It’s been a whirlwind news cycle here in Canada, in the wake of President Donald Trump imposing 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now announced that these tariffs are on hold for 30 days, as Canada implements its 1.3-billion-dollar border strategy, aimed at stopping the flow of fentanyl. The American tariffs have come as a surprise for many in this country. But our guest on today’s program says they have, in fact, been in the making for some time.

Jeff Rubin is a Canadian economist, bestselling author, and a former chief economist and chief strategist for CIBC World Markets. His most recent book is A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions Will Change Your World Forever. Jeff Rubin returns to the program.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

The Liberal leadership race is heating up, and former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland has now thrown her hat in the ring. Freeland is a powerful figure in Canadian politics, a former journalist who went on to become one of the Prime Minister’s most loyal cabinet members — until her surprise resignation in December. Today on the program, as Freeland campaigns to win the Liberal leadership, and thus the top job in the country, we take a closer look at her life and its controversies with the author of a recent biography.

Catherine Tsalikis is a Toronto journalist who covers foreign policy, politics, and gender. She’s the author of Chrystia: From Peace River to Parliament Hill.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

This week on the Lean Out podcast, we continue our coverage of a chaotic time in Canadian politics. As many of you know, in the wake of Justin Trudeau’s resignation, the Prime Minister asked our Governor General to prorogue Parliament until March 24, as the Liberal Party conducts its leadership race. This move has sparked a legal challenge, and over the weekend a judge agreed to expediate the court’s hearing. Our guest on the program today is a Canadian lawyer and bestselling author who has insights to share on this issue.

Christine Van Geyn is litigation director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, and the host of the TV show, Canadian Justice.

This episode mentions the WE Charity scandal. You can read background on that her

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com