CBC Radio's The House: July 4, 2020

School's out for summer, but how will it come back?

Families, Children and Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says while he understands the months-long burden working parents are carrying after pandemic-induced school closures, Ottawa's ability to help provinces fully reopen schools this fall is limited.

Hussen told guest host Karina Roman that because education falls under provincial jurisdiction, the federal government can only play a supporting role in helping parents and kids weather the closures.

But a growing number of voices indicate Canadian parents aren't satisfied with that answer.

Dominic Cardy, New Brunswick's education minister, Russell Copeman, executive director of the Quebec English School Boards Association, and Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious disease specialist join CBC Radio'sThe House to discuss efforts to return Canada's kids to school.

CBC News: The House21:48Segment Getting kids back to school

Dominic Cardy, New Brunswicks education minister; Russell Copeman, executive director of the Quebec English School Boards Association; and Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious disease specialist talk about how Canadas kids can return to school in the fall. Plus, Families, Children and Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen addresses whether Ottawa can help the provinces tackle that challenge.

Opposition parties weigh in on Canada's fiscal future

The Liberal government and the WE Charity parted ways Friday over a plan to dole out more than $900 million in grants for student workthis summer a movethat was met initiallywith controversy due to the organization's ties to the Trudeau family.

The federal Conservatives were highly critical of the announcement, as well as theLiberals' planto release an economic and fiscal snapshot next week.

The update is expected to provide a clearer picture of the government's finances during the COVID-19 pandemicand provide a glimpse of the months ahead. But the snapshot won't be as robust as a federal budget, which was shelved in March as spread of the novel coronavirus escalated.

To discuss financial accountability during a crisis, host Karina Roman speaks to Conservative and NDP finance critics Pierre Poilievre and Peter Julian, and is joined bySean Fraser, parliamentary secretary to Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

CBC News: The House11:00Panel MPs Pierre Poilievre, Peter Julian and Sean Fraser on financial accountability

A panel of MPs discuss the Liberal government and WE Charity parting ways over a controversial contract. Plus, a discussion of what opposition parties hope to see in next weeks fiscal snapshot.

Can the Green Party survive Elizabeth May's departure?

For more than a decade, many Canadians have seen the Greens as a party of one issue the environment and one person Elizabeth May. But after serving as the party's leader since 2006, Elizabeth May stepped down last year, triggering a race to replace her.

CBC senior reporter David Thurton examines where the Green Party is goingby taking a close look at where it's been. He finds a political organization that has been driven and represented by a single person for almost 15 years, leaving a potential vulnerability for whoever fills her shoes.

But conversations with those looking toleap to the top of the Green hierarchy revealan effort tofoster a more collective, diverse and inclusive leadership to lead the party into its next phase.

CBC News: The House6:50Segment CBCs David Thurton on a Green Party without Elizabeth May

The ongoing leadership race for the Green Partys top job is new territory for a party that has been led by Elizabeth May for almost 15 years. But its also seen by some as a chance to build a better party. The CBCs David Thurton delivers a special report.

The state of Canada-U.S. relations

As citizens in both Canada and the United States celebrate holidays this week, the border between them remains restricted to non-essential travel. That closure has been extended several timesas the two countries' approachesto the COVID-19 pandemic continue to diverge.

To find out how the pandemic response and border restrictionsfit into Canada's relationship with the U.S., host Karina Roman sits down with Sarah Goldfeder, a former State Department official who worked with American ambassadors in Ottawa, and Christopher Sands, the head of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank.

CBC News: The House7:25Panel Sarah Goldfeder and Christopher Sands on Canada-U.S. relations

Two experts on Canada-U.S. ties discuss where they see the bilateral relationship going amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and what the upcoming U.S. presidential election means for the two countries.