issues and stop dumping migrants and fentanyl into the US. Mexico says Trump has it all wrong while Canada seems to suggest "yes sir, we'll get right at that". What's going on?Chantal and Bruce join to discuss.
A GST holiday, 250 dollar cheques, what's next as the Liberals try to win back Canadians in the months before an election. If it looks desperate, then call it that, is the way some are describing the latest actions of the Trudeau government. Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson have their say on yet another week where the Trudeau liberals look...
Donald Trump's win has changed everything so why not change the Canadian election timetable? Thart's Chantal's suggestion this week and it provides a lot of Good Talk with Bruce and me. In fact that suggestion is the basis for the whole hour this week with lots of off ramps into the economy, immigration and Elon Musk.
A lot of people were surprised on Tuesday night but now with days to ponder the Trump victory the real fallout begins. Bruce and Chantal have their thoughts on why Americans delivered the result they did, and then, they deal with how Canada is reacting to the decision and what it means for us.
No encore edition this Wednesday, instead this is the real deal. Donald Trump is heading back to the White House after a huge win last night over Kamala Harris. What happened? What does it mean? And what happens next? Keith Boag and Bruce Anderson join us for a roundtable on the comeback of the ages.
No encore edition this Wednesday, instead this is the real deal. Donald Trump is heading back to the White House after a huge win last night over Kamala Harris. What happened? What does it mean? And what happens next? Keith Boag and Bruce Anderson join us for a roundtable on the comeback of the ages.
The US election is Tuesday, and already, the finger-pointing has started about the way the campaign has been run and the way it's been covered. Rob Russo of The Economist subs for Bruce Anderson today, and we get all of this with Rob and Chantal. And don't worry—we won't forget the drama, such as it is, that continues to unfold...
So, did he dodge the coup? Does Justin Trudeau now have a clear path to the next election? After weeks of rumours and coded, secret talk, the plotters had their say in the caucus, and then it seemed everyone moved on. Or have they? Chantal and Bruce are here to chat about all this and more because there's always more!
The clock is ticking on Justin Trudeau as one issue after another is somehow connected to his leadership problems. There are some very serious topics to discuss, from foreign interference to a caucus revolt to a cabinet shuffle, and Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson are here to give us their take on all of them.
In a week when many Canadians were bored silly by the constant barrage of process stories coming out of Parliament, something else was happening. Rumours circulated that the Trudeau government was considering a procedure to shut Parliament down for weeks or even months. It's the P word. What would that mean? Also today on Good Talk, Bruce and Chantal discuss...
We could be only months away from an election in Canada, so is there anything we need to learn from watching the debate over fact-checking in the United States? We've witnessed three debates in the US presidential race over the last few months and fact-checking has been an issue in all three. On today's Good Talk, Chantal and Bruce take...
A fascinating discussion about Justin Trudeau's options makes up the last fifteen minutes of today's Good Talk. But first, it's one thing when the Conservatives slam the CBC, threaten to defund it, and raise money from supporters by making the threat. But now they're suggesting there's a conspiracy between CTV and its parent company Bell, to bad mouth and lie...
A wild week for Jagmeet Singh from a byelection victory to an apparent challenge to Pierre Poilievre to put up the dukes as we used to say. All this in a testy House of Commons where the Conservatives seem to be losing the battle to force a quick election. And how about this? The Bloc Quebecois as the next official...
Monday is a huge day for all political parties in Canada. Parliament returns but two key byelections, one in Manitoba and one in Quebec, could impact everything. Chantal and Bruce are here to try to put everything in that context. That includes Carbon Tax, Air Canada, and Mark Carney.
A quiet political summer in Ottawa turned very different with Jagmeet Singh's decision to "tear up" the deal between the NDP and LIberals. That has led to all sorts of fallout so time to analyze what's what on the national political landscape. Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson are here with lots to say on all this.
Bruce and Chantal join me for a wide open discussion about the politics of the summer of 2024. Everything it seems changed in the United States, but did anything change in Canada?
Bruce and Chantal join me for a Summer Good Talk and what a summer it's been so far. Could the political winds that have changed things in The United States blow into Canada? That's the question and there's a lot of talk concerning that subject.
Monday night, June 24th, is byelection night in the Toronto riding of Toronto-St Paul's. Will the voters there determine the fate of Justin Trudeau. It's the big question, the only question, in the days leading up to the vote. Chantal and Bruce have their analysis in our last full edition Good Talk before the summer hiatus.
Who to believe? Who would you believe if you had a choice between believing Jagmeet Singh or Elizabeth May? That question is being asked now concerning the whole "is there a traitor or traitors in the House" issue. Singh and May certainly sound like they disagree. Bruce and Chantal have their thoughts on this, plus, the capital gains tax may...
There are big issues for Bruce and Chantal to handle this week. There are good conversations on these three issues: whether certain unnamed Parliamentarians have been dealing with foreign actors and what should be done about it; an interest rate cut and whether it is a signal of a changing economic outlook; and, as Pierre Poilievre takes one of his...
Thirty-four out of thirty-four. All counts against Donald Trump result in guilty verdicts. What now for the former president and his country? Bruce and Chantal on that plus the Senate, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and the latest survey results on the political race across the country.
The former national leader of the NDP has been saying some nice things about Mark Carney lately. Is it nothing more than just exercising his new role as a political analyst or could it be more than that? Fun to talk about with Bruce and Chantal. Also some fascinating comparisons between Canada and the UK as the British heard into...
New data from Nanos and the Globe and Mail suggests Canadians find neither Justin Trudeau or Pierre Poilievre credible -- quite a statement about Canadian politics today. But first on today's program, Bruce and Chantal discuss whether Trudeau is making one last swing at trying to change the numbers that show Poilievre with a huge lead.
It’s with some hesitation that I try to put into words what Rex Murphy meant to Canada, to Canadians, and to me.Because no one mastered words like Rex. This will, no doubt, fall short of whatever he would have said and done had the tables been turned — if he’d had been so inclined.
Lots up for discussion on Good Talk this week -- public service unions are fighting Ottawa over remote work, Mark Carney's view on carbon tax, more on Pierre Poilievre on the "notwithstanding clause" and how the issue of abortion could be involved, and the CBC and its executive bonuses. Chantal and Bruce join me for all that and a few...
A Liberal MP says she's had enough. After nine years as an MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again because she simply doesn't feel safe anymore. She afraid to go out. Lots more on this and more as Bruce and Chantal have their say on the life of a politician in Canada.
Pierre Poilievre ends up with a group of F-Trudeau flag wavers in the Maritimes. Really? What was he thinking? Chantal and Bruce have their thoughts on that and much more. Whatever happened to the newly hired comms director for the Prime Minister? Has anything made a difference? And Mark Carney seems to finally enter the ring.
Lots to talk about this week and much of it connected to the fallout from the new budget. With some Liberals calling for a move to the centre did the budget simply go further left? Is Pierre Poilievre starting to answer questions about just what he would do if he got into government? And what's Dominic LeBlanc really doing? Bruce...
What's the downside for Justin Trudeau in calling a first minister's conference? What's he got to lose? On the day the NDP leader begins to back away from the Liberal's carbon pricing policy, we have a serious discussion about the pros and cons of having a televised conference to address the differences between the country's prime minister, premiers and territorial...