He may be known as ‘the little guy from Shawinigan,’ but Jean Chrétien’s impact on his hometown has been anything but small. And at 91, the former prime minister seems far from slowing down. In this exclusive documentary, host Catherine Cullen travels to Shawinigan, Que to spend the day with the former prime minister. She learns about how the small city shaped his political career, what he’d say if he was in a room with Donald Trump, and his fiery take on Albertans who want to separate from the rest of Canada.

Plus, as the Liberal government prepares to introduce a much-anticipated federal budget, there aren’t many signs opposition MPs will support the critical legislation, raising questions about a snap election. The House Party election podcast team — Catherine Cullen, Daniel Thibeault and Jason Markusoff — reunite to discuss who could support the government and the likelihood of Canada heading into another federal election in 2026.

This episode features the voices of:

• Jean Chrétien, former Liberal prime minister
• Daniel Thibeault, parliamentary bureau chief for Radio-Canada and host of Les Coulisses du Pouvoir
• Jason Markusoff, CBC Calgary

Once again, Canada finds itself in a deep hole in its push to get a trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. This time, an advertisement by Ontario that used Ronald Reagan’s own words criticizing tariffs annoyed Trump so much he cut off negotiations entirely. Derek Burney, who worked with former prime minister Brian Mulroney as he hammered out a Canada-U.S. free trade deal with Reagan, weighs in on the latest upset, then Tonda MacCharles of the Toronto Star and Stuart Thomson of the National Post discuss where this leaves Canada now.

Then, Michael Kovrig, the former diplomat who spent more than 1,000 days detained by China, tells host Catherine Cullen how he feels about Canada’s growing “strategic partnership” with Beijing and what advice he’d offer the Prime Minister before meeting China’s president.

Plus, the government is adjusting the rules around bail again, making it harder for some repeat offenders and those charged with serious offences to be released. A victim’s family and a criminal defence lawyer weigh in, and Justice Minister Sean Fraser defends the new legislation.

Finally, as Liberals and Conservatives spar over what continues to drive up food costs, economist Christina Caron argues it’s not price gouging or the industrial carbon tax — it’s climate change that’s costing you more at the grocery store.

This episode features the voices of:

• Derek Burney, former ambassador and chief of staff to prime minister Brian Mulroney
• Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto Star
• Stuart Thomson, parliamentary bureau chief for the National Post
• Michael Kovrig, former Canadian diplomat detained by China
• Meechelle Best, mother of Kellie Verwey
• Jay Herbert, Ontario criminal defence lawyer and member of Rama First Nation
• Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice
• Christina Caron, economist

As Canada seeks to land a trade deal with the United States, cracks began to emerge this week over whether some sectors — and corresponding provinces — are getting more attention than others. David Paterson, Ontario’s representative in Washington, joins the show to discuss whether Ottawa is too focused on Canada’s auto industry as B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba ask for more help with their lumber and canola sectors.

Plus, while the trade war continues to bubble, Prime Minister Mark Carney is attempting a plan to get tougher on crime — and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called RCMP leadership “despicable.” Political strategists Kate Harrison, Marci Surkes and Jordan Leichnitz join The House to dig into some of the biggest headlines of the week.

Then, Catherine Cullen speaks with former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell, who’s been tapped by the B.C. government to improve the city’s Downtown Eastside amid ongoing complex problems surrounding drugs, crime and homelessness.

And: even with cuts to government spending on the horizon, Carney says he’s making the Trudeau-era National School Food Program permanent. Debbie Field, national coordinator for Coalition for Healthy School Food, discusses the state of the program and whether the funding is still far from hitting the mark.

This episode features the voices of:

• David Paterson, Ontario’s representative in Washington, D.C.
• Kate Harrison, Conservative strategist and vice chair at Summa Strategies
• Marci Surkes, former senior advisor to Justin Trudeau and chief strategy officer at Compass Rose
• Jordan Leichnitz, NDP strategist and Canada Director at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
• Larry Campbell, B.C.’s new adviser on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
• Debbie Field, national coordinator of the Coalition for Healthy School Food