Western Context

Trudeau faces calls to bring Afghan interpreters to Canada, BC’s 150th anniversary of Confederation is forgotten, and Alberta calls for pepper spray. Also, Carolyn Bennett’s former staff detail the sabotage she has done to Indigenous relations.

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Duration: 1:07:23
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“When I got there, I quickly realized I was a token. I was there to attend events with her so [Bennett] had a First Nations staffer with her, she wasn’t just bringing her white staff. My voice was never heard … my experience never mattered, it seemed, because they were white and they had been to a First Nation community, they knew more … they had better knowledge.” – A former staffer on their time in the office of Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett.

• Blood on Canada’s hands if we don’t save Afghan ‘terps’
• Support us on Patreon
• B.C.’s 150th anniversary in Canada comes and goes with little attention
• Alberta justice minister calls for Criminal Code changes to allow pepper spray for self-defence
• Crown-Indigenous Minister Carolyn Bennett’s office is a ‘toxic’ workplace, ex-staffers claim
• Word of the Week: Arson

Singh and O’Toole battle for BC’s votes, Alberta will vote on equalization and DST in the fall, and the Green Party goes through a civil war. Also, we detail the untold stories of the pandemic: overdoses, comorbidities and more.

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Duration: 55:13
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“Any time we talk about big infrastructure, there has to be a commitment that the infrastructure is made with Canadian products, Canadian steel, Canadian aluminum. The Liberals have talked about a high-speed train. They’ve never mentioned once that they’re going to use Canadian products in a high-speed train,” -NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on his not quite “Buy Canadian” strategy

• Singh promises public infrastructure to be made with ‘Canadian products’ in jobs plan
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• Albertans to vote on daylight saving time, equalization in the fall; pension and police to be further studied
• Green party executive launches membership review of its own leader, Annamie Paul
• Overdoses, alcohol-related deaths increased in Canadians under 65 during pandemic: StatCan
• Word of the Week: Advantage

Canada has its first Indigenous Governor General, pressure mounts from the US to open the border, and federal support for passenger rail lines is announced. Also, Erin O’Toole has lots of ideas to solve the equalization problem once and for all.

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Duration: 57:10
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“[We will] truly make Alberta prosperous again and take away the limits that the Trudeau Liberal government has put on your growth… Conservatives will treat the energy sector as a key driver of Canada’s economy and leverage our environmental and social governance leadership as a competitive advantage to secure our future.” – Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole on his plan to secure a fair deal for Alberta.

• Prime Minister announces The Queen’s approval of Canada’s next Governor General
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• Dozens join with Rep. Brian Higgins as bipartisan pressure builds to reopen border
• Feds set to begin procurement process for Toronto-Quebec City high-frequency rail corridor
• Erin O’Toole pledges changes to Fiscal Stabilization Program and to implement the Equalization and Transfers Fairness Act
• Word of the Week: Electioneering

Alberta’s Health Minister is persecuted by anti-lockdown protestors, Lytton BC burns to the ground a day after breaking Canada’s heat record, and dozens of churches and statues are burned down on Canada Day. Also, Chinese influence extends far in Canada.

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Duration: 54:55
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“Agree with us… disagree with us. Vote for us or don’t vote for us. What happened to Minister Shandro and his family was disgusting and wrong.” – Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation Doug Schweitzer on the verbal assault of Tyler Shandro and family.

• Alberta health minister and family swarmed over COVID-19 restrictions on Canada Day
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• Part of life’: B.C. premier walks back comments on heat wave after facing backlash
• Kenney disgusted after visit to Morinville church fire
• Chinese agents active in Canada, Commons committee hears
• Word of the Week: Heat Dome

The Liberals introduce a hate speech bill that won’t pass, take the House Speaker to court over incriminating documents, and use taxpayer money to fund their re-election. Also, the death of Canadian bilingualism foreshadows the next election.

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Duration: 50:55
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“The Speaker’s Office will defend the rights of the House. That is something I take very seriously. The legal system does not have any jurisdiction over the operations of the House. We are our own jurisdiction. That is something we will fight tooth and nail to protect and we will continue to do that.” – House Speaker Anthony Rota on being taken to court by the Government of Canada

• Liberals to introduce new hate speech bill, possibly bringing back controversial Section 13
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• Liberals take House Speaker to court to block release of unredacted records
• Liberal MPs’ budgets pay same firms that help run party’s digital campaigns
• Under Justin Trudeau, official bilingualism as we know it is over
• Word of the Week: Parliamentary Supremacy

Alberta wraps up a successful spring session, CBC is turning off Facebook comments, and Trudeau paid more for less in buying vaccines. Also, our Public Health Agency is held in contempt of Parliament as the Trudeau government covers up more and more.

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Duration: 48:31
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“It’s one thing for our journalists to deal with toxicity on these platforms. It’s another for our audience members who try to engage with and discuss our journalism to encounter it on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, where they are almost guaranteed to be confronted by hate, racism and abuse.” – CBC editor in Chief Brodie Fenlon on the fabricated dangers of free speech

• Alberta legislature wraps tumultuous spring sitting, likely to call new session in the fall
• Support us on Patreon
• Why CBC is turning off Facebook comments on news posts for a month
• Canada paid a premium to get doses from Pfizer earlier than planned
• Handing over Winnipeg lab documents has ‘national security’ implications
• Word of the Week: Contempt

Surprising topics arise during the Alberta NDP convention, Victoria council cancels Canada Day celebrations, and a third of Green MPs cross the floor to the Liberals. Also, Trudeau faces a complicated relationship with both the US and China.

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Duration: 51:34
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“Is Canada prepared to stand up for the Australians who are subject to hostage diplomacy as we expect the Australians to stand up for our Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor? Are we prepared to actually engage in programming which will displease the Chinese government in concert with our allies? Or do we want to leave this to other powers and hope that if Canada stands relatively neutral, that we will be able to protect our market position in China?” – Former Canadian diplomat Charles Burton on dealing with the Chinese government.

• Notley announces plans to move Alberta’s electricity grid to net-zero by 2035 if elected
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• Victoria votes to cancel virtual Canada Day broadcast, will produce reflection event later in summer
• Green MP Jenica Atwin crossing the floor to join the Liberals
• Biden says he wants to ‘confront’ China. Is Trudeau willing to go along?
• Word of the Week: Equity

The remains of 215 indigenous children are found near the Kamloops residential school, Jason Kenney warns of the danger of erasing our history, and John Horgan lays out a modern forestry plan. Also, Canada’s first dose successes can be misleading.

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Duration: 58:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“The critical recommendation that’s in play at Fairy Creek is consulting with the title holders. If we were to arbitrarily put deferrals in place there, that would be a return to the colonialism that we have so graphically been brought back to this week by the discovery in Kamloops.” – BC Premier John Horgan on why he won’t immediately protect old growth forests from being logged.

• Remains of 215 Indigenous children found buried at former Kamloops residential school
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• Kenney defends contentious Canadian history, laments cancel culture after Calgary school renamed
• B.C. lays out plans for ‘modernizing’ regulation of the forest industry
• U.S. to share millions of vaccine doses, including with Canada, as Ottawa pushed to donate too
• Word of the Week: Assimilation

BC and Alberta outline their re-opening strategies, Alberta orders universities to cut ties with China, and the CRTC deals a crushing blow to internet affordability. Also, Trudeau is on board with Biden’s search for the pandemic origin.

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Duration: 54:51
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“Are we supposed to lock ourselves into permanent fear and lock ourselves down because of potential worst case scenarios?” Jason Kenney on people who want perpetual lockdowns.

• Open for Summer
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• Alberta orders major universities to suspend pursuit of new partnerships with China
• CRTC scraps plan to mandate lower wholesale internet rates
• Trudeau backs Biden effort to identify origin of COVID-19
• Word of the Week: Oligopoly

Federal politicians say Quebec can amend the constitution, tools to identify old growth are ignored by the BC government, and Alberta’s municipal races heat up. Also, inflation is on the rise once again, while the media and government both ignore it.

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Duration: 58:58
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“The PM is fine [with] Que[bec] unilaterally amend[ing] the constitution to declare Quebec a nation and French its official language. So hypothetically speaking – AB and SK can do something like that too? Or would the answer be no….’asymmetrical federalism’ and all?” – Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall on the looming constitutional crisis.

• Quebec can modify part of the Canadian Constitution unilaterally, Trudeau says
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• ‘We don’t have time’: scientists urge B.C. to immediately defer logging in key old-growth forests amid arrests
• Former councillor, MP Amarjeet Sohi announces Edmonton mayoral campaign
• From takeout to gas prices, how to protect yourself from rising inflation
• Word of the Week: Nation