Avi Lewis, leader of the Federal NDP, joins to tell us a bit more about himself and his read on where Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading with Canada. Avi shares his thoughts on how to rebuild the federal NDP by organizing grassroots opposition to privatizations and labour right roll-backs and grassroots support for protecting healthcare.

Also, Nikki looks at Danielle Smith's legislative changes that rob opposition parties of their access to voters' lists. And Tom looks at another Doug Ford scandal -- foot-dragging on investigating an apparent $500 million organized scam from a fund intended to help students get an education.

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Carla Beck, leader of the Saskatchewan NDP, talks about big data centres planned for just outside Regina and Moose Jaw and the Moe government's refusal to explain how the electricity will be provided, the cost to ratepayers or how many jobs will be created. Until the secrecy is lifted and important questions are answered, the Saskatchewan NDP is asking for a pause on the projects.

Also, Nikki takes a look at the internal division that drove Manitoba PC leader Obby Khan to quit. Tom takes a look at some damning Ontario fiscal reports and wonders if we haven't been strong enough in asking conservatives "how will you pay for it?"

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Shannon Devine joins us to talk about her doorstep experience as the NDP's candidate in the April 2025 general election and the August 2026 by-election in Beaches-East York. Shannon talks about the different strategic conditions, the improvement in volunteers, what voters want to talk about on the doorstep, and how she tried to get voters to engage.

Also, Nikki reflects on recent comments from the prime minister that revealed the Canadian military has developed plans for a Trump invasion. Tom digs into the Quebec election and how the "reasonable accommodation" debate that all parties have toyed with is now fueling a culture war from the Quebec Conservative Party.

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Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, joins Left East to West to talk about the trade war that President Trump has declared on Canadians and about Prime Minister Carney's investor agenda. Bea tells us workers are worried about the impact of Trump's attack on them, but also expresses labour's concern that Carney's investor agenda will limit worker rights and privatize key public infrastructure.

Also, Nikki gives us the latest on the BC Conservatives' turmoil and the likelihood of Premier David Eby calling a snap election. Tom looks at the European far-right, its supporters in Premier Danielle Smith's office and their shared focus on taking away rights and benefits from immigrants or temporary workers.

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USW District 3 Director Scott Lunny joins to talk about how Trump's economic attack is affecting workers represented by his union, particularly those in the forestry sector. Scott gives us an update on key USW initiatives focused on boosting jobs, including stronger buy-Canada procurement, bringing predictability to forest harvests, and taking on a stronger role in worker skills training in mining.

With municipal elections in BC, Manitoba and Ontario next month, Nikki and Tom talk about party dynamics in Vancouver, where incumbent mayor Ken Sim is battling several candidates, and between Olivia Chow and her main competitor for the Toronto mayor's chair.

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Jeremy Withers, senior researcher with the University of Toronto's New Housing Alternatives, sits down with Nikki to find out more about the causes of the 2020-2022 housing market bubble, its big pop in 2022 and the price collapse still going on in Toronto four years later. Jeremy shares his thoughts about government responses to the condo crisis in Toronto and Vancouver and falling home ownership rates as big investors take control of the housing stock.

Also, Nikki and Tom talk about the on-going chaos in the BC Conservative Party, Marit Stiles' by-election success and the opening weeks of the Quebec provincial election.

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Jared Walker, Canadians For Tax Fairness Executive Director, joins Nikki and Tom to talk about C4TF's recent report detailing growing extreme inequality in Canada, province by province. Jared believes a wealth tax on fortunes of $100 million and more and a new income tax bracket on annual income over $1 million will reverse growing extreme inequality while providing revenue to end cuts to key programs, like healthcare and schools

Jared also outlines how we can put some money back in Canadians' pockets with a levy on the windfall profits oil companies are making off high pump prices during this US-Iran War. And according to C4TF research, unless repatriated by a windfall tax, most of that profit windfall from Canadian oil resources will flowing to investors in the United States.

Nikki digs into some polling data suggesting wildfires across the world are pushing global warming up the priority list of Canadians and asks if the Mark Carney government or Avi Lewis' NDP will address that re-emerging concern.

Tom speaks with Toronto NDP MPP Chris Glover, who was in the trenches battling the plan by US bank JP Morgan to expand Toronto's waterfront airport. JP Morgan had Doug Ford's PCs and Mark Carney's Liberals onside. But Toronto City Council, community groups and the Ontario NDP fought the deal -- and for have won, for now.

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Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP, sits down with Nikki and Tom to discuss the scandal-plagued Doug Ford government and her drive to raise people's expectation and break out of the cycle of cynical politics and bad outcomes Ontario has settled into.

Marit tells us about the work she’s been doing as official opposition to Premier Doug Ford, digging up scandal after scandal. But she also talks about the need to propose solutions and raise people’s expectations about what government can get done for them.

Recently, her NDP put out proposals for a forestry sector strategy, summer jobs for young workers, housing and healthcare staffing. In our interview Marit also talks about the need to reform the food distribution sector, which consistently delivers prices that rise faster than general inflation.

Marit also reflects on Ontario regionalism and the very different levels of public services and infrastructure in different parts of Ontario — or even different neighbourhoods of the same city. Doug Ford’s destructive focus on Toronto may be amusing to some in have-not regions, but the politics of resentment isn’t helping their access to healthcare, schools, job opportunities or even safe highways. Is "One Ontario" waiting to be built?

Nikki takes a look at a by-election win in PEI by the provincial Greens that could be signalling a coming political realignment in that province. Or it might just a by-election blip, though the scan polling evidence available suggests it is more than that.

Tom digs into the signals sent by Prime Minister Carney appointing his principal secretary, Tom Pitfield, to the Senate and replacing him with Scott Gilmore. While Pitfield comes from a legacy Liberal family, Gilmore was an active Conservative until a few years ago.

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