The Current from CBC Radio (Highlights)

We're heading from the East Coast, to the West Coast, and in between in our round-up of key election issues in parts of our country that haven't had as much national attention as they deserve, but which will be making a difference on election day.

Collecting eggs and milking cows paints an idyllic image of farm life. But the tragedy in Alberta this week where three young girls lost their lives in a harvesting accident is a stark reminder of how dangerous farms can be for kids. What's to be done?

Our Friday host Piya Chattopadhyay joins Anna Maria to share listener thoughts on stories of the week. And we look at how strategic voting is hurting the Green Party, plus we introduce you to the ground warriors pounding the pavement to get the vote out.

The push for strategic voting requires people to abandon their party of preference to try to shape the wider political landscape. Is this good for democracy? Or is it the result of a wounded democracy? We hear from voters to explain their strategy.

Elections Canada confirmed 3.6 million people took advantage of advance polls last weekend, underlining what Canadians are already feeling in the air this federal election. We hear from voters following the issues intently who are now switching loyalties.

Mohamed Fahmy is back on Canadian soil. The former Al Jazeera journalist was released from an Egyptian prison in September. He joins us to talk about his experience and the lack of support he says he received from the Canadian government while imprisoned.

So much for "Made In Canada". In the past decade, nearly half-a-million Canadian manufacturing jobs have disappeared. Today we bring together a roundtable of three former manufacturing workers to talk about how losing their job, is affecting their vote.

The high-achieving woman who wrote "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" says work-life balance for women and men requires mutual support, flexible work hours and careers built in intervals. Anne-Marie Slaughter joins us to talk about Unfinished Business.

Environmental lawyer David Boyd is preaching hope for the earth with his message of "environmental optimism". But Ronald Wright warns too much optimism can lead people to slack off.

Electric brain stimulators hit the consumer market in the U.S this past summer. But though they seem promising and no more potent than a coffee or glass of wine, some scientists are wary ...warning we have no idea of the long-term effects.

Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve gives us an insider look into stick-handling the Wall Street meltdown that nearly led to another depression. He weighs in on whether there's been enough work done to keep it from happening again.

When Martin Cooper made the first ever call on a mobile phone, he had no idea he was spearheading a cellular revolution. The ripple effects of his invention exceeded his expectations, surprising everyone with the sweeping changes its brought to our lives.

Products being sold as synthetic cannabis (in some stores and online in Canada) are concerning because they are vastly different than actual cannabis and have been linked with addiction, serious health concerns, and even deaths.

We speak to three first time voters about how they feel this election has gone and who they will pick on election day. For them, exercising their right to vote for the first time is a milestone event.

As the nation gets ready for election day on October 19th and First Nations leaders urge aboriginal people to vote, we check in with some First Nations voters to hear which issues matter most to them in this election.