CBC Radio's The House: Canada to the defence
CBC Radio | Posted: April 2, 2022 8:00 AM | Last Updated: April 2, 2022
Here is what's on this week's episode of The House
Ukrainian MPs bring their country's pleas to Parliament Hill
Ukrainian politicians met face-to-face with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week to ask directly for more military and financial support for their country.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, an MP with the European Solidarity Party and Ukraine's former deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, was part of the group. She tells The House why she thinks the visit could make a difference.
Plus, Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos joins the show with highlights from her coverage of the refugee crisis in Poland.
The plea for two per cent
This week, the federal government said it will start negotiations to buy 88 F-35 fighter jets — a move the procurement minister called the "most significant investment" in the air force in 30 years.
The Liberal government has hinted at a boost to military spending in next week's budget. But will that spending go beyond the F-35 purchase announced this week? Will Canada push its military spending to two per cent of GDP, meeting NATO's long-established benchmark?
The House's senior producer Jennifer Chevalier spoke to defence experts Dave Perry, Andrea Charron, Kim Richard Nossal and retired lieutenant general Andrew Leslie to hear their shopping list for the Canadian military.
Jagmeet Singh lays out his expectations for the budget
Next week's federal budget will be the first test of the Liberal-NDP accord that commits both parties to avoiding an election before 2025.
What leverage does the NDP now have to ensure its priorities — such as universal dental care and massive new investment in affordable housing — are reflected in the Liberal government's agenda? Host Chris Hall sits down with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Parliament Hill.
Another big budget
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to be a big spender again next week. The new federal budget is expected to offer major new investments in social programs and the fight against climate change — and could include new money for defence.
So how would those spending commitments work within Canada's fiscal capacity, and what would they say about the government's political priorities? Two journalists join The House to break it all down: Theo Argitis, Bloomberg's Ottawa bureau chief, and Marieke Walsh, parliamentary reporter with The Globe and Mail.
Driving down emissions in Canada's second highest-polluting sector
The federal government tabled its first-ever emissions reduction plan this week, mapping out how key sectors like oil and gas, agriculture and transportation can reduce carbon pollution over the next eight years.
While the oil and gas sector is the largest emitter, transportation comes in a close second — accounting for a quarter of all emissions in Canada. Now, the government wants to drive down pollution from trucks and cars to 11 per cent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade.
Yunsu Park, director of engineering with the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, joins The House to discuss the ambitious target and its impact on the trucking industry.