Bloggers note : Year end 2022 with transcript
VIDEO ..
The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson sat down with Global News’ David Akin, Amanda Connolly and Mackenzie Gray to analyze the top news of the year, including the reshaping of the Conservative party under new leader Pierre Poilievre, the Liberal-NDP confidence and supply agreement, and much more. Plus, the panel looks ahead to what stories are likely to shape the news cycle of 2023.
Also on the show this week, one of the biggest international headlines of the year: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We revisit our conversation with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna at the Halifax International Security Forum, diving into what it will take to stop Putin and how Ukraine is repairing its critical energy infrastructure amid brutal missile attacks.
counting down the biggest political stories of the year plus what to expect in 2023 and a look back at our biggest International story Russia's war in Ukraine I'm Mercedes Stevenson and it's Christmas Day welcome to the West block from Convoy blockades to the conservative leadership race to Canadians struggling with soaring inflation it's been a tumultuous year in National politics our annual politics and what will it take to end the war in Ukraine Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister says Western allies need to do more we revisit that conversation it is time for one of my favorite segments that we do every year it's our year end and year look ahead panel with our political correspondents who give us the behind the scenes look on what actually happened covering some of the biggest stories of the year and some of the Insight that we don't always get in those politician interviews or the two-minute packs that we do on the news we're being joined by Amanda Connolly who is our breaking news and politics managing editor for online Mackenzie gray one of our global national correspondents and of course David Aiken a veteran of this panel who is our chief political correspondent Mack the year started out with a bit of a bang or a honk depending on how you look at it for those of us here in Ottawa the Convoy which we all remember very well you were in the thick of it when we were talking about big stories for the year that we were looking back on this was immediately the one you mentioned why did you choose that one because it's not just something that's impacted Canadians here folks in Ottawa but this was something that people around the world were paying attention to everyone was wondering what was going on here in Wellington Street and what was going on in Canada with these truckers and there was a lot of things we saw various levels of government really drop the ball particularly the Ottawa municipal government the police even the province too really not stepping in when they were required to be able to help the situation out and that's why the government says they need to bring the emergencies act in we'll see what Justice Rule's report and whether or not that was an important thing to do but the political ramifications of it saw Aaron O'Toole out and pure polye have come in David Aiken you know the Convoy is over and well they're talking about maybe doing another one that's sort of very if you don't think the Auto police will ever make perhaps the same mistakes they did there but the concerns about sort of the political environment and and the division that it created are still very much alive yeah and I mean to make it Story of the Year it started the year don't forget and kind of finish the year with the commission which was fascinating looking inside um everybody's fascinated to see if that Convoy let's say mood carries on into uh to inflect infect or flavor our politics depending on your point of view but clearly one leader Pierre quality was associated in support of the Convoy is it a feature is it a bug that's a question still out there I like the Pierre pauliev story is the story of the Year for me because regardless of that the way he and his party are now doing politics could have some important impacts on all parties first of all he became Leader by harnessing a lot of people who have never got involved in politics before younger people people who are angry but they got involved in that campaign can he move those people now to vote in a general election big question because that is the Holy Grail for all parties two the stuff he's done after the election really the party at Machinery needed to be modernized the plumbing of the party they'd lost two elections even though they'd won the popular vote in two elections because the Liberals chiefly are way better using computerized systems to identify voters and win specific writings it's been the liberal Secret Sauce so pauliev has spent millions or spending millions of dollars to overhaul this computer database they're overhauling their fundraising if that's done right that will pay bigger benefits than the choice of leader without being able to match the Liberals on their computerized get out the vote stuff they're not going to win an election and we did ask for Mr polio on the show for viewers for wondering we had Mr Singh on the show Mr Trudeau did a year-end interview it will Air later with our chief anchor Donna Friesen uh Mr pauliev's team didn't get back to us we continue you to hope that he will come on the show but for folks who are wondering we do give equal opportunities to all leaders Amanda coming out of the protest uh here in Ottawa and that blockade that we saw um and and this sort of change in the conservative party in politics we also saw a huge change in the foreign policy of Canada and the change of all of our allies as well because there is something unprecedented in my lifetime I think and that's a land war in Europe um the Russian invasion of Ukraine it changed a lot in Canadian politics and Canadian political discussion it's not just something that's over there absolutely I mean first of all there is a huge number of Ukrainian Canadians who live here the diaspora very vibrant very strong here in Canada but again looking at the interest here that Canada has in this conflict it might not have been readily apparent for a lot a lot of Canadians at the beginning it's very clear now because what this really was this was not just an invasion of Ukraine this was a challenge to the global international rules order and Canada is really a middle power without the size of some other allies of the U.S relies fundamentally on that order to be able to protect our own interests to be able to engage in a stable way with allies and partners and so there really was a vested stake to the um a threat to the the security of Canada here and the government has certainly been acting on that you mentioned the number of ukrainians and I did run some numbers electorally I'm always interested in that Shannon Stubbs riding just west or just east of Edmonton Lakeland 25 percent of her constituents are Ukrainian that's where the big pazanka is if you want to go visit that but there's such a stretch of riding starting in Winnipeg going all the way up to Winnipeg the breadbasket where you have 10 to 25 percent are ukrainians it's a big deal for a lot of Voters and and one of the features I think this year overarching if you're looking at politics was division we saw this with the Convoy and a lot of other issues this was one issue that everyone agreed on there's been widespread support from all parties for what the government's been doing to support Ukraine which I think is an important thing to mention in a divisive year how often do you see unity in Canadian politics right and when we saw this Invasion here this is one of the rare issues really I think Mac is right where you really do see this broad spectrum so support and recognition of the threat and the the vital existential almost need to act on this and to do it in a unified manner well and remarkable too and what we saw happen in Ukraine because everyone was predicting maybe 72 hours and Russian troops would be rolling through Kiev I was there in February and March and the resilience is incredible and it maintains to this day as ukrainians face a very difficult winter it's cold here in Canada we all have heat we don't have to wonder if we're going to have power that's not the case for people in Ukraine and we certainly keep them in our thoughts it's not the only challenge to International order Mac you worked a lot on the story about China and the government in Beijing attempting to interfere in Canadian democracy concerns about Chinese Canadian citizens being harassed here where do you see that story going well there's a lot of different angles in terms of what the government's going to do you know I was with the Prime Minister when he traveled to Asia putting his new indo-pacific strategy into place they put billions of dollars on the line there but really we heard from a lot of the Allies that we visited we went to those different countries that Canada's really been a drawn income lately in Asia and if they want to execute their strategy which is we're going to try and isolate China and we're going to make more friends with those countries there they really need to show up there they're trying to do that now I think one thing kind of relating to the foreign interference story is we're likely going to see the Liberals bring in some kind of foreign registry of agents at some point in time we've seen the US do that the Australians have done that the UK is looking at that that's the big thing that I think from a government perspective we'll see them be doing in the New Year Amanda the tone and tenor of Canadian politics is something that I'm expecting we're going to hear a lot more about in 2023 and I know it's something you've been paying attention to yeah really of course you know working primarily online you really do see kind of the raw end of a lot of this coming in with social media and that there's a lot of anger really and again I think we've heard kind of over the past year here a reflection of the fact that a lot of that is generational anger it's young people it's Millennials gen Zed Canadians who are young who are trying to kind of come up and make their way in life and are looking at the situation that they've been dealt and saying this doesn't seem fair this doesn't seem right maybe my parents or grandparents had an easier way of it you're looking at housing you're looking at inflation food costs uh the Health Care System kind of collapsing before our very eyes right now right these are major issues that kind of speak to that that fundamental sense of stability and certainty that young people are looking for when they try and chart the course of their lives that's not there right now and I think that we're going to see that really Breaking Free a lot in 2023 with frustration and anger that was the anger though Mercedes that pure poly Everly capitalized on if I'm just Intruder I'm looking at the situation right now we're seeing inflation's high but it's starting to come down a little bit house prices were high they're starting to come down a little bit care polyp needs that anger and discontent he's going to continue to do well in the House of Commons absolutely I have to ask the perennial question that we all love to ask each other in Canadian politics could there be an election there is the NDP liberal deal but drug meat Singh has been hinting about potentially pulling his Support over health care what do you think the chances are back of an election in 2023. I've taught us some senior liberals who think there certainly is an opportunity later in the year for one to happen I don't necessarily think it's going to be judgment sing pulling the court on it the NDP don't have as much money does he have the popularity right now to go to the polls I'm not sure about that but one thing I am confident about Justin Trudeau is going to stick around will Christy Freeland be there for the next election I don't think so yeah Charles Souza just to let sure yeah so David you know if if there is this election Justin Trudeau goes again he wants to go up against Pierre polia yeah I think he does actually that's my feeling but I'll I'll be the old I am the old guy here on the family so I'll play that part Jack Layton withdrew support of Paul Martin's minority in 2006 and it was on health care what do we have happened today right jugmeat Singh signaling that but you know what Jack Layton went through support and in came 10 years of the Harper government but you know what Jack Layton and Stephen Harper they got along pretty well during the minority years Leighton got a lot of stuff done with a conservative now I'll look for more electioneer speculation when I see the possibility that jug meet Singh and Pierre pauliev can come to some agreements to support a potential minority because the conservatives need strong new Democrats to beat liberals in downtown Toronto in in some QBC ridings and without strong new Democrats and they've been a little weak at the margins uh it's a it's to the liberal Advantage so that's the landscape I'm looking at but I just think back to how it was in o6 when Layton said that's it I'm pulling the plug on a very long on the tooth liberal government when those conditions might exist this time around then I'll be more inclined but until then yeah I think Trudeau wants to go at Mr polyat what's your thinking on this Amanda yeah you know I think that the uh that that election kind of on the road angle there between Trudeau and polio will certainly be fascinating I'm not in the camp that sees one coming up the next year here uh maybe 2024 maybe pushing it longer there into the year for me the big thing I think is going to be watching the inflation rate watching interest rates there is a lot of frustration a lot of anger a lot of financial pain and economic pain in families right now and particularly with incumbent governments where is the direction that frustration going to go straight at Parliament Hill straight at the Liberals unless they have a plan to deal with that or it comes down and that pain eases I don't think they're going to risk it I think that's great inside Amanda and all of you we appreciate you coming and sharing your thoughts on the big stories for 2023 and for the last year we will be back here of course again I'm sure soon talking about these up next we'll play back one of our top interviews from the past year with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine in the dire situation that her country continues to face on this Christmas Day I think that the major spirit in Ukraine is that there's no way to surrender there's only way to Victory Russia's war in Ukraine dominated international news in 2022 what Russian President Vladimir Putin was hoping would be a quick victory has been anything but Ukraine under President Vladimir zielinski has not wavered in its efforts to defend its territory despite suffering major setbacks on the ground Putin continues to Target Ukraine's power grid and other critical infrastructure Western allies including Canada have rallied behind Ukraine and that was very much the focus at the Halifax International Security Forum I attended last month I sat down there with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga stefanishnia and here's that can you describe for us what the situation is like right now for the people of Ukraine well we got used to to most both been affected severely by by multiple crimes committed against people but also the first thing I noticed when I lend it to Montreal is that there's so much light around you this is not what we have but I think that the what is more important is the spirit this is the spirit which cannot be undermined by any measures of demoralization Russia tries to put on Ukraine whether it's destroying critical infrastructure attacking residential buildings massive torturing of population in the occupied areas or any failure on a battlefield which forces them to use the hybrid Warfare as the major method of their of their aggression so I think that the major spirit in Ukraine is that there's no way to surrender there's only way to Victory and this leads to a permanent failure of Russian Federation all although of course the suffering and the losses among population are really then you talked about that lack of light it's it's powerful because we take care for granted you're right the street lights are on our power grids are going Ukraine like Canada is a cold country in the winter and the Russians are attacking your power your energy that is such a danger for the civilian population how do you deal with that well I think that the most important thing that we have not been dealing with that only by ourselves after the first massive shelling uh counting around 90 Rockets like four weeks ago and this shelling are taking place on a weekly basis with the same mass of missiles tax throughout the area of Ukraine we have not been standing alone as president already said publicly it's around 40 percent of the elements of the critical infrastructure throughout the Ukraine mostly the central party Ukraine which is not affected by military Warfare has been damaged and it's really important that we are restoring back the infrastructure in a very fast and operative way basically all our technicians are also the heroes a part of the fact that they are not with a gun on a battlefield but it would not be possible without a strong mobilization from our partners across European union and and and a wider group of allies but it's also a very important sign that the Russians has also failed to attack elements of the critical infrastructure through hybrid or cyber attacks this has leave no room for them but to try to physically destroy what we have what does Ukraine need right now from the west and from countries like Canada what can we do in terms of in terms of supporting supporting the restoration of the electricity grids of course we have shared the least of our needs and we encourage the the companies the companies operating in the electricity Market to mobilize their efforts to provide us with everything which is needed this is a very precise list of technical needs of course we all need generators and the more generators that we have that the the better it could ensure the security and stability of the networks that can ensure the stability of of the of the light on Ink in the in the residential buildings but it also can ensure the stability of functioning of the state itself because connection and electricity and energy is the basis of of a functioning of the of the country itself so making sure that we have enough generators and we have enough technical Elements which we need to to make sure that we can address and be resilient towards this attack is important but it's not as important as the ability to close the sky and to save our people to save our lives and to save our infrastructure we need more anti-air defense systems which will be making which would enable us to restore the damaged infrastructure to regain uh regain the sustainable reconstruction throughout the war and to make sure that we save the life of our people do you feel that NATO countries are willing to give that to you are they are they uh well uh they are they are there's been a significant uh breakthrough of itself in terms of providing Ukraine would end here uh defense uh defense means let's say from various countries even from those countries like Spain which has not been there before the first massive shelling but uh this is the time where we should go beyond beyond what we can and that what we are doing on a daily basis in Ukraine whether it's about military and I'm forces of Ukraine whether it's about those people providing humanitarian Assistance or politicians and ministers who are doing everything possible to go beyond beyond any measures and Beyond any boxes so if some of the Allies still think that they've done everything they could we assure you that you didn't because the war is last time people are dying and and the families are losing their loved ones why do you think the Ukrainian military has been so successful all the experts I talk to behind the scenes back in February said this will be over within 48 to 72 hours and instead Ukraine has not only put up an incredible defense but pushed Russia back in many places why do you think that is that that you've been so much more successful than people were expecting I can I can do the same compares to to our president you know uh Ukrainian president has been a revelation to to many of the European leaders his determination his commitment the fact that the very fact that he stayed in his office from the minute one of the of the shelling and everybody were asking me what would you say for that and my answer was is that it is You Who Came To Know president like that and he has always been like this is the same goes for ukrainians are you worried about the potential for a of course we are and and we're extremely worried of the fact that this nuclear threat could be materialized through a massive provocation on the Ukrainian nuclear object like nuclear like the Parisian nuclear power plant like Chernobyl nuclear power plant Russians would never act bluntly by simply shelling uh the the nuclear bomb to Kiev they would do the hybrid methods and and for us it's really important at first uh International partners and leaders would have the equal reaction to any nuclear blackmail or nuclear threat which will be posed by Russia even if it's done through using Ukrainian nuclear objects like the operation nuclear power plant but from the other hand we understand that this nuclear thread will be hanging regardless the fact whether we react strongly or not strongly there will be such a threat as long as Putin is in power as long as the war is there as long as Russia has any hunger for any aggression whether in Ukraine or Poland or any other country around the world this threat will be there the thing is that what we are doing if we're like acting in a way that we do not want to irritate Russia this nuclear threat will always be there and this hunger for being unpunished will always be there so um we anyway call upon action to stop Russia to end the war and we should do it fast we should do it in a coordinated way and I think that it is US Ukraine and partners who should make the decision when the war is over not the Russians and how do you make that well uh it's uh it's absolutely clear at this stage president has president of Ukraine has announced the 10 points of peaceful plan uh whereas the negotiations is only one of the plans and I think that everybody should stick to this understanding that this is a concentrated uh set of actions needed to be to be done on Ukrainian side we will be moving on each of those points this is uh the implementation of the marketer recommendations on the illumination of the nuclear threat restoration of the grain Corridor exchange of all prisoners of War bringing Russia to Justice then negotiations and then security guarantees to Ukraine so these are the key elements we will be moving towards regardless any developments and we hope that the partners will be sticking together with us and then this will be the situation when we will be holding the file of the victory Deputy Prime Minister thank you so much for joining us today thank you thank you up next as we look ahead to a new year some final we have witnessed a remarkable year in 2022. one that I've been fortunate to cover on the ground filled with events that transformed our country our politics and the world it started with the anger and protest of the Convoy right here in Ottawa that saw our Capital transformed revealing cracks and divisions in our society we were then immediately faced with a land war in Europe and we deployed the West block to witness The Bravery and Valor of ukrainians we were also reminded that the greatest victims of war are also the most vulnerable at home the face of politics changed with Pierre poliev's massive win to become the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Premier Danielle Smith's victory in Alberta and we marked the passing of the queen Canada's longest reigning Sovereign we appreciate you joining us on this journey and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the small But Mighty team who you don't see with me on the air but they are the people who get me to Air and I appreciate them especially producers Bernadette Vanessa David Baxter Jillian Piper Brian and our editors Frank bolt David de la harp and Diana hagermeier and Luigi de la Penta one of our cameramen here as well as Sarah chrisak my makeup artist who makes me look like this I'd also like to thank our director Clint berardell and the rest of the amazing Edmonton team this is a cross-country effort to put the West block together from all of us here to you Merry Christmas happy holidays and we'll see you in the new year
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