It’s been another year of breaking news from Parliament Hill. How many political stories can you recall from the past 12 months?
Listen below as host Catherine Cullen ties a bow on 2024 and tests a panel of parliamentary journalists, including Nojoud Al Mallees of The Canadian Press, Brian Platt of Bloomberg News and CBC’s J.P. Tasker.
See how you measure up by following along with 30 of this year’s questions below, as prepared by quizmaster Emma Godmere. (Scroll down to see the answers at the bottom.)
The House45:34Pop quiz! How much do you remember about this wild year in politics?
It ended with a shocking cabinet resignation — but 2024 was packed with plenty more political ups and downs. How many headlines do you remember? Listen along and test your smarts as host Catherine Cullen quizzes three keen Parliament Hill watchers who battle it out in The House’s annual showdown, featuring Brian Platt of Bloomberg News, Nojoud Al Mallees of The Canadian Press, J.P. Tasker from CBC’s Parliamentary Bureau — and a very special American media guest.
The grounded prime minister
1) One of the early headlines of 2024 involved the prime minister’s plane breaking down while he was on holiday. Where did his plane break down?
2) Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent passed away in January. He was first elected to Parliament in 1968, kept his seat through to 1989 and returned to the House of Commons for a term in 2004. How many federal elections did he lead the New Democrats through?
3) One of the first major changes the federal government made on immigration came in January, and involved a specific kind of immigration permit. On which type of permit did the government place a new two-year cap?
4) A federal judge ruled in late January that the government’s use of the Emergencies Act back in 2022 violated Charter rights. Name one of the two national groups that argued the court case.
Grand theft auto
5) When the Liberals held an auto theft summit in February, it came to light that a cabinet minister’s official government vehicle had been stolen three times in as many years. Which cabinet minister’s car was repeatedly stolen?
6) The NDP and Liberals reached a deal on pharmacare legislation in late February. What are the two types of medications covered under the first phase of the pharmacare program?
7) The Liberals introduced another significant bill before February was up: the Online Harms Act, which some critics have warned could put a chill on free speech. Which award-winning author raised concerns about the legislation in an online post that warned of “thoughtcrime”?
8) Canada’s 18th prime minister, Brian Mulroney, passed away on February 29. A state funeral was held for him in Montreal in March, where several high-profile Canadians delivered eulogies: his daughter Caroline Mulroney, media executive Pierre Karl Peladeau, former Quebec premier Jean Charest — and which famous non-politician?
Canada-U.S. relations
9) The first byelection of 2024 was held in the Ontario riding of Durham, where Jamil Jivani held the seat for the Conservatives. Jivani is a friend of U.S. vice president-elect JD Vance — which law school did they attend together?
10) A raucous House of Commons reached a new level of disarray in April, when Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was kicked out for hurling an insult at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. What did he call the PM?
11) The Parliamentary Budget Office found itself in the spotlight in the spring due to an “inadvertent error” in its carbon tax analysis. What went wrong?
12) A new book about Pierre Poilievre hit shelves at the start of the summer. Who authored Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life — and in which Ontario riding did this person later secure the nomination for the Conservative Party?
13) Which Ontario Liberal MP sent an erroneous map of Canada — missing both Yukon and P.E.I. — to his constituents ahead of Canada Day?
Conservatives win in a Liberal stronghold
14) The Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection delivered a significant win for the Conservatives. In what year did the party last win a seat in urban Toronto?
15) The loss of a central Toronto seat launched a new wave of dissent in the Liberal caucus. Which Liberal backbencher sent an email to caucus colleagues at the end of June calling for Justin Trudeau to resign?
16) Which major summer event did Justin Trudeau skip in 2024 after having never missed it since becoming prime minister — except for two years during the pandemic?
Changes in the Green Party
17) Green Party deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault stepped down from his role in July, citing personal reasons. After winning the party leadership with Elizabeth May on a joint ticket in 2022, he ran in a byelection the next year — in which city?
18) In which month did the Bank of Canada announce its first cut to the key interest rate this year?
19) After that first cut to the interest rate, how many more did the Bank of Canada make in 2024?
20) In July, the government purchased a $9 million condo for Canada’s consul general in New York City — a move that ended up being studied by MPs in committee. The condo is two blocks south of Central Park in a row of ultra-luxury residential skyscrapers. By what name is that collection of buildings known?
21) One of Justin Trudeau’s Senate appointments stirred up controversy over the summer after one of his own cabinet ministers criticized the pick. Who is the senator — and which Liberal minister opposed his appointment?
Shaking up the House of Commons
22) The NDP dropped a bombshell on the Liberals in early September by pulling out of the parties’ supply-and-confidence agreement. How did the New Democrats break the news to the government?
23) September kept up the pressure on the Trudeau government with another byelection, this time in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun in Montreal. Two of the three candidates representing the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois shared a last name. What was that last name?
24) While the Liberals lost LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, the NDP held the Manitoba riding of Elmwood-Transcona — a seat vacated by New Democrat Daniel Blaikie earlier when he took a new job. What was the job?
25) Political gridlock soon took over the House of Commons as Conservatives continued to extend debate over a demand for the government to turn over documents. To which organization were the documents related?
Poilievre’s housing policy
26) Pierre Poilievre made a notable policy announcement in late October related to housing, specifically tied to the sale of new homes. What did he promise to do?
27) It came to light later in the fall that several Conservative MPs had reached out to the federal government to advocate on behalf of communities in their ridings that were hoping to access a government fund. Which fund was it?
28) Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault resigned from cabinet after weeks of controversy over shifting claims of an Indigenous background. What was his portfolio when he was first named to cabinet in 2021?
29) It was late November when U.S. president-elect Donald Trump took to social media and threatened to implement a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico. How many days passed before Justin Trudeau got on a plane to meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort?
30) How did Chrystia Freeland sign off her surprise resignation letter to Justin Trudeau?
Here are the answers:
1) Jamaica.
2) Four.
3) Undergraduate study permits for international students.
4) The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Constitution Foundation.
5) Justice Minister Arif Virani.
6) Contraception and diabetes medication.
7) Margaret Atwood.
8) Wayne Gretzky.
9) Yale.
10) “Wacko.”
11) Its calculations had included industrial carbon pricing, when it was meant to only include the federal fuel charge (also known as the consumer carbon tax).
12) Andrew Lawton; Elgin-St. Thomas-London South.
13) Yasir Naqvi.
14) 2011.
15) Wayne Long.
16) Calgary Stampede.
17) Montreal (he ran in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount byelection in June of 2023).
18) June.
19) Four (for five total rate cuts this year).
20) Billionaires’ Row.
21) Sen. Charles Adler; Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal criticized the pick.
22) In an email.
23) Sauvé (Craig Sauvé ran for the NDP and Louis-Philippe Sauvé ran for the Bloc and won. They aren’t related.)
24) Senior adviser on intergovernmental affairs in Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s office.
25) Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
26) Remove the GST on new homes sold for under $1 million.
27) The Housing Accelerator Fund.
28) Tourism.
29) Four (the tariff threat was posted on a Monday, Trudeau headed over for dinner on a Friday.)
30) “With gratitude.”
