Your World Tonight - Trump’s effect on Canadian politics, Ukraine/U.S. call, Tesla terrorism? and more

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Canada needs to protect its trade and sovereignty in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. And he says Trump himself is suggesting Poilievre is the best person to defend Canada’s interests.The NDP’s fortunes are falling, according to national polling. With likely just days to go before an election call, the party needs to find a way to connect… beyond the popular social media videos of its leader. How does it demonstrate it has the heft for one of the major issues: standing up to Trump?And: U.S. President Donald Trump had another high-level phone call about ending the war in Ukraine. A day after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he talked to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A conversation both said was friendly and productive. Like Russia, Ukraine has agreed not to target infrastructure for the next 30 days. But Kyiv says Moscow has already violated that agreement.Also: They used to be envied for their sleek design and innovative technology, but these days Tesla vehicles are taking heat. Getting a lot of unwanted attention because of the politics and actions of the company's CEO, Elon Musk. U.S. officials, and even Trump, are saying it’s domestic terrorism.Plus: Thousands protest in Turkey, Israel steps up its new offensive in Gaza, and more.

The first time Michael Jackson was publicly accused of molesting a child was in 1993. It happened again 10 years later, but he was never held responsible. And it seemed like Jackson's legacy would remain mostly untarnished until a documentary called Leaving Neverland exposed horrifying behind-the-scenes details. I'm Kathleen Goltar and this week on Crime Story, I speak with the documentary's director, Dan Reed. Find Crime Story wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast.

President said that having a liberal prime minister would be easier for him to deal with. It's true. I'm a strong leader. I'm a tough guy to deal with. I'm firm in my convictions and I'll always put Canada first. With Canada headed for an early election and the White House now weighing in, Pierre Pauliev is framing the race as a strongman competition, pitching himself as the number one contender to take on Donald Trump, as the Conservative leader also wrestles with poll numbers and a Liberal Party gaining ground.

Welcome to Your World Tonight. It is Wednesday, March 19th, just before 6pm Eastern. I'm Susan Bonner, also on the podcast. President Trump and Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky had a fantastic phone conversation. President Trump fully briefed President Zelensky on his conversation with Putin and the key issues discussed. Dialed in on a ceasefire, a day after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed a plan to end the war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky was next on the line, agreeing to halt some strikes and continue negotiations. But when it comes to a lasting peace deal, there's still a lot to talk about.

The campaign-style events have already started. A day after the Prime Minister visited Iqaluit, Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev was in Northern Ontario announcing a mining plan. But the trip comes with new cracks forming in the Conservatives' once rock-solid lead over the Liberals, as Pierre Pauliev tries to use criticism from Donald Trump to his advantage. Rafi Boujikaneen reports. In Canada's wonderful communities of the

north, companies discovered one of the largest untapped areas for rare earth metals in the world. Conservative leader Pierre Polievre is not waiting for the wits to be issued in pre-campaign mode in Sudbury, Ontario, promising if elected his party would greenlight all resource permits within six months to unearth critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel and copper. It would be life changing for Northern Ontario towns. For now though, Ontario was facing legal action by some First Nations over a lack of consultation. Poliev did not provide details on how he could get companies to start digging so quickly, but he did take digs at the liberals.

The president said that having a liberal prime minister would be easier for him to deal with, just as he threatened once again to make us the 51st state. I'm a strong leader, I'm a tough guy to deal with. Riffing off of comments made by US President Donald Trump last night on Fox News. A conservative that's running is stupidly no friend of mine. I don't know him, but he said negative things. Trump also added... I think it's easier to deal actually with a liberal.

In a very short period of time, the entire political world has shifted. David Colletto is with the abacus data polling firm. It, like others, has tracked the conservatives' rise to a very likely majority government and then lose that lead, landing neck and neck with the liberals. Ever since Justin Trudeau's resignation, Trump's tariffs and his annexation threats. Colletto says it's small wonder the conservatives are trying to take advantage of Trump's comments. I think Pierre Pauli has to find a way to get the upper hand on this issue because ever since Donald Trump became the focus for most people in this country,

the conservative vote has gone down. But he says Pauliev also faces a danger in leaning too hard in this direction, as he says a small but vocal segment of his voter base still like Trump. Everything is broken. Everything is broken. Liberals have indeed been trying to draw out similarities between Trump and Paul Yevgen's several ads, even as they walk their own fine line, simultaneously trying to deal with the US administration. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

I could care less what Donald Trump wants or thinks in the context of Canadian politics. I think Canadians at the point of which there's election are gonna have a choice. The bet both the Liberals and Conservatives may be looking to take with an election call expected in the days to come. Rafi Boudjikan, YonCBC News, Ottawa. The NDP may be trying to find a way into the fight between the liberals and the conservatives. Jagmeet Singh has more election experience than his federal counterparts, but there are questions whether he or his party have what it takes to run the country in the face of

a trade war. Marina von Stackelberg explains. I retime my turban at least once a day. In a get ready video popular with social media influencers, Jagmeet Singh twists his long hair under his turban and talks about his life before politics. So I went out and got three minimum wage jobs. It's the same sort of way he introduced himself to Canadians

in his first election as the NDP leader five years ago. Now he's entering his third campaign. I struggled hard. I want going to fight for you. But the NDP could be in one of its toughest battles yet. The NDP support has just tanked over the last few weeks and they are in a serious struggle. Analyst Eric Grenier runs CBC's poll tracker, which aggregates public opinion polling. The data now suggests NDP support is under 12 percent.

Grenier projects the new Democrats could lose up to three quarters of their seats in the next election. Even Singh's own riding is at risk. It has just been a few polls, but if the NDP continues to poll at this level for a steady, consistent amount of time, the NDP could be on track for one of its worst results in at least 30 years. Grenier says part of the New Democrats' challenge is their ties to the Liberals. They kept that minority government afloat, in return for social programs like dental care.

Those were major NDP wins. But even in places like Vancouver Island, where the New Democrats dominate, that hasn't necessarily resonated with voters. The federal NDP have done some good work, but it seems like their messaging and their branding just hasn't been on point. They kept the Liberal Party in power, and only for that reason I wouldn't vote for them.

I have, over the years, voted NDP, but I'm going to vote Liberal because I really think that they need every vote. That renewed support for the Liberals under Mark Carney could also hurt the NDP. We are the readiest we've ever been. Jennifer Howard is the New Democrats' National Campaign Director. I think it's been a very volatile time. I think for everybody who's watching the polls,

you know, we're not in the same place we were a few months ago. That also tells me that things can change quickly. The volatility from the U.S. president means core NDP campaign issues like affordability and housing might no longer be at the top of voters minds. The ballot question for this federal election will be who is best to tackle Donald Trump and the tariffs. Brad Levine is a former campaign manager for the NDP. He says he'll watch to see if the party puts out a plan to meet that challenge. Mr. Singh needs to fight like his future leadership is on the line.

Because after two election campaigns where he's lost half a million votes and 20 seats, I would suggest that unless Mr. Singh can turn this around, New Democrats are going to have a lot of difficult questions for Mr. Singh following this election campaign. This election is going to be an important choice for Canadians. And likely one that will shape the future of the NDP. Marina von Stackelberg, CBC News, Ottawa. Employees and creditors of Hudson's Bay will have to wait a bit longer to find out what's happening to the company. A judge was supposed to rule what's happening to the company.

A judge was supposed to rule today, but instead granted the company an extension to Friday to iron out a liquidation plan. Lawyers for the Bay say the retail giant can keep operating until then. The company has said a store-by-store liquidation could take three months. Hudson's Bay is entrenched in Canadian history. It was founded in 1670 by fur traders and once owned a wide swath of northern Canada around Hudson Bay. Coming up on the podcast, follow-up phone call. Vladimir Zelensky and Donald Trump talk about a path to peace

following the U.S.-Russia call yesterday, political arrests and unrest in Turkey, and targeting Tesla vandals strike Elon Musk's cars. US President Donald Trump had another high-level phone call about ending the war in Ukraine. A day after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump talked to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. A conversation both said was friendly and productive, and nothing like when the two leaders met last month. Paul Hunter reports from Washington. Today, President Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had a fantastic phone conversation.

At the White House press briefing after that phone call, word from press secretary Caroline Levitt, the hour-long conversation indeed went well. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky now reportedly having agreed to what's described as a 30-day partial ceasefire. The leaders agreed Ukraine and America will continue working together to bring about a real end to the war and that lasting peace under President Trump's leadership can be achieved. Donald Trump himself wrote on social media things are now quote very much on track.

The tone alone a far cry from the last time the two leaders spoke. From the very beginning of the war. You're not in a good position. You don't have the two leaders spoke. From the very beginning of the war, Mr. Brehman, I was... I was... You don't have the cards right now. When Zelensky sat down with Trump in the Oval Office in a meeting that broke down in alarming crosstalk as the world looked on aghast.

You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III. Since that time, a reset of a kind on Trump's stated push to end the fighting in Ukraine. This week, a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, then today's call with Zelensky. But even with words Zelensky is good with a month-long partial ceasefire is Putin. Overnight, an apparent Russian drone attack on a hospital in northeastern Ukraine. Ukraine saying Russia also attacked a number of energy facilities,

despite Putin being said to have agreed to stop such attacks as broader ceasefire talks proceed. As for a full ceasefire, Zelensky himself, speaking in Finland, made clear yet again his immovable and biggest demand on that. For us, the red line is the recognition of the Ukrainian temporarily occupied territories as Russian. We will not go for it. In other words, only if Ukraine keeps its borders as they were before Russia invaded. Outside the White House, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Walz.

More talks on how any 30-day partial ceasefire would actually play out are expected later this week in Saudi Arabia, though it's unclear who precisely will be taking part. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington. Israel is stepping up its new offensive in Gaza, launching what it calls a limited ground operation in the Palestinian enclave on top of air strikes that restarted Monday night. At least 48 people were killed overnight, bringing the number of dead in two days to more than 450, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Sasha Petrasek reports.

In Jerusalem, fury as Israeli protesters slammed the return to war in Gaza, declaring it a death sentence for remaining hostages who might have been freed in a longer ceasefire. We need our people. They are there in the tunnels of Gaza. They are imprisoned in the tunnels of Gaza. This is outrageous. But in Gaza, it's fear that's growing.

Fear of Israeli tanks and soldiers who've started a new ground offensive, moving to cut off north from south once again. And fear of airstrikes, including one that killed Rafat Ramadan's daughter. Everything changed in a moment, he says. The explosion, my daughter screaming for help. I couldn't do anything UN official Jorge de Silva says one worker died when a UN compound was hit in central Gaza accusing Israel of targeting it. In my opinion this was not

an accident it cannot be categorized as an. I am shocked and devastated by this tragic news. Israel denies it was aiming at the UN. It's presented several reasons for military action. Military spokesman Nadav Shoshani says Hamas had to be stopped from new attacks on Israel. And we saw them planning terror attacks against our civilians and we decided to act against it and to prevent it. Israel has presented no proof and so far Hamas has not launched military action.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the attacks are meant to pressure Hamas after talks about extending the ceasefire failed. Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. Hamas says it was Israel who reneged on the existing January agreement to keep the ceasefire going so hostages could be freed. The motivation is political, the reasons are political. But observers like Alon Pincus, Israel's former consul in New York,

say Netanyahu is just trying to keep his ruling coalition from falling apart, appeasing an extreme right-wing who wants a return to war. There is nothing here military, there is nothing here diplomatic, it's all about his politics. Without that support, without enough votes to pass a budget before a March 31st deadline, his government would fall. Most expect the fighting to continue at least until then. Sasha Petrosic, CBC News, Toronto. Violent protests have erupted in Turkey after the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, who is widely

seen as the president's top political rival. The government accuses him of corruption and terrorism. But as Chris Brown explains, the opposition insists the move was politically motivated. The arrest of Istanbul's popular mayor sent supporters into the streets, triggering clashes with riot police and fueling fears about the country's further slide into authoritarianism. Today, a coup was made against Turkish democracy, said a protester. As the twice-elected mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Ememmolo was perhaps the second most powerful

figure in the country and the main political rival to President Tayyip Erdogan. His detention comes just days before he was expected to be selected to lead his party against Erdogan in a possible upcoming presidential vote. Authorities allege he's guilty of corruption and ties to terrorism. guilty of corruption and ties to terrorism. Just before his arrest, Imomolo posted a video message proclaiming his innocence, saying the police had been transformed into a tool for evil and vowing he will not give up. Along with Imomolo,

more than a hundred others, including journalists and business people, were also arrested, part of an ongoing effort by Erdogan's, say, human rights groups to weaken Turkish institutions and to concentrate more power in his presidency. Erdogan, who's 71, has dominated Turkish politics for decades, first as prime minister and then as president since 2014. While technically the constitution does not allow him to run for a third presidential term, he could get around that by triggering an early vote, and his opponents say removing the popular Imomolo

could be part of that plan. If that's the case, it's a massive gamble. Politically, Turkey has scored some big wins of late, including helping the opposition in Syria push out the Assad regime and starting talks to end the decade-long conflict with the Kurds. Those successes could now be at risk,

says Ghalib Dhalai, an analyst with London-based Chatham House. So with this, the whole political, economic, and then the foreign policy picture has been poisoned. Societal discontent, societal backlash will probably be very significant, will probably be huge. Protests have been banned, although in Istanbul tonight thousands came out anyway. Erdogan's officials, meanwhile, deny anything improper. They claim Imomolo's arrest had nothing to do with the president. Chris Brown, CBC News, London.

Global Affairs is condemning China for executing an unspecified number of Canadians. About 100 Canadians are currently being held in China, many convicted of drug offences, there's no word on how many were executed or who they were. China's embassy in Ottawa says the executions were based on solid and sufficient evidence, adding Beijing has zero tolerance for drug crimes. The Canadian government says it opposes China's use of the death penalty, but Beijing says it is exercising its judicial sovereignty. This is Your World Tonight from CBC News. If you want to make sure you stay up to date and

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. podcasts, just find the follow button and lock us in. With their sleek design and state of the art features, Teslas get a lot of attention. But along with glances, the electric vehicles are starting to attract spray paint, even Molotov cocktails. With Tesla CEO Elon Musk now riding shotgun in the Trump administration, the car company is taking a hit on the roads and on Wall Street. Nisha Patel explains. Hey, ho ho, Elon Musk is out to go.

Across the U.S., there's growing anger with Elon Musk. Elon Musk is destroying our government. Nobody elected him. Most recognizable as the CEO of Tesla, protesters are targeting that business with boycotts. Hitting him in the wallet, getting him where it hurts, even though, you know, he's richer than God, so it's hurting his reputation.

But some protesters are going beyond legal demonstrations to violence. This week alone, police in Las Vegas say Molotov cocktails were thrown at a's showroom. And in Kansas City, the FBI is investigating Tesla's set on fire as arson. Today in Montreal, two activists were arrested after a dealership was vandalized with pink spray paint. Now the Vancouver International Auto Show has removed the carmaker from its event, citing safety concerns. You can't divorce the personality from the business enterprise.

So generally speaking, CEOs tend to keep a lower profile. Marvin Rider is a marketing professor at McMaster University. He says Musk's close involvement with U.S. President Donald Trump and his mission to cut government spending are driving discontent. My guess is it's going to get worse before it's going to get better because Mr. Musk is quite committed to seeing the Doge mandate through. Musk has called those responsible deranged and defended his actions on Fox News. Tesla is a peaceful company. We've never done anything harmful.

I've never done anything harmful. I've only done productive things. U.S. President Donald Trump said Musk and Tesla are being treated unfairly. Praising the vehicles last week right on the White House front lawn, Trump said he'd support Musk by buying a Tesla. His administration is now suggesting violence against Tesla is domestic terrorism. Tesla is taking not just a cultural hit, but a financial one. Sales are slowing and the stock has dropped 38 percent so far this year. Though Reiter says protests aren't the only factor.

Competition is rising dramatically. Being the first mover is not the advantage it once was. And those companies are not going to let off their put on the pedal to let Mr. Musk come back. Consumers like Jeff Baker are finding their own ways to protest as well as protect their property. There's a lot of Tesla owners that love the car and hate the man. He slapped an anti Elon Musk sticker on his red Tesla. I want to distance myself from him as much as possible. Others are going even further and putting their Teslas up for sale.

So Musk has lost more than 126 billion dollars this year, though he's still the richest man in the world. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto. The Tesla takedown is just one of many boycotts on American products. Across Canada, more and more consumers are shunning U.S. goods to buy local. And a similar backlash is happening globally, too. Nicole Williams looks at that. Shopping in Ottawa, Beth Charbonneau is looking for ways to spend her money with Buy Canadian

in mind. Just look for anything that says made in Canada or anywhere else in the world just trying to avoid things that are made in America. Charbonneau is like many Canadians who are motivated by an ongoing trade war with the U.S. and President Donald Trump's threats to make Canada the 51st state. Turns out we're not alone. For me it's a lot about the democracy and for many people it's about Ukraine. From cutting back DEI initiatives to blaming the Ukrainian

president for starting the war against Russia, people in other countries also have their own reasons to turn their backs on the U.S. administration. In Sweden, Janneke Koinor helps run a Facebook group dedicated to boycotting US products. It's grown to more than 80,000 members in just a few months. I really want to say that I tried. I tried because I saw something and I didn't like it and I tried and that's how we in the group see ourselves. Denmark Grocery Chainlling Group is marking European made products with a black star to help customers at the checkout counter. Morten Moberg is CEO.

Well, people has been wanting to buy European goods, obviously, with geopolitics going on at the moment. I guess you can guess yourself why. Experts say it's hard to gauge how big the impact this movement is having, but a recent report from Tourism Economics and International Peer Review Journal forecasts a dramatic drop in visits to the U.S., suggesting tourism spending could fall by 18 billion dollars this year alone. Economist Moshe Lander isn't so sure the anti-American sentiment has lasting power.

If you think that it's going to actually do something, you're sorely mistaken. The US economy is about $30 trillion per year, give or take. Even still, some people say it's the principle of the matter. Renowned German violinist Christian Tetzlaff cancelled his American tour dates scheduled for this summer. It was very difficult because I'm hurting myself with not being able to play those wonderful halls. But I needed for my own sake a decision where I wouldn't feel wrong in what I'm doing. A sacrifice many others also suggest is necessary as long as the Trump administration continues on the path it's on. Nicole Williams, CBC News, Ottawa.

We end the program with the end of a journey that was long, cold and uniquely Canadian. It was a hell of a challenge and I'm glad I did it. I mean I'm really tired but I'm proud of what I did. That's 34-year-old Louis-Joseph Couturier rolling his bicycle into the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver this week, four years after dipping his wheels into the Atlantic in Gaspé, Quebec. A nearly 6,000-kilometer bicycle trip across Canada. That included a hiatus for pandemic lockdowns. It was a grueling ride. It is at any time of year. The catch here, Couturier only rode during the winter, about 100 kilometers per day. Sometimes through conditions that would be difficult

even in a four-wheel drive vehicle. He says the worst part was the headwind going through the prairies. Couturier launched his two-wheel trek to raise awareness about the lack of year-round cycling infrastructure in Canada. I think we can only benefit from more cycling infrastructure. We can benefit from like making our citizen move more, address climate change, address local pollution issues. There's so much we can address with cycling infrastructure.

Couturier says he'll now be heading home where he'll go back to university studying urban design with a focus on sustainable transportation. Thank you for joining us. This has been Your World Tonight for Wednesday, March 19th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.