The future of reconciliation

For weeks, supporters of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs blocked rail lines and demonstrated on the steps of the B.C. legislature, many of them holding signs declaring that "reconciliation is dead."

Their anger, directed at a natural gas line through unceded territory in northern B.C., turned into a rallying cry for Indigenous title and governance — for control over land.

Perry Bellegarde has heard their voices. But the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations told CBC Radio's The House that reconciliation is far from dead.

Is reconciliation really dead? Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, joins Chris Hall to talk about the impact of the rail blockades, and what he intends to tell the country's first ministers when they meet in Ottawa next week. 9:49

Defining a leadership race

Contenders in the running for the Conservative Party of Canada's top job need to raise $300,000 and gather 3,000 signatures from across the country by a March 25 deadline to make the final cut for the leadership race. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)

The Conservative Party of Canada has winnowed down its list of leadership hopefuls to eight approved candidates, but most contenders still need to raise a total of $300,000 and gather 3,000 signatures from across the country to cement their status.

Before that hurdle is cleared, questions remain. Which voters are candidates reaching out to? Will the lack of contenders from Western Canada pose a problem? And how will leadership hopefuls make an impression in Ontario?

Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos and CBC Calgary's Kathleen Petty share their thoughts with host Chris Hall.

As eight candidates vie to replace Andrew Scheer as Tory leader, what's at stake for the future of the Conservative Party? Vassy Kapelos, host of CBC's Power & Politics, and Kathleen Petty, host of CBC's West of Centre join Chris Hall to offer their assessment of the race. 7:58

Canada's 'exemplary' coronavirus response

This week, the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates in response to economic concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, Alberta reported its first presumptive case of the disease, Finance Minister Bill Morneau outlined new measures being developed ahead of the upcoming federal budget and a two-week quarantine for Canadians at a Cornwall, Ont., facility came to an end.

Despite an increase in cases in British Columbia and Ontario, one key expert says Canada's response to the spread of the virus is on the right track.

"So far, Canada's response has been pretty exemplary," said Dr. Bruce Aylward, a Canadian doctor who led the World Health Organization's mission to China to study COVID-19.

"You've had cases in three different provinces ... and most of these you've been able to contain very, very rapidly," he told The House from Geneva Friday morning.

Dr. Bruce Aylward led the WHO's mission to China on COVID-19, and joins The House to provide a look inside the agency in charge of the world's next steps. 8:53

A new chamber for the House of Commons?

Canadian MPs are being asked to make some key decisions about the decade-long renovation of Parliament Hill's Centre Block — including three options to update the House of Common's chamber to accommodate a growing number of elected officials.

The choices on offer range from squeezing more people into the existing space to removing the western exterior wall of Centre Block entirely.

The House of Commons in Centre Block used these stadium-style seats to fit an extra 30 MPs in the chamber from 2015 to 2018. (Benoit Roussel/Radio-Canada)

But some MPs say they want to know the price tags attached to the proposals before coming to a decision — something they, and taxpayers, have yet to see.

Field producer Chris Rands of CBC's Parliamentary Bureau takes The House inside the project.

CBC field producer Chris Rands walks through the three latest proposals to overhaul the House of Commons' permanent home in Centre Block. 7:49

Bringing women into the political arena

Sunday is International Women's Day, but not all women in Canada compete on a level playing field.

While there may be more women in the House of Commons than ever before, the 98 female MPs elected represent only 29 per cent of seats in the chamber. And during next week's First Ministers' meeting, Premier Caroline Cochrane of the Northwest Territories will be the only woman at the table.

Tracy Vaillancourt, Canada Research Chair in Children's Mental Health and Violence Prevention at the University of Ottawa, says the relentless abuse hurled at female politicians is part of the problem.

"If only a segment of the population has the fortitude to weather this type of abuse, we don't get a representation of all types of Canadians," Vaillancourt told The House.