Your World Tonight - Canada at COP, PBO on budget, CFL rules change, and more

Episode Date: November 14, 2025

As Prime Minister Mark Carney announces a new fossil fuel project, delegates at the COP30 summit are asking — how serious is Canada’s commitment to the environment?And: The Parliamentary Budget Officer predicts the Liberals will blow past many of the projections set out in last week's budget. And he says it’s unlikely the government will meet its goal of shrinking the deficit as a share of GDP.Also: It’s Grey Cup weekend — the last under the CFL’s current rules. Fans and players are wondering if changes to how the game is played take away from what makes the Canadian game distinct.Plus: Venezuela's president warns the U.S. not to launch a war, a war of words over streaming in Quebec, the end of speed cameras in Ontario, and more.

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Join us. Because kids these days, we need you more than ever. Donate at GeoFoundation.com. This is a CBC podcast. The conservatives don't support the budget. The Black Quebecois doesn't support the budget. And the NDP doesn't support the budget. So simple math would tell you that the budget, if that's true,

will have a rough time on Monday. The math might be simple, but the politics are not. The liberals know the margin between a vote. vote to pass that budget and one to force another election is razor thin. And to add even more math into the mix, the parliamentary budget office has issued a report on the budget, suggesting the numbers in it don't add up. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Scandaris. It's Friday, November 14th coming up on 6 p.m. Eastern. Also on the podcast, shuddering speed cameras. Will we see any of that money? I don't know. We hope we

can get a portion of it. Is it enough? Nowhere. You're enough. As of today, speed cameras are banned in Ontario after years of handing out tickets that raised millions from municipalities. Ontario mayors, like Olivia Chow, tried to put the brakes on the decision, saying safety was their main concern. But she admits the money was useful. And Ontario's promise of millions to build things like speed bumps and roundabouts is stuck in reverse. Mark Carney's liberal government is facing a crucial budget test on Monday. The PM has been trying to sell his plan as the best path for Canada's future. But now he's being told by his own fiscal watchdog,

that path may be longer and pricier than he's predicting. Rafi Bucanian has our top story. Prime Minister Mark Carney following countdown and start. to cut the ribbon at a new light rail station in Montreal. But his scissors fail to snip through the tape. Hard to cut, isn't it? Quebec Premier Francois Le Gautisism. Perhaps foreshadowing Carnie's getting sharper criticism today too,

over his government's first budget. In a new report, the parliamentary budget officer is questioning the math, saying Ottawa is unlikely to stay on its deficit targets, and attacking the document for blurring the lines between capital and operation spending. Everything costs too much. Canadians can't afford to live. Conservative leader Pierre Palliev renewed his attacks on Carney and the Liberals, though asked how his caucus would vote, said this. A hundred percent of our MPs opposed the costly Carney credit card budget.

Facing a confidence vote in a minority parliament, the Liberals could be in the familiar territory of looking at. for support from the bloc Quebecois or the NDP. So far, the bloc has said it will vote against the budget, while the NDP, reduced to seven seats in the spring election, has not made up its mind yet, saying abstaining from the vote outright could be a possibility. The new Democrats, frankly, are in a situation that they would be in a really difficult

spot if they went to election right now. Lori Turnbull teaches political science at Dalhousie University. She says the new Democrats may end up supporting the budget, but also says the liberals have not tried very hard to gain their confidence or that of anyone else. They haven't done that. They have approached this as though they're a majority. They've approached this by trying to build a narrative weeks out in advance of the budget

that if we end up in election, it's all the opposition party's fault. The Prime Minister spent this afternoon promoting the fiscal plan in front of a business crowd in Montreal, Letting his ministers, like government house leader, Stephen McKinnon, handle the politics, saying Canadians have already spoken out. They'll tell you, we just had an election six months ago. We gave Mr. Carney a mandate. Still, back in April, a big part of Carney's winning strategy was an argument he was best placed to end the trade war with the U.S., an unfulfilled promise looming over what could happen on Monday and beyond. Rafi Bji Kahn. Yon, Cvici News, Ottawa. Mr. Carney is promoting a slate of fast-tracked major projects,

including a new gas export terminal. At the same time, Canada's team at the UN's climate conference is trying to reassure global leaders it's still serious about its climate targets. CBC's international climate correspondent, Susan Ormiston, is in Brazil for that conference, and reports on a day that began with protesters peacefully demanding more indigenous voices at the table.

A face-off at COP 30 in Brazil, indigenous protesters, arms linked in a human chain, bare-chested men with ceremonial spears blocking a road, women with babies. Cop doesn't speak for us, says Maria Lusa. It speaks for the interests of countries and companies. Behind her, a steel fence and a line of federal police in riot gear. called in after protesters broke into the venue two nights ago. This protest was peaceful and firm, sending a message to Brazil. They want more.

They did get attention when COP 30 president Andre Correa Dolago emerged. He was swarmed in a crush of people. We were in the middle. Could you give us in a comment in English, please? We're just, we're going to have a dialogue. It's great. De Lago pushed through the crowd with the protesters leading. What can you offer the indigenous people? And how do you make space for them?

How do you make space for them? Oh, they have space. There are more than 500 indigenous Brazilians in the delegation. Later, inside the venue, CEO Anna Tony, said Brazil is listening. The reason for having a copy in the Amazon, is for us to listen to the very people that are most vulnerable. So we should embrace the different ways of protesting. Senior government ministers join talks next week for tough negotiations,

but not Canada's, the climate change and environment and the culture ministers left on Friday for Monday's budget vote. I think there's some disappointment. Jennifer Morgan, formerly a climate envoy with Germany, says with Prime Minister Mark Carney focusing on mining and ramping up natural gas exports, some delegates are questioning Canada's climate leadership. For example, the transition away from fossil fuels

and triple renewables, and then there's this question, well, where will Canada be? Canadians here are even more pointed. If we keep expanding oil and gas like this, we have no hope at meeting our emissions targets. Liz McDowell with stand.orgh, reacting to the major project's announcement. We have seen a significant weakening in Canada's approach to tackling climate change. Catherine Abreu, director of the International Climate Politics Hub,

says the Karni government has changed its role. There are questions about whether Canada is actually going to follow through on its climate commitments. As delegates go into week two, there are more protests planned. The UN has told Brazil to tighten security, and it has. Susan Ormiston, CBC News, Belen. Coming right up, speed cameras can raise a lot of money for cities, so why is a provincial government turning them off? Also, the Trump administration has been blowing up boats in the Caribbean, accusing the people on board of smuggling drugs from Venezuela. But the U.S. still hasn't provided evidence for that claim.

And later, Montreal and Saskatchewan meet in the Grey Cup final this Sunday. The Cup has been awarded since 1909. Forward passes were illegal then, and the CFL has adapted its rules many times since. But for decades, a larger field, and some quirky kicks have been synonymous with Canadian football. That'll soon change, thanks to changing tastes. You've got more young women, more young men who say that they follow the NFL, they're interested in the NFL relative to the CFL. that represents a challenge for the league. Karen Pauls reports on how the CFL is facing that challenge

by more closely mirroring the American game. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called them a cash grab, while mayors across the province have argued they make streets safer. Now that a controversial ban on speed cameras is in place, the conversation is coming back to. to costs. Philip LeShanock explains. Sandra Milton says there's a reason the speed camera on King Edward Avenue in Ottawa is a moneymaker. People seem to speed down here. They think it's a highway.

Milton, who's with the local community association, says since it was installed at the beginning of the year, it has issued more than 29,000 tickets, raking in almost $3 million for the city. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says these municipal speed cameras are a cash grab. As of today, they're no longer allowed. He says instead, the province is kicking in $210 million for municipalities to install speed bumps, roundabouts, and better signage to slow drivers down. The local Ottawa councillor, Stephanie Plont, says that's what the speed camera revenues were for. That was done on purpose to make sure it couldn't be used as like a slush fund for fun things.

Many drivers were ignoring the posted 40-kilometer-an-hour speed limit. So that's why the speed camera was installed because it seemed like the signage wasn't working, whereas a fine was. Maddie Semiatici, director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto, says traffic calming strategies help. The Premier is right. We do need things like speed bumps and wider sidewalks

and crosswalks to make the road safer. That costs money. He says some European cities designed streets with safety in mind. But here, infrastructure prioritizes getting drivers, around quickly, so cameras are part of the solution for speeding. The best case scenario is they generate zero dollars because everyone is driving safely and the roads are safely designed, but that's not the world we're living in. Semiatici says now taxpayers, not speed cameras, will pay for the road safety initiatives fund.

Toronto mayor, Olivia Chow says it won't be nearly enough. How are we going to find the funding for the 991 crossing guards? She and mayors of more than 20 municipalities urged Ford to keep the speed cameras. We felt that speed cameras were very effective in dealing with reckless drivers, dangerous drivers. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says the cameras reduced speeding by almost 50% in school zones. But he says all is not lost. We purchased the cameras and purchased the infrastructure to support it. We're going to continue to use the cameras.

Brown says he's working with the province on a plan to use the cameras as an investigative tool for police to prevent and solve crimes. Philadelphia-Shanock, CBC News, Toronto. Two more streaming giants are pushing back against Quebec's plans to impose French language quotas for content and interfaces. Apple and Spotify are joining Netflix and YouTube who don't want to see limits on what they can offer to consumers in that province. Mac DeGabres-Lessa has that story.

French language. language content is at the core of the tension, and Spotify and Apple Music are now the latest to speak up against the Quebec government. Bill 109 calls for French as the default for streaming platform interfaces, quotas for French language content, and smart TVs to shine a light on this content. The bill also calls for amending Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms to make accessing and discovering French language content a right. Now we need to think of a new ecosystem. system that will protect the French language and help Quebec culture thrive. Benoit de Bray, Quebec's French language commissioner, says this proposed law would help

to do that on digital streaming platforms. French content already exists. It is rich. It is diverse. It is there. I think it will help promote it, make it a little bit more visible, easier to discover, easier to see. But major streaming platforms don't see it that way. Spotify and Apple are now taking a similar position as YouTube and Netflix. They say they already showcase French content, and the platforms are worried and warning this bill will affect user experience and could negatively impact artists and content creators.

And we hear this from consumers. They're concerned if the government starts to get involved in choice. Representing leading music streaming services is Graham Davis with the Digital Media Association. It's also good for the whole system because if a consumer starts to go to our licensed places to get access to the music that they want to listen to. I think, you know, as I say, going back to the Napster days, you can see that consumers will follow a path, right, to get to what they want to listen to. So I think that is a big threat. Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, has his concerns too. Bill 109 strikes me as unconstitutional. I think it's

unworkable, and I think in many respects it's unnecessary. He says the provincial bill looks a lot like the Federal Online Streaming Act. The plan to put that into action continues. And earlier this year, the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission held hearings to help with that, hearings to define Canadian content. At around that time, Quebec tabled Bill 109. Guy says this all complicates matters around who has the final say. If the federal government's legislation is constitutional, then it seems to me that the provincial one, Quebec's bill, can't be. If Quebec's bill is constitutional, well, then that throws the entire federal system into question because it may be unconstitutional. In the meantime, Bill 109 has some wiggle room that would make

room for the Quebec government and the streaming platforms to come to some agreement. Magdegebres-Alasse, CBC News, Toronto. The president of Venezuela is calling for the U.S. to make peace after Washington dramatically upped the ante with its military presence in the Caribbean. Tensions are rising fast, and both sides are signaling they're prepared to stand firm. Paul Hunter reports. On the streets of Caracas in a boisterous crowd, Venezuela's president walking defiantly with Venezuelans as both the rhetoric and the looming force

from the U.S. military ratchets, tensions ever higher. Shubs of love in that crowd, said Nicholas Maduro. Later, raising the specter of what. So many Venezuelans now fear. Raise your hand if you want to be a slave, he said. Raise your hand if you want Venezuela to become a Yankee colony. And from the people in that crowd with him, we support Venezuela, said this woman.

We'll go out to the streets to defend our homeland with tooth and nail. All of this, as the giant U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford moves ever closer to Venezuelan waters. And as the U.S. continues to target what it says are drug-smuggling boats in the region this week striking the 20th such boat, killing four people, said the Pentagon today. Just yesterday, U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hexeth, posted on social media, I'm announcing Operation Southern Spear, he wrote. The mission removes narco-terrorists from our hemisphere. The western hemisphere is America's neighborhood, and we will protect it.

Though little has been said publicly and explicitly about U.S. plans in the region, the recent U.S. military activity, and Donald Trump's verbal attacks on Maduro, White House lawyers reportedly labeling him a narco-terrorist who fraudulently won Venezuela's presidency last year, have many now believing the U.S. is readying to force a regime change in that country. a notion getting pushback even from some Republicans. Here's Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon. I implore the president and his team, make your case to the American people when you're using our military and you're going to pursue hostilities. There has to be support for the people and you need to get support from Congress. Back in that crowd in Caracas, Maduro is asked by a reporter, are you concerned about possible aggression?

We're focused on the people, governing with peace, he said. No more endless wars, no more Libya, no more Afghanistan. My message is just peace. As Venezuelans await whatever's next. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. In Gaza, after two years of bombings and bloody conflict with Israel, there are signs that everyday life is slowly returning to how it was pre-war. and that's causing some concern. Hamas is reportedly taking back control of the territory,

throwing doubt on the future of President Trump's peace plan. Tom Perry has the details. Bombs and rockets once rained down on Gaza, now the rain itself is making life miserable for some Palestinians. People sheltering in ragged tents in Gaza City today, mopping up after a downpour drenched and flooded their threadbare. make-shift homes. Look at the water, how we're drowning from the rain, says Abu Ahmed al-Matwak. After two years of war, much of Gaza is in ruins, many of its people destitute. For those more fortunate, life is better, but still a struggle. In Nusirat, in central Gaza, some markets have reopened and are brimming with fresh fruit

and vegetables for those who can afford it. Honestly, we came to shop today, and from what I see in the market, it's like a stock exchange, constantly changing, says Mohamed Khalifa. Commercial goods and humanitarian aid have been arriving in Gaza since last month's ceasefire deal, all of it unfolding under the watchful eyes of Hamas, whose fighters still roam Gaza streets. The group so far refusing to comply with a key part of Donald Trump's peace plan that it lay down its weapons, despite some recent threats from the U.S. President. If they don't disarm them, we will disarm them.

And it'll happen quickly and perhaps violently. Even with such tough talk, the Reuters News Agency reports Hamas is continuing to tighten its grip on Gaza. The group has fought battles with armed clans and executed individuals it accuses of colluding with Israel. Trump's plan calls for Hamas to play no role in any future government in Gaza. The U.S. also envisions an international. stabilization force to work with Palestinian police to provide security in the territory,

though so far no country has made a firm commitment to contribute troops. To bolster its case, the administration is asking the U.N. Security Council to back its plan. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Canada this week for a G7 foreign ministers meeting offered an update on those efforts. I think we're making good progress on the language of the resolution and hopefully we'll have action on it Very soon, we don't want to lose momentum on this. The U.S. is facing pushback from Russia, China, and some Arab countries that question its plan. The Trump administration calls that an attempt to sow discord.

It's urging the Security Council to support its proposal and secure what it calls a desperately needed peace. Tom Perry, CBC News, Jerusalem. Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine's capital Kiev today, killing at least six people and wound dozens. The strikes hit energy facilities, apartment buildings, and the embassy of Azerbaijan. UN spokesperson Stefan de Jarek says the widespread nature of the strikes is unacceptable. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable wherever they occur and must end immediately. The Secretary General recalls the principle also of the inviability of diplomatic premises.

The Secretary General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces used 430 drones and 18 missiles, making the attack one of the biggest on the capitals so far. You're listening to Your World Tonight from, from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Sunday's showdown between the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Rough Riders will be the last Grey Cup game played under current rules. A new poll shows. the CFL fan base is slipping, one of the reasons for some controversial changes.

But as Karen Paul's reports, the fans who do follow really don't want the Canadian game moving in an American direction. At the Great Cup Festival in Winnipeg, controversial new changes to the game are drawing mixed reactions. Some torn between preserving the tradition, while others modernizing the game. It made me sad and then angry. They're tinkering with something that goes back 112 years. So much more exciting, the Canadian product. It's still three downs. You still have the waggle.

It's still 12-man football. You still have the same width of the field. It's still unique. It's still Canadian football. I'm a bit of a CFL purist, but I don't want it to become the American game, you know. Three downs. We need to keep it three downs. Touchdown!

When the Saskatchewan Rough Riders... Montreal! Take on the Montreal alouettes. It will be the last time before some of the changes take effect. In 2027, the field and end zones will be shortened and the goalposts will be moved to the back of the end zone. Next season, the elimination of one of the quirkiest rules in the CFL, known as the Rouge.

Looking for the Rouge and the win. A single point awarded when the ball is kicked wide of the goalposts and goes out the back of the end zone. Sachi Curl heads the Angus Reed Institute, which did a poll suggesting the CFL is struggling for attention in Canada and that core fans don't like the idea of moving more towards the NFL. You know, shortening the distance on the field and shortening the length of the end zone, those are no-goes, especially among the closest and most loyal CFL followers. Curl says the league is trying not to alienate men over the age of 50.

the ones buying season tickets, watching all the games, wearing the merchandise, but still trying to grow the game in younger demographics. You've got more young women, more young men who say that they follow the NFL. That represents a challenge for the league. Today, the league's new commissioner, Stuart Johnston, defended the changes and his commitment to the Canadian version of the game. So let me be clear, we are three downs, 12 players, limited motion, 65 yards wide, and huge end zones.

Moshe Lander is a sports economist at Concordia University. He says the CFL has to do something to generate more revenue. If young people in Canada love the NFL, then give them the NFL. Meanwhile, Sunday's Great Cup is already sold out and Winnipeg is buzzing with passionate fans. It's already a win for the CFL. Karen Paul's, CBC News, Winnipeg. Finally, a canoe gently slipped into the waters of New Brunswick's Nashwalk River a few days ago, carrying a couple of paddlers and a lot of significance.

The canoe is birch bark, a traditional Wolisticway canoe made for river travel. It was designed by artist Shane Purley Dutcher, a member of the Tobik First Nation. Having a birch bark canoe on the water means that our culture is still alive. And that's what kept us going because those. are our highways. We use the water to, you know, transport moose when we hunted. Everything that's part of our culture and our way of life, we use the canoe to get there, right? So that's how important it was to our way of life. It's four and a half meters long and made from just one tree. Purley Dutcher says it's rare to find a birch large enough these days, but he says even more

important than the canoe itself was passing on the knowledge of how to build one. Local kids from the Under One Sky Friendship Center helped at every stage, harvesting the wood, the sap, the spruce branches, starting way back in May. Patsy McKinney is the group's executive director. It's a dream to be able to do this because I didn't have access to this as a young person, nor did my children. So this is really exciting to bring it to this generation. The canoe is now on display at the Under One Sky Center,

where it's already inspiring some of the young, biggest patrons to hone their skills. I hope that we can learn a little more about our culture and try and do something at least as good as that in the future. And that is your world tonight for Friday, November 14th. Thank you for being with us. I'm Stephanie Skanderas. Good night.

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