More than a year after 2025’s federal election, the Liberal Party now has a majority government. Monday’s federal by-elections – a clean sweep for Liberal candidates – plus a steady flow of floor crossings ensure Mark Carney’s government now has a slim majority with 174 seats in the House of Commons.

But how will Carney and the Liberals now use this power? And how will the dynamics in Parliament change? Today, a political panel of Stephanie Leviz, senior reporter in The Globe’s Ottawa bureau and Campbell Clark, columnist and The Globe’s chief political writer join The Decibel to talk about the future of this government.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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The deadline to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – the agreement that governs free trade in North America, also known as the USMCA – is less than three months away. Canada and Mexico are coming to these trade talks from very different positions: Mexico has been deep in technical discussions for some time, whereas Canada’s talks with the U.S. only resumed over the last few months after stalling out back in October.

The Globe’s economics reporter, Mark Rendell, joins us today to break down the different dynamics at play and what to expect leading up to July 1.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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It’s tax season again, an often tedious time dreaded by many Canadians. But this tax season could be different. After ongoing concerns around slow and inaccurate responses, the CRA is trying to improve by implementing AI and digital services, for instance.

The Globe’s personal economics reporter Erica Alini has been looking into how effective these changes have been, and what this means for Canadians.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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On Friday, negotiators from the U.S., Israel and Iran are set to talk in Pakistan about the future of the war. The Gulf Arab states, who have been attacked during the conflict, will not be party to the talks. But they have a lot depending on the outcome.

Today, the Globe’s international affairs columnist Doug Saunders joins the show from Dubai, where he is witnessing the impact of the ceasefire in the region. He breaks down what this agreement – and any future long-term deal – means for Iran, the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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After the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday night, oil prices eased on Wednesday. Many details of the ceasefire remain unclear – including when and how the Strait of Hormuz will become passable again. Since the effective closure of the Strait, the rising cost of oil has been impacting prices across a number of industries – from airfare, to delivery, to groceries. In some cases, fuel surcharges are as high as 45 per cent.

Today, the Globe’s consumer affairs reporter, Mariya Postelnyak, breaks down why we’re seeing prices go up, whether they’ll stick around, and how consumer behaviour is shifting.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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A lot of attention has been given to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s closure in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel. But another key strait in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen, has also been threatened with a shutdown, and it’s similarly vital to trade.

Thomas Juneau is a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. As an expert on Yemen and the Houthis, Juneau discusses the importance of the strait, the relationship between Iran and the Houthis, and what it would mean if the Bab al-Mandeb Strait were closed.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Australian mining company BHP has made the largest investment in the company’s history in Saskatchewan, opening the province’s biggest potash mine. The potassium compound, known as “pink gold,” is key to growing food and is an essential part of Canada’s economy. Thirty per cent of the global supply comes from Saskatchewan alone.

The Globe’s agricultural and food policy reporter, Kate Helmore, got to see the mining project first-hand. She joins the show to talk about the development, whether it could serve as a blueprint for other major projects and what it could mean for Canada’s economic sovereignty.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at over $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Blaze Baum worries they may not know exactly what they’re signing up for.

Today, Blaze Baum shares her first-hand story and reporting into the fertility industry in her new book, In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It. Kathryn will explain what it’s like to navigate assisted reproductive technology, its high costs financially and emotionally, and what she thinks needs to change about how Canada handles fertility.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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