Free For All Friday - Hour 1

Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers.

• Yet another floor crossing: Sarnia-area MP Marilyn Gladu has defected from the Conservatives to join Mark Carney’s Liberal Party.
• Ahead of Monday's crucial byelections, Amanda speaks with Liberal strategist Sharan Kaur from the Liberal Party’s annual convention in Montreal.
• Matina Stevis-Gridneff, the Canada Bureau Chief for The New York Times, dissects the latest developments with the push for peace in the Middle East, as a U.S. delegation is set for a weekend of high-stakes negotiations with the Iranians.
• Artemis II is set to return to Earth this evening. Amanda is joined by astrophysicist Dr. Rob Thacker to outline what this mission has accomplished.

Free For All Friday - Hour 2

Contributors from all over the country join The Roundtable to discuss the top stories of the week. Today’s edition features NDP strategist George Soule and Conaptus principal Jamie Ellerton.

Topic 1: Breaking down all the implications of Marylin Gladu’s defection to the Liberal Party.

Topic 2: What does this latest floor-crossing mean for Pierre Poilievre’s future at the helm of Canada's Conservatives?

Topic 3: Digging into the politics of Alto high-speed rail, a massive project that is generating opposition from communities along both proposed routes.

Topic 4: Melania Trump’s pre-emptive damage control over the Epstein allegations.

Topic 5: The Masters is underway, and without Tiger Woods.

Tim Powers guest hosts for Vassy Kapelos, who will be back in the hosting chair on Monday. And today, we are tracking the continued political fallout from Marilyn Gladu's floor-crossing to the Carney Liberals. Political scientist Alex Marland examines the implications of a fifth defection to the Liberal Party.

On today's show:

• CTV's Kamil Karamali provides an update on the Artemis II mission, which is scheduled for a Friday night return to Planet Earth.
• Trump's Iran ceasefire is already teetering, as Israel continues its assault against Lebanon. We dig deeper with Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. State Department Middle East Advisor.
• Talk Science To Me with CTV Science and Technology specialist Dan Riskin: Meet the male birth control pill that works on mice.
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Mike LeCouteur, Robert Benzie, and Brian Platt.
• James Moore, a former Cabinet Minister under the Harper regime, weighs in on Pierre Poilievre's reputation after he lost a fourth MP to the Carney Liberals.
• The NHL's playoff picture remains razor-thin, but time is running out for the outsiders to sneak in through the back door. Plus, Cole Caufield is shooting for 50 goals, something that a Habs player hasn't done since 1990. Tim talks hockey with Jon Still from TSN 690 in Montreal.

Tim Powers fills in for Vassy Kapelos, as Sarnia MP Marilyn Gladu becomes the fourth Conservative MP to join Mark Carney's Liberals. It comes less than a week before a trio of pivotal byelections, which now means the Red Team needs a singular win to secure a majority. Joining us to dissect the potential implications of today's floor-crossing are CTV Ottawa Bureau Chief Graham Richardson, CTV political analyst Scott Reid, and Abacus Data CEO David Coletto.

On today's show:

• Retired Major-General David Fraser discusses what we know, and what we don't know, about the Iran ceasefire deal.
• New numbers from the CFIB find that 50% of small business owners are worried about rising crime, and how it could impact their employees.
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Laura D'Angelo, Jeff Rutledge, and Stephanie Levitz.
• W5's Jon Woodward has a preview of a CTV exclusive investigation: How multiple Canadian women found out they are married to the same man.

Tim Powers fills in for Vassy Kapelos today, as U.S. President Donald Trump escalates his threat to destroy Iran's critical civilian infrastructure.

On today's show:

• Gas prices are set to rise again, as stations switch to the Summer Fuel blend. Tim chats with Dan McTeague, the President at Canadians For Affordable Energy.
• Retired General Tom Lawson, a former Chief of Defense Staff, discusses the situation with the Iran War.
• A new report from BMO warns of staggering economic impacts if the Iran War continues to drive up the price of oil. Tim speaks with BMO Senior Economist Sal Guatieri.
• Money Talk with John Klotz: It's Tax Time!
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Jordan Paquet, Sharan Kaur, and Nojoud Al Mallees.
• Registered Child Psychologist Dr. Janine Hubbard reacts to the Saskatchewan government mulling over a U-16 social media ban.
• It might be early in the baseball season, but the Toronto Blue Jays have dropped 5 straight after a 4-1 start. TSN 1050 radio host Aaron Korolnek tries to calm things down, but keeps things honest.

Tim Powers fills in for Vassy Kapelos on this Easter Monday, as the U.S. President sends Iran a deadline. They have until Tuesday night at 8 o'clock to make a deal and end the war. if they don't, the United States will attack critical infrastructure. We get the full breakdown from CTV U.S. political analyst Eric Ham.

On today's show:

• Pollster Nik Nanos breaks down what's at stake for the Liberals in next week's byelections.
• Listen to Vassy's interview with Federal Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon about the growing opposition to Canada's high-speed rail proposal.
• Tech Check with tech analyst Carmi Levy: An in-depth look at the Artemis II mission.
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Sabrina Grover, Jamie Ellerton, and Tom Mulcair.
• David Perry, the CEO of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, discusses a new poll showing Canadians are more open to military service.
• Retired Canadian astronaut Dave Williams on Artemis II reaching the Moon.

Tim Powers guest hosts for Vassy Kapelos on this Holy Thursday. And according to Deloitte's 2026 economic outlook, Canada's economy will grow by 1.2 percent in 2026. The bad news: That's down from 1.7 percent last year. We gather instant reaction from Deloitte Canada chief economist Dawn Desjardins.

On today's show:

• CTV U.S. political analyst Eric Ham reacts to U.S. President Trump's address on the Iran War.
• Talk Science To Me with CTV Science and Technology specialist Dan Riskin: Last night's Artemis II launch was a grand success!
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Mike LeCouteur, Laura Stone, and Rob Benzie.
• UNIFOR National President Lana Payne on the recent chatter between Stellantis and a Chinese automaker, and where an idle Brampton plant could fit into the equation.
• TSN's Gord Wilson on the razor-thin playoff race in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

Today is the deadline for agreements between the Canadian government and the Province of Alberta under the energy MOU that was signed by Prime Minister Carney and Premier Smith last year. However, to this point, no announcements have been scheduled.

On today's show:

• Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is set to become the first Canadian to leave low earth orbit if NASA's Artemis II Moon mission takes off as scheduled tonight. CTV Science and Technology specialist Dan Riskin joins Vassy to discuss the upcoming launch.
• Vassy goes 1-on-1 with Canadian Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin.
• The Explainer with Constance Menzies, the owner of Winnipeg-based Chocolatier Constance Popp: Why is chocolate so expensive these days?
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Saeed Selvam, Jeff Rutledge, and Stephanie Levitz.
• CTV's Heather Wright joins us from Cape Canaveral, Florida with the latest on the Artemis II preparations.
• CTV U.S. political analyst Eric Ham previews Trump's primetime address on the Iran War.

Prime Minister Carney is denying reports that he's considered proroguing Parliament if the Liberals secure a majority government in the upcoming byelections. They are slated to be held on April 13th in Ontario and Quebec. Bob Fife from The Globe And Mail joins us with the inside scoop.

On today's show:

• Vassy goes 1-on-1 with newly-named Federal NDP leader Avi Lewis.
• Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson discusses the government's move to eliminate the HST from all new home sales.
• Money Talk with John Klotz: Is the financial system more fragile that it used to be?
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Graham Richardson, Laryssa Waller, and Sharan Kaur.
• B.C. Deputy Premier Nikki Sharma discusses the province's push for the federal government to do more on A.I. safety.
• The life and legacy of Stephen Lewis, a former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and the father of NDP leader Avi Lewis.