The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/04/20 at 16:00 EDT

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/04/20 at 16:00 EDT

Whose take do you trust during this election cycle? I'm Rosemary Barton, CBC's chief political correspondent. At Issue is also where I listen and learn from the very best. Chantelle Bair, Andrew Coyne and Althea Raj. They are political heavyweights. They write and talk about politics for Canada's biggest publications and broadcasters, and they help shape the national conversation. So if you're looking for people who can connect the dots,

cut through the spin, check out the At Issue podcast every week, wherever you listen. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Kate Rutherford. We begin in the Czech Republic and heartbreak on the ice. Team Canada lost the Women's World Hockey Championship 4-3 to Team USA. The winning goal was scored in overtime. Its payback of a sort, Team Canada defeated the US in last year's gold medal match. The good old hockey game not far from the thoughts of Liberal leader Mark Carney. What a day.

What a day. What a day. To be back in Nepean on this day when we celebrate with renewed hope for eternal glory. And of course, I'm speaking about the senators. That comment coming in before a hometown crowd in his Ottawa area riding, where he rallied supporters and local candidates and took a dig at his conservative rival. Within nine days we did more than Pierre Poliev has imagined, has imagined in his many decades in politics. That's right Poliev, We just need to remove him. He does no violence.

No violence. We just remove him. He's had his time. He's got his pension. As for Pierre Poliev, he's talking about where he would reduce spending to axe what he's calling the inflation tax. JP Tasker was at Poliev's campaign stop in Surrey, BC. Yesterday we learned that Mark Carney is far more costly than Justin Trudeau.

Conservative leader Pierre Poliev is tearing into the new Liberal platform, but he still hasn't released one of his own. He's the last major party leader to put out a plan, and advance voting ends Monday. But Poliev is promising to slash government spending on consultants. Can you imagine that? You're spending over a thousand dollars in federal taxes just to pay for consultants. This is insane.

Poliev is also facing questions about his plan to tackle gun crime. He's refusing to say if he will repeal the national handgun ban if elected. JP Tasker, CBC News, Surrey, BC. A record two million people voted on the opening day of advance polls in the federal election. That's up 36% from day one in 2021. Long lineups were reported across the country on Friday. Marie, France, Kenny with Elections Canada says more workers have been brought in to speed things up.

They've also added extra voting tables at some polling places. Kenny says while they're always prepared for the highest number of voters, some adjustments were necessary. So we have enough ballots, we have enough, we're working enough hours, but we can't ever predict, just like we can't predict how many will come out today. Numbers for Saturday aren't yet available. Advance polls are open today and tomorrow. Elections Canada says it's best to go after 4 p.m. to avoid lineups. Pope Francis made a surprise appearance today in St. Peter's Square, although he was still

too unwell to lead Easter celebrations. Before greeting crowds, the Pope had a brief meeting with the U.S. Vice President. Megan Williams has more from Rome. I know you've not been feeling great, but it's good to see you. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance greeting Pope Francis today at the Pope's Vatican guest house. The brief photo-op where they exchanged Easter greetings and gifts came a day after Vance met with senior Vatican officials

to discuss, among other things, migration. Vance and the Pope have clashed publicly on that, with Francis calling the U.S. crackdown a disgrace, and criticizing Vance's use of Christian theology to justify it. After meeting Vance, a Catholic convert, the Pope stepped onto the St. Peter's balcony to wish the crowds a happy Easter.

Puna Pasqua. But he was too frail to lead mass The Pope stepped onto the St. Peter's balcony to wish the crowds a happy Easter. But he was too frail to lead mass or deliver his traditional Urbi at Urbi. Instead, a Vatican official read his political message, calling for a Gaza ceasefire, food for the starving, peace across war-torn nations and protection of migrants. The Pope then toured St. Peter's Square in his Pope-mobile to the delight of the crowd. Megan Williams, CBC News, The Vatican. And that is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Kate Rutherford.