Power Play with Vassy Kapelos is CTV News Channel's daily marquee political program from Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. ET. Keep scrolling to learn more about regular political panellists.
Anne is the national director of the New Democratic Party. She formerly served as president of the NDP, deputy chief of staff to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and chief of staff to three federal leaders of the NDP: Jack Layton, Nycole Turmel, and Tom Mulcair. She has held a variety of positions with non-profit organizations, such as OXFAM-Canada and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Brian Gallant is the CEO of Space Canada and a special advisor to the president of Ontario Tech University. He served as the 33rd premier of New Brunswick from 2014 to 2018. In addition to this role, Brian was the Attorney General, the minister responsible for innovation, and the minister responsible for women’s equality. In 2018, he led his Premier colleagues as the chair of the Council of the Federation. When he left office at age 36, he was the youngest premier in Canada at the time and second youngest in history.
Carlene is the associate vice-president of Summa Strategies and former political staffer, spending a total of 15 years on Parliament Hill. She has worked at the most senior levels of the federal government, serving as chief of staff to Jim Carr, and deputy chief of staff and director of communications to cabinet ministers holding economic, social and security portfolios. From 2014 to 2016, she also served on the National Board of Directors of the Liberal Party of Canada and has also held senior roles on the Liberal party’s national campaign teams for the 2015, 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Christy is the former premier of British Columbia and now senior advisor with internationally-recognized Canadian law firm Bennett Jones. During her political career, she also served as minister of education, minister of children and family and vice-chair of treasury board. Christy retired from political life in 2017 as the longest-serving female Premier in Canadian history and the only woman in Canada ever to be re-elected. At the time of her departure, British Columbia had been Canada’s economic leader for three years running—the first time that had happened since the 1960s.
Dan is a partner at Crestview Strategy in Toronto. He is a Liberal campaign strategist who has more than a decade of political experience, serving in senior political roles in the Ontario governments of Kathleen Wynne and Dalton McGuinty. Across various roles, Dan has provided strategic leadership on some of the highest-stakes files, including one of the largest initial public offerings in Canadian history, two minority government budgets and a plan to cut the cost of electricity by twenty-five percent.
Elliot is a political commentator and former advisor to Liberal finance and defence ministers. He has also worked for a federal Opposition Leader and a former Premier of Ontario. Today, Elliot is president of Note Bleue Consulting and senior associate with Summa Strategies, advising defence, tech, and financial sector clients on Canada's political landscape as well as broader geopolitical trends. In addition to his Substack, Elliot is a frequent and sought-after media commentator on politics and public affairs.
Gary is a former Alberta MLA and cabinet minister, and the current president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation (CWF). During his time as an elected official, he held several cabinet portfolios: community development, health and wellness, education, environment and international and intergovernmental relations. Gary also worked extensively with the Alberta energy sector on advocacy issues in the United States and served as Alberta’s Representative in Asia from 2011 to 2015. Prior to joining CWF, he also served as president and CEO of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada.
During his career in politics, Gurratan developed and implemented effective campaign strategies at all levels of government, including a successful federal party leadership race. He held several key roles in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, including critic for the Attorney General and Deputy House Leader. Prior to his election, Gurratan practiced as a litigation lawyer representing hundreds of clients across Ontario including at the Ontario Court of Justice, Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Appeal. Gurratan is the brother of federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
John served as the mayor of Toronto from 2014 to 2023. He has been a prominent figure in Ontario business and politics since the early 1980s, working for federal and provincial politicians including as operations director for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s successful re-election campaign. He then served as the leader of Ontario Progressive Conservative from 2004 to 2009 and as an MPP from 2005 to 2007. Alongside politics, John also had a career as a lawyer, talk show host, corporate executive and the commissioner of the Canadian Football League.
Kathleen Monk is a seasoned strategist and veteran of numerous federal and provincial political campaigns. She served as director of communications to the late Jack Layton, serving as spokesperson and war-room director for the historic 2011 federal campaign. An award-winning communicator, Kathleen has directed campaigns recognized internationally for their advertising and media relations. Now President of Monk + Associates, Kathleen works with business and civic leaders to build strategies to secure public affairs victories. Before entering her career in politics, Kathleen worked in newsrooms in Toronto, Ottawa, and Washington, D.C.
Laura Stone is an award-winning journalist who joined the Globe and Mail in 2016. She’s reported on Parliament Hill and from across the country including Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto, and now covers politics at Queen’s Park. Born and bred in Ottawa, Laura likes to dabble in both federal and provincial politics and enjoys profiling politicians over lunch, because no one ever regretted a good meal. She spends her free time chasing after her young son. Laura also appears weekly on CTV’s Your Morning.
Lisa is managing director and vice-chair of Global Investment Banking at CIBC Capital Markets. She was elected to the House of Commons in 2008, serving as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Labour and Minister of Transport. In 2015, Lisa was appointed finance critic for the Official Opposition and in 2017 she was appointed Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. She is a Woodrow Wilson Center Global Fellow of the Canada Institute and was also the former president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority.
Marieke is a senior political reporter in The Globe and Mail’s Ottawa bureau. She has covered politics since 2011, first on Parliament Hill, then in Halifax and Toronto, before heading back to the Hill in 2019. Among many stories, she has covered two federal elections, a global pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Queen’s funeral. In 2020, she was part of a team of Globe reporters that won a National Newspaper Award for their coverage of the WE Charity controversy.
Melanie is the President of Texture Communications and former political staffer. She was Deputy Campaign Manager for Erin O’Toole’s successful 2020 Conservative Leadership campaign and served as the Director of Strategic Communications and principal speech writer in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. Known for her ghostwriting, Melanie has worked with Canadian leaders in business, politics, and Indigenous communities for more than 15 years. A veteran Conservative campaigner, Melanie has worked in multiple federal and provincial election war rooms and on leadership campaigns.
Rachel Aiello covers the latest political news from CTV's parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. Part of CTV News' national digital team since 2017 and a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery since 2014, Rachel has covered everything from high-profile political scandals to the Freedom Convoy protests. Rachel is also the author of CTV News' Capital Dispatch newsletter, a weekly update on the latest news from the minority Parliament when it's in session. From Peterborough, Rachel moved to Ottawa where she graduated from the University of Ottawa's joint journalism program with Algonquin College.
Robert Benzie is Queen’s Park Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star. Prior to joining the Star in 2003, he was a political reporter at the National Post, a paper he helped launch in 1998. He began his career at the Toronto Sun and Ottawa Sun. A National Newspaper Award and Michener Award nominee, he has covered numerous federal, provincial and municipal elections and party leadership contests. Born in Australia to a Jamaican mother and a Scottish father, he is a proud Canadian and a graduate of Royal St. George’s College, Western University, and Concordia University. He lives in Toronto with his wife, two children, and a cavapoo who has made cameo appearances on Power Play.
Sabrina is an experienced advocacy, policy and communications professional who has worked extensively with civil society and non-profit organizations in Canada and internationally, focused on global health and gender equality. Sabrina has been politically involved at all three levels of government in both Ontario and Alberta. She ran as the Liberal Candidate in the 2021 federal election in Calgary-Centre and most recently served as campaign manager for Mark Sutcliffe's successful mayoral campaign in Ottawa. She is the founder and principal of Shakti Strategies.
Shakir is a principal of government relations at Earnscliffe Strategies, where he brings over a decade of experience as an advisor to federal and provincial governments, political campaigns, and C-suite executives. Shakir began his career on Parliament Hill in the Prime Minister's Office before becoming a policy advisor to the federal Minister of International Trade. As an advocate for youth engagement in politics, Shakir volunteers his time as a mentor for youth with an interest in public affairs and political consulting. He holds two Masters' degrees from Western University and pursued his Ph.D in Canada-China relations at Carleton University.
A retired Canadian politician and now political analyst for CTV News, Tom Mulcair was the former leader of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2012 to 2017, serving as leader of the Official Opposition from 2012 to 2015. He previously held positions as Member of the National Assembly of Québec for Chomedey, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Outremont, and he served as Québec Minister of the Environment. Outside of politics, he was a lawyer and is now a university professor.
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
Saskatoon police say the man accused of causing a crash that killed one woman and injured three others last month, did not have a valid driver’s license.
Workers with Ontario's main liquor retailer will hold a rally in downtown Toronto today on the second day of their historic strike.
Roughly 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures — and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said.
He was graduating from high school this summer, ready for life's next chapter, when he opened his yearbook to see that he and other transgender students at Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks, Alta., had been deadnamed.
Canada captain Alphonso Davies banished memories of his penalty miss at the 2022 World Cup by confidently converting a spot-kick in a shootout victory over Venezuela in the Copa America quarter-finals on Friday.
The City of Montreal says the owner of a more than 100-year-old home has violated city rules by allowing it to be painted in neon colours as an ad for telecom company Koodo.
Though traveling by yourself can be scary and intimidating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.
What seemed to be a minor passport issue turned into a major problem for a New Brunswick man who was denied a boarding pass from Air Canada.
Saskatoon police say the man accused of causing a crash that killed one woman and injured three others last month, did not have a valid driver’s license.
At Beaumont-Hamel and at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Canadian students work as interpreters — about 16 at any time — as part of a work exchange program organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Workers with Ontario's main liquor retailer will hold a rally in downtown Toronto today on the second day of their historic strike.
The City of Montreal says the owner of a more than 100-year-old home has violated city rules by allowing it to be painted in neon colours as an ad for telecom company Koodo.
What seemed to be a minor passport issue turned into a major problem for a New Brunswick man who was denied a boarding pass from Air Canada.
He was graduating from high school this summer, ready for life's next chapter, when he opened his yearbook to see that he and other transgender students at Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks, Alta., had been deadnamed.
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran’s runoff presidential election Saturday, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic.
French President Emmanuel Macron's expected political failure in decisive parliamentary elections Sunday could paralyze the country, weaken him abroad and overshadow his legacy, just as France prepares to step into the global spotlight as host of the Paris Olympics.
Decomposing human remains have been found wrapped in a sleeping bag and left out on the sidewalk for trash collection in Manhattan, New York City police said Saturday.
U.S. President Joe Biden, fighting to save his endangered reelection effort, used a highly anticipated TV interview Friday to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office while blaming his disastrous debate performance on a 'bad episode' and saying there were 'no indications of any serious condition.'
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer held his first Cabinet meeting Saturday as his new government takes on the massive challenge of fixing a heap of domestic woes and winning over a public weary from years of austerity, political chaos and a battered economy.
A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., the National Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are also sweltering, with oppressive heat and humidity expected to last through Saturday.
While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a measured tone when talking about Donald Trump during his first presidency, the Canadian leader has been a little more direct since. As we head closer to a U.S. election this fall, CTVNews.ca takes a look at everything Trudeau has said publicly about the presumptive Republican nominee.
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
The Labour Party’s landslide win in the United Kingdom election Thursday is renewing hope that trade talks between Ottawa and London could re-start according to Canada’s High Commissioner in the U.K.
Oncologists say radioligand therapy, or RLT, is poised to become a new "pillar" of cancer care, alongside surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Hogweed is harmful to humans and, experts say, the invasive species has become a growing problem in southern Ontario.
Plague, one of the deadliest bacterial infections in human history, caused an estimated 50 million deaths in Europe during the Middle Ages when it was known as the Black Death.
Discovering your phone was lost or stolen can be a stressful experience. Here are steps to help recover your device and protect your data.
Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.
Bulgarian archeologists stumbled upon unexpected treasure this week during a dig in an ancient Roman sewer - a well-preserved, marble statue depicting the Greek god Hermes.
In March, Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani threw a three-day prenuptial bash for his son that included a 1,200-person guest list, including former world leaders, tech tycoons and Bollywood's megastars, and a performance by renowned singer Rihanna.
Film critic Richard Crouse made a list to help make movie night enjoyable for all members of the family, no matter what age.
Kendrick Lamar turned the visual of his Drake diss track into a family affair. The song is part of what has become a very public feud between Lamar and Drake.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may face some hurdles in collecting the money loaned through COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), according to a tax lawyer.
Statistics Canada’s latest jobs report shows youth unemployment reached a near decade high.
An Ontario judge has authorized a sale process which could see The Body Shop Canada land new owners.
Though traveling by yourself can be scary and intimidating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.
An Ottawa woman, who has survived cancer and has overcome addiction, has won $70 million with Lotto Max.
Across France and especially in Paris, hospitality is one of the industries that is most heavily reliant on immigrant workers.
Canada claimed a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Venezuela on Friday to reach the Copa America semifinals for the first time after an absorbing contest finished 1-1.
Substitute Mikel Merino headed Spain into the semifinals of the European Championship as they snatched a 2-1 win over Germany in extra time on Friday.
Jessica Campbell is making history in the National Hockey League (NHL) by recently being hired as the first female full-time coach for the Seattle Krakens.
For the first time ever, Tesla cars have been placed on a Chinese government purchase list, according a to state-owned media outlet.
CDK Global said 'substantially all' of the nearly 15,000 car dealerships that use its software across North America are back online to its core management system, almost two weeks since a cyber incident caused a software blackout.
Transport Canada recalled various vehicles over the last week, including Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen and Porsche cars.
Adam finds out how a giant tortoise walking along a sidewalk is inspiring a woman visiting from Australia.
A wrestling fan from Guelph, Ont. thought he was down for the count after winning tickets to a “once-in-a-lifetime” WWE event in Toronto.
Lacey may look like just another pet chicken on Emily Carrington’s B.C. property. But she has a title her coop mates don’t: Guinness World Record holder.
Philip Kim, who competes as "B-Boy Phil Wizard," is set to make Canadian sports history this summer as the country's first-ever Olympic breaking athlete.
A new documentary filmed in Nova Scotia by marine biologist and veterinarian Dr. Chris Harvey Clark explores the increased number of white shark observations in Canadian waters.
A never-before-lived-in mansion in Whistler is on the market for $17.9 million – with the listing describing it as a 'steal for the international buyer' due to the current exchange rate, which puts the price in U.S. dollars at $13.1 million.
Irish singer Niall Horan had to ditch his car and walk to Scotiabank Arena where his concert was being held last weekend because the traffic was 'too bad' downtown.
A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.
Travellers flying with WestJet continue to watch as the airline cancels more flights due to a sudden strike by its mechanics union.
A man has been fined $70,000 for excavation work he ordered on the Sunshine Coast in November 2021 that led to the death of dozens of salmon eggs.
The cleanup and remediation continues in Abbotsford, B.C., after firefighting foam spilled into a creek, killing fish and other aquatic life.
Mounties in Kelowna are warning the public after a local resident fell victim to an "elaborate" fraud last week.
Workers with Ontario's main liquor retailer will hold a rally in downtown Toronto today on the second day of their historic strike.
John Tzannis says he is lucky he wasn’t more seriously injured after a 14-year-old driver rear-ended him on Highway 401 in Mississauga, sending his work van spinning into a concrete barrier early Friday morning.
Toronto police have released video that appears to show two suspects setting fire to an east-end business early Wednesday morning.
Calgary’s mayor and other officials are scheduled to provide an update on Saturday morning on the city’s progress in restoring water services following a major feeder main break.
Calgary is renaming a popular park in the west end of downtown with the goal of revitalizing the area as an event space, to host an annual Stampede music festival and more.
The Calgary Stampede has arrived, with 10 days of western festivities and fun planned throughout the city.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating following a shooting that left one man dead Friday in Westboro.
Though traveling by yourself can be scary and intimidating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.
CTV News Ottawa’s chief news anchor Graham Richardson signed off for his last newscast Friday night.
One person was arrested Friday evening after police deployed tear gas to disperse a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters at McGill University.
The City of Montreal says the owner of a more than 100-year-old home has violated city rules by allowing it to be painted in neon colours as an ad for telecom company Koodo.
Canada captain Alphonso Davies banished memories of his penalty miss at the 2022 World Cup by confidently converting a spot-kick in a shootout victory over Venezuela in the Copa America quarter-finals on Friday.
An investigation is underway after a child drowned in Wetaskiwin on Tuesday.
Two insurance providers in Alberta have announced plans to stop offering automobile insurance to customers in the province.
Canada captain Alphonso Davies banished memories of his penalty miss at the 2022 World Cup by confidently converting a spot-kick in a shootout victory over Venezuela in the Copa America quarter-finals on Friday.
Despite the rainy weather on Saturday, the East Coast Kite Festival still opened with kites of all sizes hitting the skies.
An environmental agency is urging Fisheries and Oceans Canada to release its whale safety gear strategy in the wake of another North Atlantic right whale getting entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence – the second such occurrence in the area so far this year.
The Roman Catholic Church has been ordered to pay settlements totalling $104 million to 292 survivors of historical abuse in Newfoundland and Labrador, including those at the now infamous Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John's.
If you’re ever visiting Brandon, Man., you might want to pay a visit to Talia. She’s beautiful, delicate, and a true work of art.
A nurse at Manitoba’s largest hospital is calling for better working conditions and a salary that can keep up with the cost of living, as thousands of nurses employed by Shared Health prepare to vote on a new contract.
The constant barrage of rain this year has left many Winnipeggers having to pump water out of their basements, including on Thursday when 42mm of rain hit the city in an hour.
A White City, Sask. family is raising awareness for youth mental health following their son’s death last month.
It has been 20 years since the disappearance of Tamra Keepness but the community continues to keep hope alive.
The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) is warning children to stop playing doorbell pranks, as they could lead to serious consequences.
Locally-owned alcohol businesses are making adjustments to attract more customers while LCBO workers across the province are on strike.
An arrest has been made in the suspicious death of a 40-year-old woman in Brantford.
Hogweed is harmful to humans and, experts say, the invasive species has become a growing problem in southern Ontario.
Saskatoon police say the man accused of causing a crash that killed one woman and injured three others last month, did not have a valid driver’s license.
Greg Fertuck will spend life behind bars with no chance of parole until he is 90 years old, a judge ruled on Thursday at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench.
For years, Highway 123 leading up to the northern village of Cumberland House has been notorious for being one of the worst highways in Saskatchewan.
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after a pile of dead lobster was found on the shoulder of Highway 17 this week in northern Ontario.
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
An independent report into the 2022 Rogers outage says the company lacked several protections and redundancies that could have either prevented the outage or ended it sooner.
A fire has caused extensive damage to at least three businesses in Kincardine Saturday morning.
WaterWheels, floating wheelchairs, are now available to use through the day at certain beaches in Saugeen Shores.
St. Thomas Police is searching for the driver of a pickup who fled the scene after striking a hydro pole on Mitchell St. early this morning.
Barrie's GO train service will be on hold this weekend during track repairs.
An early-morning fire closed the Cookstown Foodland grocery store on Friday.
Provincial police say a retired officer and an off-duty firefighter jumped into action to rescue a woman who had fallen into raging rapids in Minden.
In the last 15 months, the stretch of road in front of Devonshire Mall leading to the E.C Row Expressway ramps has become the most collision-prone area for drivers in Windsor.
A pool of mosquitos collected on Wednesday has tested positive for West Nile Virus. Chatham-Kent (CK) Public Health said the pool came from a trap in Wheatley. It’s the first positive pool identified in Chatham-Kent this season.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service is seeking information in an assault investigation.
British Columbia's power provider is planning to spend more than $3 billion on capital projects to upgrade and expand the electricity grid on Vancouver Island.
This weekend's Money in the Bank will be a full-circle moment for Chelsea Green.
To appreciate how Charlotte Friend ended-up painting unexpectedly, we need to go back to where she began raising her daughter Becca optimistically.
Mounties in Kelowna are warning the public after a local resident fell victim to an "elaborate" fraud last week.
Mounties are urging the public to be vigilant following a suspected gang shooting in B.C.'s southern Interior that left a 40-year-old man injured this week.
British Columbia residents are being told to brace for a coming heat wave that could send temperatures into the high 30s and beyond, with the government reminding people to check in on their neighbours.
Nearly 2,000 athletes will compete in 20 events over four days during the 2024 Southern Alberta Sumer Games. After months of planning, organizers are thrilled to welcome families from all over southern Alberta to Coaldale, Alta.
One of two men accused of conspiring to kill Mounties at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., characterized the protest as a last stand and told his mother there “will be a war” if police moved in.
With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.
A 62-year-old man from Elliot Lake, Ont., is facing multiple charges – including assault with a weapon – following an altercation with provincial police earlier this week.
Two Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., residents are facing impaired driving charges in two separate incidents on the 4th of July.
A 78-year-old from Elliot Lake, Ont., has been charged following an incident July 2 second at a local hardware store.
The Roman Catholic Church has been ordered to pay settlements totalling $104 million to 292 survivors of historical abuse in Newfoundland and Labrador, including those at the now infamous Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John's.
Opposition parties in Newfoundland and Labrador say they’re growing frustrated at the decision by health officials to move freezers of unclaimed human remains into an underground hospital parking garage.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberal premier is once again opposing a decision made by the federal Liberals — this time about the reopening of the province's commercial northern cod fishery.
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