The House

The impact of the military coup attempt in Turkey

This week on The House, retired Canadian diplomat Ferry de Kerckhove outlines the potential consequences of the attempted military coup in Turkey. We also look ahead to the Republican convention with journalist James Fallows, and to the annual Premiers' gathering with Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski. Finally, with Senator Patrick Brazeau back at work, former Senator Hugh Segal argues that the Senate and the RCMP have plenty of questions to answer.
Turkish soldiers secure the area, as supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul's Taksim square, early Saturday, July 16, 2016. (Emrah Gurel/Associated Press)

Chaos and confusion gripped Turkey on Friday after an attempted coup by elements of the military plunged the country into a state of unrest.

The situation of key NATO member in what is already an unstable moment could have significant consequences for Canada.

Retired Canadian diplomat Ferry de Kerckhove, who held numerous posts including postings in Pakistan, Indonesia and Egypt, talked to The House about what the potential consequences of the failed coup.

Retired Canadian diplomat Ferry de Kerckhove looks at the potential consequences of the situation in Turkey.

How did Trump get there?

A contingent of the Republican Party has been trying to thwart the nomination of the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)

Throughout the twists and turns of the U.S. presidential election, James Fallows, the renowned national correspondent for The Atlantic, has written a diligent log the magazine calls the Trump Time Capsules.

Now Donald Trump is about to officially become the Republican nominee at the party's convention in Cleveland next week.

"There really never has been before a person like Donald Trump who has come this close to getting presidential power in the U.S., somebody with a combination of temperamental oddity and recklessness, in my view, with absolutely no background whatsoever in public affairs," Fallows told CBC's The House.

"I thought it was important to lay down a chronicle, no matter how things go, of what people knew about him, when that was on the record about him, when the American electorate was deciding to make him the power powerful person on earth," he said.

James Fallows, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, looks ahead to next week's Republican convention.

Premiers-led trade mission to United Kingdom to be pitched in Whitehorse

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski as he arrives at the First Ministers meeting at the Museum of Nature Monday, November 23, 2015 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski believes the time is right for a premiers-led trade mission to the European Union and United Kingdom and will propose a trip to his provincial counterparts during their summer meeting next week in Whitehorse.

"A large portion of CETA trade is trade with the United Kingdom," Pasloski told The House. In the wake of the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union, "we need to make sure that we have access to that market."

Also up for debate in Whitehorse - inter-provincial trade, climate change and a possible clash health care transfers.

Quebec's health care minister has said that Ottawa has signaled it will let the annual increase in provincial health transfers fall to half its current level by the end of the year.

"During the last election, the federal government made a major commitment to renegotiate the Health Accord, so we need to now sit down with the federal government and have that conversation," Pasloski said.

Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski discusses what will be on the agenda at next week's Council of the Federation meeting.

The House also spoke to former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who was the first to push for the creation of the Council of the Federation, about why he thought such a forum was needed and whether it is still relevant today.

Former Quebec Premier Jean Charest talks about why he wanted to create a regular forum for the country's premiers.

Cleared senators owed apology, reimbursement for lost wages and legal expenses

Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau. (Canadian Press)

Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau are owed an apology and deserve compensation for missed pay and legal expenses, says retired Conservative senator and Master of Massey College Hugh Segal.

The three senators, who were suspended from the Senate due to allegations of inappropriate expense spending, were thrown under the bus, Segal told The House.

Senator Mike Duffy was charged with 31 offences relating to his expenses. He was cleared of all charges. Senator Pamela Wallin's expenses were subject to a lengthy investigation, but the RCMP ultimately decided against charging her. Finally this week, the charges of fraud and breach of trust against Patrick Brazeau were withdrawn by the Crown.

In his first interview since having his name cleared, Brazeau told reporters that his suspension from the Senate over his expensive claims was politically motivated.

Segal argued both the Senate and the RCMP have some serious questions to answer.

Following the return to work of Senator Patrick Brazeau, retired Senator Hugh Segal argues that important questions need to be asked about how the Senate expenses saga unfolded.

In House Panel

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan arrive for the Warsaw NATO Summit on July 8, 2016 in Warsaw, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

On this week's In House Panel, Globe and Mail parliamentary reporter Laura Stone and Maclean's Parliamentary Bureau Chief John Geddes discuss a possible Canadian peacekeeping mission to Northern Africa, the Conservative leadership race... and fashion.

Laura Stone and John Geddes discuss a possible Canadian peacekeeping mission to Northern Africa, the Conservative leadership race... and fashion.