Power and Politics: Ontario's Electricity Hikes & Ottawa's Chinese EV Tariff Debate | The Rundown

As of November 1, Ontarians were hit with a 29 per cent electricity rate hike. But Premier Doug Ford will also be hiking the electricity subsidy. Meaning the sticker shock won’t be as substantial. What's driving the spike? And does spending billions in subsidies make sense? Then, more and more Canadians say they don’t support 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Up from 27 per cent in 2024 to 47 per cent this year, according to Nanos. Is there a way the feds could change or scrap them without hurting our auto sector? And angering Trump?

00:00 Intro
01:17 Why are electricity prices rising? Expert insight
01:49 Nuclear projects and rate increases explained
02:44 Are these rate hikes permanent?
03:13 Untested nuclear technology and oversight concerns
04:15 Lack of regulatory review in Ontario
05:09 Role of Ontario Energy Board and ISO
06:37 Historical electricity rate trends
07:11 Why rates have steadily increased since 2006
08:28 Political nature of energy decisions
08:44 Rebates vs. long-term costs
09:52 Transparency: Conservative vs. Liberal approaches
11:16 Sustainability concerns for subsidies
11:45 Transition to EV tariff discussion
11:53 Why Chinese EVs face 100% tariffs in Canada
12:50 Poll shows declining support for tariffs
13:28 Why Canadians are reconsidering tariffs
14:38 EU approach to tariffs and EV adoption
15:22 Impact of Chinese EVs on EU automakers
17:17 Competition and consumer benefits
18:47 Could Canada adopt EU’s tariff model?
19:49 How tariffs affect Canada’s dependence on the US
20:03 Billions invested in EV battery plants – what’s next?
21:26 Canada’s critical minerals strategy
22:10 What Canada could demand in negotiations
23:38 Timeline challenges with US-Mexico trade deal
25:32 Consumer impact and cost of EVs
26:39 Zero-emission vehicle mandate debate
27:48 Closing thoughts and wrap-up
28:02 Viewer feedback and survey link

About The Rundown:

The Rundown is your nightly half-hour deep dive into just one headline. With host Jeyan Jeganathan, we’ll cover everything from housing and health care to climate and AI. We’ll break down why each topic matters, who’s living it, and what’s being done to make things better – starting right here in Ontario. Slow down. Tune in. Make sense of the moment. And tell us what you think.