Althia Raj joined the At Issue panel on CBC's The "National" Thursday night to talk about the beef recall, Justin Trudeau and the U.S. presidential debate.
Raj, who is The Huffington Post Canada's Ottawa Bureau Chief and a frequent guest on the panel, argued Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz should resign over the recall, that Trudeau is sending different messages in Quebec than in the rest of Canada and that U.S. President Barack Obama failed to use his most effective arguments against Mitt Romney during the debate.
Watch the video above to see the entire debate and check out the slideshows below for more on the beef recall and Trudeau campaign.
Like Huffington Post Canada's Ottawa Bureau Chief Althia Raj's reporter page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter for all the latest news from Parliament Hill.
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Alberta Beef Recall 2012 Timeline
August 23, 2012(01 of53)
Cows are slaughtered at XL Foods Inc. plant in Brooks, Alta. Beef slaughtered that day will later be recalled. (credit:Flickr:J-Sav)
August 24, 27, 28 & 29(02 of53)
Beef processed at the Brooks facility on these days is later recalled. (credit:Alamy)
September 23(03 of53)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is alerted by U.S. officials that beef from the Brooks plant has tested positive for E. coli bacteria. An investigation begins. (credit:Alamy)
Septemeber 4(04 of53)
Four consumers who bought Kirkland Signature brand strip loin grilling steaks from Edmonton Costco at 13650 50th St. N.E. later become ill. (credit:Alamy)
September 4(05 of53)
A Calgary girl, 4, is hospitalized for symptoms caused by E. coli bacteria. (credit:Alamy)
September 11 & 12(06 of53)
Four in Edmonton who ate Kirkland strip loin steak seek medical for symptoms of E. coli poisoning. Two went to hospital but all four are recovering. (credit:Alamy)
September 16(07 of53)
The CFIA issues their first warning, telling people not to eat, sell or serve 26 ground beef/ground-beef products sold at several major stores because they “may be contaminated with E. coli.” Although XL Foods Inc. voluntarily issued the recall, no reported illnesses have been linked to this recall. (credit:Alamy)
September 17(08 of53)
55 more ground beef and ground-beef products are added to the list of products recalled across Canada. All were manufactured at the XL plant in Brooks, Alta. (credit:Alamy)
September 18(09 of53)
Fourteen more products are added to the recall list. (credit:Alamy)
September 19(10 of53)
XL Foods releases a statement saying XL Foods prides itself on providing safe and high quality beef products. Meanwhile, the recall list by the CFIA grows to add 75 more items. (credit:Alamy)
September 20(11 of53)
The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service issues a public-health alert, while the CFIA adds another 37 products to the recall. (credit:Alamy)
September 21(12 of53)
Another 47 products are added to the recall. (credit:Alamy)
September 22(13 of53)
Another 10 products are added to the recall. (credit:Alamy)
September 24(14 of53)
An in-depth review uncovers “several deficiencies” during an investigation into the Brooks facility. (credit:Alamy)
September 25(15 of53)
- 60 products to the Canadian recall. - U.S. recalls products in California, Oregon, Michigan, Nebraska, Utah, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.- Alberta Health Services (AHS) investigate a total of eight E. coli cases - four in Edmonton, three in Calgary and one in central Alberta. The tests confirm Edmonton patients were infected by E. coli-tainted steaks bought at Costco. The CFIA is notified about the test results. (credit:Alamy)
Spetember 26(16 of53)
- The CFIA recalls Kirkland steaks packaged and sold September 4-7 from the Edmonton Costco.- It is confirmed the steaks were processed by XL Foods Inc. in Brooks. - Costco stores are asked by top doctors to stop using a meat-tenderizing machine that could potentially move E. coli bacteria from the surface of the meat to the centre. - Ten states are now affected by the The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service recall. (credit:Alamy)
September 27(17 of53)
AHS investigates a fourth case of E. coli in Calgary. AHS is investigating what caused E. coli poisoning in the Calgary patient and the central Alberta patient. (credit:Alamy)
September 28(18 of53)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency suspends the operating licence of XL Foods' Brooks plant. (credit:Alamy)
September 28(19 of53)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency suspends the operating licence of XL Foods' Brooks plant (credit:MediaWiki: Pujanak)
September 28(20 of53)
There was no initial reason to order a public recall or shut down the XL Foods facility in Brooks, say officials from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, defending their delay in alerting the public. (credit:Alamy)
September 28(21 of53)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency comes under fire. Alberta Premier Alison Redford and NDP MP Linda Duncan question the delay in alert. (credit:Shutterstock)
September 28(22 of53)
The Canadian Cattlemen's Association says it's possible federal regulators will clear the XL Foods beef plant to resume operations by next week but the real challenge will be getting U.S. to accept beef exports from the plant again. (credit:Shutterstock)
September 29(23 of53)
The beef recall expanded to Co-Op, Metro and Walmart stores in Canada. (credit:Shutterstock)
September 30(24 of53)
The beef recall gets expanded to include dozens of cuts of meat. (credit:Shutterstock)
September 30(25 of53)
Alberta Premier Alison Redford says Alberta beef is safe and that the province breeds a high quality product with the highest standards possible. (credit:CP)
October 1(26 of53)
The Liberals and the NDP gang up on the Conservative government over the safety of Canada's meat supply. (credit:Shutterstock)
October 2(27 of53)
Beef recall is expanded again. This time to include dozens of additional products including roasts and sausages. (credit:ALAMY)
October 2(28 of53)
The XL Foods beef recall gets expanded to B.C. More than 20 B.C. retail chains pull beef products from their shelves as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to expand the recall from the plant. (credit:Shutterstock)
October 2(29 of53)
The XL foods beef recall becomes the biggest beef recall in Canadian history. (credit:Shutterstock)
October 4(30 of53)
XL Foods finally breaks silence, issuing a press release in which they took responsibility for the circumstances that led to the recalls. Not much was made available in terms of explanation or courses of action. Meanwhile, the recall is expanded yet again. (credit:CP)
October 5(31 of53)
Workers at the XL plant in Brooks speak out and what they have to say is not pretty. They describe high output demands, low staffing levels of disgusting hygiene issues. Meanwhile, the CFIA says the plant failed to maintain or update it's E. coli plan. (credit:CP)
October 5(32 of53)
Five new E. coli cases are linked to the tainted meat. Recall expands again. (credit:AP)
October 8(33 of53)
The beef recall, the largest in Canadian history, got much bigger with meats being pulled off shelves in Hong Kong. (credit:Alamy)
October 9(34 of53)
Federal inspectors begin a detailed assessment of the Brooks XL Foods Plant. The investigation would last weeks. (credit:CP)
October 10(35 of53)
This little baby starts making its rounds...Meanwhile, the union at the plant said it was a case of greed over health that led to the massive recall and claim the plant is nowhere near safe. (credit:Grooch)
October 11(36 of53)
A partial reopening of the plant is considered and Alberta Premier Alison Redford rejects calls for a provincial inquiry into the recall. (credit:CP)
October 12(37 of53)
The U.S. announces it will audit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as Quebec E. coli cases are linked to the Alberta plant and new E. coli cases are confirmed in B.C. (credit:Alamy)
October 13(38 of53)
2,000 workers at the XL Foods plant in Brooks are temporarily laid off. (credit:CP)
October 14(39 of53)
800 of the 2,000 workers temporarily laid off the day before are recalled so that CFIA can continue its investigation in the plant. (credit:CP)
October 17(40 of53)
JBS USA announce they're taking over the management of the plant and reserve the option to purchase XL Foods. Earlier that day, workers at the plant were laid off again, as the recall of beef products expands yet again. (credit:CP)
October 17(41 of53)
Also on the 17th, B.C. residents announce their intent to sue XL Foods over E. coli-tainted meat, as Brooks declares itself in a state of crisis due to the thousands of workers, many of them of foreign origin and of modest means, are left without income and in need of services. (credit:Flickr)
October 17(42 of53)
JBS USA announces it intends to work with the union and the community to fix the conditions in the plant that led to the massive beef recalls. (credit:CP)
October 19(43 of53)
The CFIA announces that some of the meat stored in warehouses after the recalls may end up on your dinner table once the recalls end. Meanwhile, remaining carcasses at the plant test negative for E. coli.
October 21(44 of53)
Tons of meant from the XL Foods plant is tossed into Alberta landfills.
October 29(45 of53)
Production at the XL Foods plant in Brooks resumes for the first time since E. Coli tainted meat from the plant resulted in the largest Canadian beef recall in history. (credit:CP)
October 30(46 of53)
R-CALF, a U.S. ranchers lobby group, asks U.S. courts to block the possible sale of the Brools XL Foods plant to JBS USA, which is at the time managing the plant but which has reserved the option to buy the Alberta facility, as well as some U.S. plants. (Getty) (credit:Getty)
Nov. 1(47 of53)
Another case of E. coli is linked to the XL Foods Inc. plant in Alberta.The Public Health Agency of Canada says the case was in Quebec, bringing the total number of confirmed cases across the country to 17. (credit:AP)
Nov. 4(48 of53)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency discloses that its staff observed a number of problems at XL Foods the previous week, as the plant worked to get back to normal operations.They included meat areas that weren't adequately cleaned and water sanitizer that wasn't maintained at a high enough temperature. (credit:CP)
Nov. 14(49 of53)
The total number of e-coli cases across the country linked to the XL Foods Brooks plant climbs to 18.The Public Health Agency of Canada said the new case is in Alberta. (credit:CP)
Nov. 15(50 of53)
XL Foods beef re-enters the market place for the first time since all operations were halted at the Alberta, following the discovery that e-coli tainted meat was found to have entered the food chain. (credit:CP)
Nov. 28(51 of53)
A four-year-old memo uncovered by CTV directs inspectors at the XL Foods plant in Brooks to ignore contamination on beef destined for Canadian markets. (credit:AP)
Nov. 29(52 of53)
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz dismisses memo directing food inspectors to ignore contamination on beef destined for Canadian markets, saying contaminants would be dealt with down the line. However, critics point out the memo refers to the last station on the line. (credit:CP)
Dec. 8(53 of53)
The Brooks plant is given the green light to resume the exportation of beef products to the U.S. (credit:CP)
E. Coli: Prevention Is Better Than Cure
(01 of06)
While most strains of E. coli are harmless, the Public Health Agency Of Canada warns that some strains including E. coli O157: H7, can make people sick, and in serious complications can include kidney failure. (credit:Shutterstock)
(02 of06)
Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and fever that is generally less than 38.5˚C/101˚F and tend to last for five to seven days. (credit:Shutterstock)
(03 of06)
High risk individuals include the very young, elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. (credit:Shutterstock)
(04 of06)
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can be fatal, can develop in around 5 to 10 per cent of those who get sick from E. coli O157:H7 overall and about 15 per cent of young children and the elderly.Symptoms of HUS vary. Some people have seizures or strokes and some need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others live with side effects such as permanent kidney damage. (credit:ALAMY)
(05 of06)
Proper hygiene including hand washing and safe food handling and preparation practices are recommended to prevent the illness. (credit:ALAMY)
(06 of06)
While E. coli is generally associated with ground meat, Alberta Health Services warns that the bacteria can also be found in foods including poultry, pork, cheese, sprouts, lettuce, yogurt, and unpasteurized milk and fruit juices and advises Albertans to take precaution. (credit:ALAMY)