Episodes

  • What authors of the Alberta ‘firewall’ letter think of Smith’s referendum

    What authors of the Alberta ‘firewall’ letter think of Smith’s referendum
    Oct 26 2026
    Twenty-five years ago they rewired the province’s political thinking with their landmark “Alberta Agenda,” aka the “firewall” letter: a manifesto for the premier to assert sovereignty within a systemically inequitable federation. Days after Alberta’s referendum on some of the same issues they raised — but also going drastically further in considering separation — Brian speaks with letter-writers Ted Morton, who went on to become a provincial cabinet minister, and Ken Boessenkool, now a strategist and lobbyist. With voting results showing a hard no to separation and more narrow losses on questions of greater provincial powers in justice, social services, and regulation, they discuss whether Premier Danielle Smith’s tactic helped the cause of a more assertive Alberta, or set it back. (Recorded October 23, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Will Canada sacrifice democratic Taiwan to China’s communists?

    Will Canada sacrifice democratic Taiwan to China’s communists?
    Oct 19 2026
    Even as our prime minister seeks favour and greater bonds with Beijing, the communist regime continues to threaten to invade the free, democratic and economically vital republic of Taiwan, putting to the test where Canada’s values truly lie. Brian speaks with George Takach, author of the new book Inspired by Taiwan: Why Supporting Taiwan Matters for Democracy. He makes the case for why standing with the small island nation is even more vital to our interests, and the welfare of the world, than the temptation of Chinese market access. And he warns that signals of weakness from the West might entice China’s Xi Jinping to soon make good on his threats to invade Taiwan, surrendering an invaluable and potent Western ally to our adversaries. (Recorded July 29, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • The ‘disruptive’ professor who refuses to be censored

    The ‘disruptive’ professor who refuses to be censored
    Oct 12 2026
    Frances Widdowson was fired from her tenured professorship at a Calgary university after criticizing Black Lives Matter. She has been arrested on other campuses when she tried to engage students in debates about residential schools. Now she’s suing one university for $3 million, alleging it defamed her by accusing her of spreading hate and disinformation. She tells Brian she won’t be stopped because she believes she’s doing what academics are supposed to do: research, question and argue to get at the truth. And she explains why she believes so many professors and universities have betrayed that responsibility by pursuing ideological activism — or worse, by meekly surrendering what they really believe and submitting to woke repression. (Recorded October 7, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Don’t wait up for history’s costliest hypothetical pipeline

    Don’t wait up for history’s costliest hypothetical pipeline
    Oct 5 2026
    It’s another announcement from Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. And it’s about the same West Coast pipeline they’ve announced before. This time it’s been designated a project of “national interest.” Still undetermined is whether it’s of interest to investors and shippers. Joining Brian are Chris Varcoe, Postmedia’s western business columnist, and Lorne Gunter, political columnist. They discuss the likelihood of this pipeline ever happening, the battles yet to fight, the eye-watering costs, and the dismaying timeline before it gets done. They discuss Smith’s feats in pushing the Liberals to overturn the last prime minister’s anti-oil dogmas. But given Carney’s costly carbon-capture conditions and other roadblocks, simply declaring “national interest” won’t be enough to make Alberta’s oilpatch great again. (Recorded October 2, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • What was B.C.’s David Eby thinking by calling the maddest Canadian election ever?

    What was B.C.’s David Eby thinking by calling the maddest Canadian election ever?
    Sep 28 2026
    If you’ve got a majority government with two years left and an unpopular record to defend, calling a snap election might not seem like a great idea. But it did to B.C. Premier David Eby. Brian is joined by B.C. politics columnists Vaughn Palmer (Vancouver Sun) and Les Leyne (Victoria Times-Colonist) to try to find method in Eby’s seeming madness. They consider his scheme to pounce on his rivals’ disarray, with the Conservatives at war over a divisive leader. But they seem to be quickly reconstituting themselves under a new, more popular captain, even as some star NDP candidates step aside. It’s all unfolding amid municipal elections already underway, creating confusion for voters, and leaving British Columbians baffled as to why it’s happening at all. (Recorded September 25, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • It’s showy, it’s insubstantial, but Carney’s EU scheme is slick politics

    It’s showy, it’s insubstantial, but Carney’s EU scheme is slick politics
    Sep 21 2026
    There’s no such thing as “associate membership” in the European Union and nobody knows what it means, but Prime Minister Mark Carney’s proposal for it has proven to be a dazzling distraction as he flounders in a trade war with the U.S. Brian talks this week with Anand Menon, an EU studies specialist based in England, and Carlo Dade, international policy director at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. Menon details the formidable challenges and hazards of Canada trying to displace North American trade with Europe, and why it probably won’t happen, although he says there is room for improved co-operation. And while Carney’s idea is dubious and of questionable benefit, Dade explains why he thinks we might not have much choice but to try it. (Recorded September 17, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • How Conservatives can get their groove back

    How Conservatives can get their groove back
    Sep 14 2026
    It’s a tough time to be a federal Tory. The polls are demoralizing. Some MPs are quitting and some are going rogue. And the worse things get for Canada, the more voters seem to support the Liberals. As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre prepares for a caucus retreat this week, Brian spoke with Ian Brodie, former chief of staff to Stephen Harper, and Ginny Roth, who helped run Poilievre’s leadership campaign. They offer their ideas on how Poilievre can reposition himself in this weird, new era of jingoistic anti-American nationalism that Prime Minister Mark Carney has boosted into a winning brand. And, just as importantly, how he can reinvigorate his party and reassert the control he once commanded over his caucus — before his problems get bigger. (Recorded September 10, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • If Carney and Trump are at war, why are they enjoying it?

    If Carney and Trump are at war, why are they enjoying it?
    Sep 7 2026
    Postmedia’s Political Hack team Tasha Kheiriddin and Stuart Thomson join Brian to assess the political spin contest over the collapse of U.S.-Canada trade talks. Despite economic damage, they discuss why neither side has an incentive to make a deal. Prime Minister Mark Carney just crushed three byelections, securing his majority and grinding down the Conservatives — and there are several more coming up. And they explain how President Donald Trump’s strategy is to use the trade war as an excuse to deflect voter discontent in the upcoming congressional midterms, while continuing to divide Canadians. The only question for both is how long they can politically gain from the pain of closed businesses and job losses until voters won’t stand for it anymore. (Recorded September 4, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins