Pierre Poilievre on Joe Rogan was always going to be a moment worth watching. What nobody predicted was that the most striking thing about a two-hour conversation on the biggest podcast in America would be what he chose not to say. No criticism of Canada. No shots at the Prime Minister on foreign soil. Just a clear-eyed explanation of who he is, what he believes, and why Canadians and Americans are being told very different things about each other.

Meanwhile Canada's position on the Strait of Hormuz shifted this week. After weeks of waffling, a conditional commitment emerged alongside NATO allies: protect shipping lanes if the US stops hitting non-military targets. Andrew Caddell, former diplomat and ministerial advisor, points out that defining a non-military target in Iran is genuinely complicated, and that Canada has always shown up when allies needed it, including after September 11th and in the Gulf.

Two things happened this week that suggest Canadian foreign policy, at home and abroad, might be finding its footing again. One on a podcast. One in a war zone. Both matter.

Topics: Pierre Poilievre Joe Rogan, Canada Iran war, Strait of Hormuz, NATO Canada, Canadian foreign policy

GUEST: Andrew Caddell

Originally aired on 2026-03-20