CBC Radio's The House: The pandemic, one year later
CBC Radio | Posted: March 13, 2021 9:00 AM | Last Updated: March 13, 2021
Here is what's happening on this week's episode of The House
Canada's AstraZeneca vaccine rollout
Norway, Denmark and Italy are among several European nations pausing the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine over concerns about possible side effects. Canada's 500,000 doses, which arrived last week, are from a different batch and experts here say there's no need to do the same.
But questions remain about who should be prioritized for those shots here at home. The chair of Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, tells Chris Hall that updated guidance on administering AstraZeneca shots to seniors is expected very soon — and calls new effectiveness data on the vaccine "quite comforting."
Looking ahead to the Conservative Party convention
Federal Conservatives will meet virtually next weekend to set out their party's policy priorities for the next election. They'll debate dozens of resolutions — and social Conservatives are vowing to bring up abortion once again.
The leadership of Erin O'Toole is also expected to come up, with public opinion polls suggesting the party has gained little traction since he assumed the role last summer. Deputy party leader Candice Bergen joins The House to cast ahead to next week's event.
The fight for clean water on First Nations reserves
On Wednesday, the federal government promised again to lift all long-term boil water advisories on First Nations reserves, but Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller won't provide a timeline to complete the work. The renewed vow came after the Liberals failed to meet a target set before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office — a pledge to clear the list by March of this year.
The House speaks to Eabametoong First Nation Chief Harvey Yesno — whose community has been under an advisory for two decades — and clean water activist Autumn Peltier about the issue and what needs to happen next.
One year of pandemic politics
This week marked one year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. To look at how the novel coronavirus changed how politicians work and think, The House heard from three of Canada's most senior members of Parliament: the Liberals' Hedy Fry, Conservative MP Scott Reid and the NDP's Brian Masse.
And Toronto Star national affairs columnist Susan Delacourt and Angus Reid Institute president Shachi Kurl chatted about how Canadians' perceptions of government and politics have changed throughout the year — and which of those changes may last.