The Maclean’s politics panel: Pure policy, pure politics

This week’s Maclean’s panel tackles two issues—one pure policy, the other pure politics.

Host Cormac MacSweeney starts the conversation by asking about NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair’s big announcement this week of his party’s plan for a national child-care program. The panel then moves on to the controversy surrounding Chatelaine’s much-discussed feature article about Justin Trudeau’s family life. Is it too soft on the Liberal leader?

In fact, the two issues might not be as disconnected as they at first seem. Mulcair’s sales job on child care took him onto lifestyle TV this week—the sort of turf Trudeau dominates. Chatelaine’s treatment of Trudeau’s polish might force a pendulum swing toward focusing on his policy—more Mulcair’s forte. It’s makes for a neat compare-and-contrast exercise on the two politicians vying to replace Stephen Harper in next year’s election.

Related reading and listening: Emma Teitel discusses the Chatelaine controversy with Carol Toller, the author of the feature.