Mark Carney just got one step closer to the kind of power Canadians didn’t vote for — and the Conservatives are furious. On this episode of Inside Politics, Winnipeg Sun columnist Kevin Klein sat down with political scientist Royce Koop and lawyer Lawrence Pinsky, KC, to tear into the latest Ottawa bombshell: another Conservative MP has crossed the floor to join the Liberals, pushing Carney to within one seat of a majority. And the timing? So bad it feels like satire. Koop pointed out the political optics were brutal: the MP attended the Conservative Christmas party, posed for photos with Pierre Poilievre… and hours later showed up as part of the Liberal team. Klein zeroed in on the detail lighting up social media: the MP was wearing a red tie — a small splash of colour now being treated like a giant warning sign. But behind the fashion jokes was real anger. Koop called the move “pure opportunism,” warning it deepens public cynicism and makes politics look like a game for insiders. “At least explain it,” was the blunt message. Instead, Canadians got what the panel described as a flimsy, pre-packaged statement that raised more questions than answers. Pinsky didn’t mince words: “Look, Ma — no ethics.” He argued the floor-crossing reeks of betrayal because voters didn’t elect a Liberal — they elected a Conservative. He floated the idea that donors and volunteers who helped put the MP in office deserve accountability, and he pushed the broader point: crossing the floor may be legal, but that doesn’t make it morally defensible. Klein revived an idea gaining steam with fed-up voters: make floor-crossing trigger an automatic byelection. If MPs want to switch teams, fine — but they should have to face the voters again. Koop admitted he’s coming around to that view, especially when the switch happens just months after an election and without a credible explanation. The bigger fear? Carney inching toward a “majority” built through poaching — not ballots. Koop warned a razor-thin majority isn’t stable anyway: MPs get sick, resign, or leave. But the optics of a prime minister trying to “flip the switch” without an election could deepen national resentment at a time when unity already feels fragile. Bottom line from the panel: Canadians deserve answers — not choreography.

Inside Politics returns with a blunt assessment of the latest national polling that places Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew at the top of Canada’s provincial popularity rankings—despite deepening crises at home. Host Kevin Klein, joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Royce Koop and Lawrence Pinsky, K.C., dug into the contradictions behind the numbers and the growing speculation that Kinew may have federal ambitions. Koop noted that Kinew’s 58% approval rating is undeniably strong, though down a full ten points from just months ago. “People like him—he’s charismatic, positive, and carries national appeal,” Koop said. “But eventually Manitobans will judge him on results, not vibes.” And results are exactly where the panel sees the wheels falling off. Pinsky didn’t mince words. “Watch question period and you’ll see a different side of him—bullying, shouting, refusing to answer questions,” he argued. “Look at what he has actually accomplished: a ballooning deficit, capital fleeing the province, health care collapsing. So why is he still this popular? Image. Media. Nothing substantive.” Klein agreed, pointing to the recent tragedy of an elderly woman dying after waiting more than 30 hours for care in a Winnipeg ER. “This should consume the entire legislature,” he said. “Instead, we get theatrics, snark, and one-liners. The opposition isn’t holding the government accountable, and Manitobans are paying the price.” The panel also flagged the Minnesota-level dysfunction inside Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party, including the abrupt resignation of their new caucus director after only five months. “There isn’t a serious opposition right now,” Klein said. “And Kinew is benefitting from that vacuum.” From there, discussion widened to the national stage. With two potential separation referendums looming—in Quebec and Alberta—and Canada’s economic stability tied to an uncertain U.S. trade renegotiation, Koop warned that “these are dangerous times to have a leader who governs by performance instead of policy.” Pinsky added, “Manitoba needs a real conservative alternative. Canada needs adult leadership. Right now, voters are getting neither.” Klein closed the episode with a challenge to viewers: “Manitoba deserves solutions, not slogans. And Canada deserves leadership, not illusions.”

Speech Police coming to Canada? Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech police, Ottawa’s new hate-law gamble, and Manitoba’s quiet pushback on faith and free expression were front and centre on the latest episode of Inside Politics with Kevin Klein. Klein was joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Royce Koop and Lawrence Pinsky, KC to unpack two explosive files: a Manitoba bill to recognize December as Christian Heritage Month, and federal Bill C-9, which could see parts of the Bible treated as hate speech under Liberal amendments. Koop opened with Manitoba PC MLA Carrie Hiebert’s private member’s bill to designate December as Christian Heritage Month. The bill died when the Legislature adjourned, but Koop called it “a great idea,” arguing that in a truly pluralistic Canada, Christianity should be recognized the same way other faiths and identities already are. Pinsky backed him up, noting Manitoba and Ottawa have no problem proclaiming Islamic and Jewish heritage months, Pride events, and endless “days of recognition.” “Why are Christians treated as second class?” he asked. “You don’t have to blow out someone else’s candle for yours to shine brighter.” The tone darkened when the panel shifted to Bill C-9 and new Liberal–Bloc amendments. Pinsky explained that Minister Mark Miller has openly suggested that teaching or reading certain Old Testament passages could be prosecuted as hate—despite existing protections for religious belief in Canada’s Criminal Code. Koop warned that this is exactly the kind of overreach Canadians thought the Charter would prevent, but courts have repeatedly allowed “reasonable limits” on expression. Pinsky tied it to a wider Western trend, citing UK cases where Christians have lost jobs or faced police attention over social media posts and faith-based views, and argued that Canada is marching down the same path. “Government should be getting out of people’s lives,” he said. “Instead, Carney’s Liberals are trying to police what Canadians think and say.” Klein blasted Ottawa for “playing thought police” while food prices soar and families struggle to pay the bills, calling it pure social engineering and a distraction from economic failure. The episode closed with fresh outrage over a new federal media subsidy that funds reporters only if they are from specific “approved” identity groups and cover designated topics. Klein called it “narrative control in plain sight,” while Pinsky labelled it one more sign of a state that wants to pick who tells the stories—and which stories get told.

This week’s episode of Inside Politics with Kevin Klein delivered one of the sharpest takedowns yet of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government, as Klein—joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Royce Koop and Lawrence Pinsky, KC—dissected a Liberal Party in open internal warfare. The panel began with the shockwaves still rippling from Steven Guilbeault’s resignation, a rare cabinet departure on principle. But the bigger bombshell was what followed: Guilbeault launching a full-scale media blitz accusing his own party of abandoning climate commitments and misleading Green Party leader Elizabeth May to secure her budget support. The Liberals then reversed course days later, unraveling the very promises May relied on. “A minister resigning is big,” Koop said. “A minister resigning and then torching the government’s credibility is massive.” The panel agreed more resignations may follow, as BC Liberal MPs openly contradict Carney on the pipeline MOU with Alberta. Despite media hype, the trio stressed the agreement is little more than a political mirage. “It’s Schrödinger’s pipeline,” Pinsky argued. “It exists and doesn’t exist—but mostly doesn’t. An MOU isn’t steel in the ground.” Carney’s caucus fractures deepened as corporations like Stellantis publicly disputed ministers’ claims about government support, raising questions about competence and honesty inside cabinet. That fuelled speculation that Minister Mélanie Joly is being quietly pushed toward a diplomatic posting to contain political fallout. The episode then shifted to raw political calculus. Koop warned that Carney’s pipeline messaging may be popular with voters—but deeply unpopular inside his own caucus, creating “a political booby trap of his own making.” The prime minister’s struggle, he said, stems from entering politics “with no apprenticeship” and assuming he could command MPs like corporate staff. As the federal scene destabilizes, the Conservatives remain positioned to benefit—if they avoid past mistakes. Klein and Pinsky praised the strategic hiring of campaign veteran Steve Outhouse, calling it a badly needed reset as a spring election becomes increasingly likely. “Right now, the Liberals are scoring on their own net,” Klein said. “The Conservatives just need to stop passing them the puck.” With job losses mounting, economic fractures widening, and caucus discipline collapsing, the panel concluded bluntly: Canada’s government is moving from turbulence to freefall—and the public is finally starting to notice.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s much-hyped pipeline breakthrough and the embarrassing behaviour of Manitoba MLAs shared the spotlight on the latest episode of Inside Politics with Kevin Klein—and neither came out looking good. Klein, joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Lawrence Pinsky, KC and Royce Koop, opened by giving Carney rare credit for his recent moves on the steel sector and a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on a proposed pipeline to the West Coast. But the panel quickly stripped away the spin. Koop called the deal a clear political shift from the Trudeau era and acknowledged that regulatory carve-outs for Alberta could help spur development. Still, he warned viewers not to confuse an MOU with an actual project: no binding commitments, no shovels, no tankers—just a political framework that still faces resistance from First Nations, British Columbia Premier David Eby, Quebec politicians and investors who’ve been burned before. Pinsky went further, branding the MOU “political, not economic,” and likening it to Schrödinger’s cat without the possibility it exists at all. The only firm change, he noted, is a higher industrial carbon price in Alberta by 2026, while the supposed path to a pipeline remains vague and revocable. “Don’t mistake this for economic development,” he warned. “It’s a talking point, not a turning point.” The panel then turned their fire closer to home: the Manitoba Legislature, where Klein said he’d “never been more disappointed” in elected officials. They condemned a recent question period meltdown in which: NDP minister Nahanni Fontaine allegedly shared a post celebrating the death of U.S. commentator Charlie Kirk and branded all male PC MLAs “misogynists”; Progressive Conservatives responded by dredging up Premier Wab Kinew’s decades-old criminal record, for which he has a pardon; The Speaker himself got drawn into the mud, reportedly telling a Tory MLA he was “not clever” before later apologizing. Koop defended the idea of question period but said Manitoba now has “probably the worst atmosphere in Canada,” arguing that the Premier sets the tone and that Kinew has chosen confrontation over seriousness. Pinsky called the exchanges “schoolyard stupidity” at a time when Manitobans are dying in ER waiting rooms, and the economy is faltering. Klein’s closing verdict on Canada’s political class—federal and provincial—was blunt: too much performance, not enough governing. #canada #canadianpolitics #politicalnews #politics #manitoba

In the latest episode of Inside Politics, host Kevin Klein and Winnipeg Sun columnists Lawrence Pinsky, KC and Royce Koop argued that Canada’s affordability crisis is overwhelmingly a made-in-Canada disaster, driven by Ottawa’s policies—not by Donald Trump, U.S. tariffs, or external forces. Klein opened by challenging the popular narrative that Canadians are paying more because of U.S. trade policy. Roughly 90% of goods traded under the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA/USMCA) are tariff-free, he noted, meaning federal policy in Ottawa bears primary responsibility for sky-high prices at the pump and in the grocery aisle. Pinsky was blunt: responsibility for inflation “lies entirely with both the fiscal and monetary policy out of Ottawa,” pointing to massive COVID-era overspending, persistent deficit spending, and ballooning debt under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. With CUSMA up for review in 2026, he warned that a “weak government in Canada” could face a ruthless renegotiation if Trump returns to the White House. Koop highlighted how bad things have become for ordinary Canadians, citing Abacus data showing over half of Canadians are now focused on basic survival needs—food, shelter, and personal safety—rather than the aspirations expected in a wealthy democracy. “We should be doing so much better in this country,” he said. “What a shame.” The panel tied the affordability crisis directly to Canada’s crushing tax burden. Klein described layer upon layer of taxation—municipal fees, carbon taxes, and levies “on everything that moves and everything that stands still.” Pinsky noted a recent study showing taxes now consume the largest share of Canadians’ paycheques, more than food or housing. The discussion then turned to Manitoba, where Premier Wab Kinew released a light-hearted video celebrating a new liquor trailer beside a Costco, declaring, “Life is good in Manitoba.” Klein contrasted that with 3% inflation in Manitoba, boarded-up local businesses, and one of the weakest economies in North America. “You didn’t cure cancer,” Klein said. “You opened a trailer that sells booze.” Both guests warned that high taxes, weak growth, and performative politics are driving skilled immigrants and Canadians alike to leave for lower-tax jurisdictions such as the United States or even Ecuador. Pinsky argued that Canadians themselves must stop rewarding political showmanship: “We have a lot of termites in Ottawa and in our legislatures. It’s got to stop before it’s too late.” #canada #canadianpolitics #politics #markcarney #wabkinew #inflation

The latest episode of Inside Politics with Kevin Klein delivered an unflinching assessment of Canada’s deepening social fractures, government complacency, and a growing wave of extremist intimidation playing out across the country. Joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Royce Koop, professor of political science at the University of Manitoba, and Lawrence Pinsky, KC, former human rights adjudicator, Klein led a wide-ranging discussion connecting foreign-influenced activism, campus unrest, and political paralysis at the highest levels of government. The panel began with the explosive revelation that a Palestinian group was granted access to a Senate meeting room, where—according to Klein and Pinsky—the gathering devolved into open hostility and anti-Israel rhetoric. Pinsky called the event a “corruption of Canada’s political system,” noting that Canada recognized Palestine despite it lacking defined borders, democratic leadership, or functioning institutions. “How have we allowed groups aligned with terrorist organizations to gain platforms in our most important institutions?” he asked. The discussion broadened as the panel examined a troubling surge in extremist rhetoric, including the flying of Palestinian flags at public events where Canadians were prevented from playing “O Canada.” Klein described it as a deeply symbolic moment: “You can raise the flag of a territory run by Hamas, but you’re told to turn off the Canadian anthem.” Koop, while cautious about conflating all issues with immigration, acknowledged a severe “loss of trust” in the system, driven by years of mismanagement. Meanwhile, Pinsky cited a Global News report alleging hundreds of people with Hamas affiliations entered Canada under refugee or immigration streams—proof, he said, of a system that is “wide open to abuse.” University campuses were another flashpoint. Klein highlighted incidents at McGill and Toronto Metropolitan University where Palestinian activists forcibly took over classrooms and events, leaving students intimidated and administrators largely silent. Pinsky argued this wasn’t protest, but “hijacking—just as past Palestinian movements hijacked planes, they now hijack narratives, classrooms, and public spaces.” The episode’s bluntest warning came from Canada’s own intelligence chief, who recently cautioned that youth are being radicalized online at unprecedented levels. Yet, as Klein noted, “Not one Canadian politician responded. Not one.” The panel agreed this silence reflects a political class paralyzed by fear, electoral calculations, and a desire to avoid confrontation. Klein closed with a stark assessment: “Canada is losing its identity, losing its confidence, and losing its grip on the rule of law. And our leaders are pretending nothing is happening.” #canada #cdnpoli #politicalnews #politics #immigration

The newest episode of Inside Politics delivered a blunt critique of the federal budget, with host Kevin Klein and panellists Royce Koop and Lawrence Pinsky, K.C., arguing that the document fails to provide any serious roadmap for Canada’s economic future. Rather than focusing on political theatre or close vote counts, the panel dissected the structural weaknesses at the core of the government’s fiscal plan—and the consequences for Canadians. Klein opened by noting the media frenzy around the budget’s tight passage but quickly shifted to what he called the “real story”: the complete absence of long-term economic strategy. While an MP from the Conservatives and one from the NDP abstained—significant but ultimately inconsequential to the outcome the trio agreed the real concern lies not in procedural drama but in the government’s approach to Canada’s economic health. A central criticism was the budget’s silence on Canada’s largest trading partner: the United States. Despite escalating trade pressures, supply chain vulnerabilities, and a rapidly changing global market, the budget offered no meaningful discussion of U.S.–Canada relations. Koop noted that Canadians heard far more about self-sufficiency fantasies than pragmatic economic planning. Klein pointed to the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s warnings, which directly contradict the government’s assumptions that Canada can replace U.S. trade with offshore markets. Pinsky was blunt: “It’s a mindless view of how the economy works from a former central banker.” The panel argued that Canada cannot meaningfully grow its economy while ignoring its most critical export pathways. The conversation intensified around blocked or stalled resource and infrastructure projects. Klein highlighted the absurdity of Canada banning tankers along the British Columbia coast while U.S. tankers travel the same route daily, shipping products Canada could be selling. Koop emphasized that public opinion in B.C. is not uniformly anti-pipeline despite political messaging and that many Canadians understand the national economic necessity of these projects. Pinsky stressed that the federal government holds the constitutional authority to advance nation-building initiatives, but instead offers “smoke and mirrors” through flashy announcements with little chance of materializing. Even the government’s newly revealed list of five major projects, promoted as transformational, was immediately undermined by officials admitting only one may actually proceed. Across the panel, one conclusion was shared: Canada is running out of time to correct its economic course. With weak growth, heavy deficits, and stalled development, the budget represents not a plan, but a political holding pattern. Klein ended the episode with a promise that in the next episode, the panel tackles the government’s inflation narrative and the widening gap between political spin and Canadians’ lived reality. #canada #politicalnews #politics