Each week, the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau sits down with Cormac MacSweeney to discuss the headlines of the week. This week, we look more closely at the economics and politics of the federal budget, talk to former Quebec premier Jean Charest about the passing of Senate Speaker Pierre-Claude Nolin, and hear from the sketch artist in Courtroom 33 at the trial of Mike Duffy.

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THE HEADLINES

• 
  ON THE BUDGET
  A 518-page campaign pamphlet

• 
  ON TAXES
  Income splitting helps the middle class

• 
  ON NAMES
  The budget’s fictional characters

• ON DUFFY
  A trial briefly in focus

• 
  ON ALBERTA
  Wells on the campaign trail

• 
  ON DEBATES
  Maclean’s wants to host one

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