Western Context

Jagmeet Singh pulls the plug on the supply and confidence deal, The Tyee compares the BC Conservatives to Donald Trump, and the UCP pulls funding from Calgary’s Green Line. Also, Canada may be susceptible to social unrest.

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“All the lights on the dashboard are now blinking furiously that this has to be slowed down. The main overall problem is the massive numbers, the volume. Totally unmanageable. Total incompetence on their part to jack all of these categories simultaneously with no apparent regard for the overall impact it would have on Canada, the job market, the housing market, the health care system or anything else. It was literally reckless.” – Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on Trudeau’s expansion of the immigration system.

Duration: 1:00:02
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• NDP pulls out of supply-and-confidence deal with Liberal government
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• The Right’s War on Media Comes to BC
• Province pulling funding for Calgary’s Green Line LRT project, letter says
• Canada is dangerously close to an eruption of social unrest
• Word of the Week: Unrest

Kevin Falcon suspends BC United’s election campaign, Trudeau appoints more partisan Liberals to the Senate, and Liberal staffers pull support from the byelection campaigns. Also, Trudeau announces a reduction in temporary foreign workers.

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“I don’t know what metaphor to use here, whether it’s a bandwagon or whether it’s a snowball rolling downhill or what it is, but he jumped on it. John’s got a very successful, emerging, boisterous brand – the Conservative brand – without having to really do anything.” – Former BC Liberal cabinet minister Bill Bennett on the groundswell of support for the BC Conservatives.

Duration: 1:02:44
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Kevin Falcon to fold BC United Party, suspend campaign
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• Albertans Kristopher Wells and Daryl Fridhandler appointed to Senate
• Liberal staffers pull support for party in Montreal byelection, citing government’s stance on Gaza
• Trudeau announces reduction in temporary foreign workers, suggests more immigration changes to come
• Word of the Week: Moribund

A railway strike threatens Canada’s infrastructure, a $9M condo is bought for Tom Clark, and anti-semitic threats on synagogues are on the rise. Also, organized crime may have infiltrated CBSA.

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“The oven is $19,000, the refrigerator is $13,000, the coffee maker is $4,600, the freezer is $11,000, the dishwasher is $6,000. How on earth is that value for the Canadian taxpayer?” Conservative MP Larry Brock on the new furnishings for Canada’s consul general Tom Clark in his $9M New York condo.

Duration: 56:15
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Railways prepare to restart after federal government forces binding arbitration in labour dispute
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• Luxury condo for consul general in New York was not approved by Treasury Board
• RCMP working with international police amid new slew of threats targeting synagogues
• CBSA whistleblower believes transnational gangs have compromised agency databases, helping terrorists, spies and mafias enter Canada
• Word of the Week: Cowardly

The CBC pays out huge bonuses while cutting jobs, a Victoria firefighter gets suspended for a letter to the BC Premier, and the Alberta NDP broke leadership election financing rules. Also the UN likens Canada’s TFW program to modern slavery.

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“While Canadians struggle to afford basic necessities like food and rent, CBC executives are rewarding themselves with massive bonuses despite their failing performance. End the madness. Recall the committee. Defund the CBC.” – Conservative MP Rachael Thomas on the increasing bonuses of CBC executives.

Duration: 56:15
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• CBC paid more than $18-million in bonuses in 2024 after eliminating hundreds of jobs, documents show
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• Victoria firefighter suspended for letter to B.C. premier criticizing homeless facility plan
• NDP broke election finance rules during leadership race
• ‘Chickens have come home to roost’: Mounting criticism over Canada’s low-wage temporary foreign worker program
• Word of the Week: Bonus

Calgary’s water system may be worse than expected, Poilievre wants tariffs on Chinese EVs and metals, and the UCP has issues with the popularity of their special projects. Also, BC’s affordable housing program is not actually about affordable housing.

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“The Housing Hub program is a supply-based program. It’s not an affordability program. The whole intent of the Housing Hub was just to build more housing. And it was intended to be market (rate) rental housing.” – Michael Pistrin, vice-president of development for B.C. Housing on how the affordable housing program was not actually about affordable housing.

Duration: 56:19
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Urgent repairs needed for Calgary’s water system, PipeDiver inspection finds 16 new hot spots
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• As Poilievre and industry call for Chinese EV tariff package, Liberals say stay tuned
• Alberta government backs away from podcast comments made by Premier Smith, Calgary MLA
• B.C. NDP explains why $2B housing affordability program was not about, er, delivering affordable housing
• Word of the Week: Market rate

A terror plot in Toronto gets thwarted, BC United wants to put their former name on the ballot, and Calgary’s Green line is more expensive and shorter than planned. Also, Harjit Sajjan lobbied to get soldiers to participate in a pop concert.

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“Minister Sajjan will continue to support historical achievements with great economic and cultural benefits for Vancouver. Sajjan attended the concert with his family, bought his own tickets, and all expenses were covered by Sajjan personally. It was a terrific show.” – Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan’s press secretary on not apologizing for asking the Canadian Armed Forces to send 100 soldiers to participate in a Punjabi concert.

Duration: 54:22
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Toronto terror arrests raise questions about security screening
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• Opposition BC United party looks to add former Liberal party name to election ballot
• Council approves budget hike for Green Line LRT, cutting 6 stations from Phase 1
• Cabinet minister Harjit Sajjan requested 100 soldiers to perform with Punjabi pop star Diljit Dosanjh
• Word of the Week: Aggravate

The BC Tree Fruits cooperative shutting down spells disaster for farmers, Corus cuts hundreds of media jobs, and US senators are worried about Canada’s Gaza refugees. Also, Jasper burns as a result of bad forest management.

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“We share the sense of loss with all of those who live in the town, who care for it, and who have helped build it. And to those in Alberta and around the world who have experienced the magic of Jasper: The magic is not lost, and it never will be.” – Premier Danielle Smith on the Jasper wildfire.

Duration: 57:25
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. Tree Fruits co-operative shutting down after 88 years
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• Changes coming to Global Okanagan amid company layoffs
• Rubio, Colleagues Warn of Terrorist-tied Gazans Crossing Northern Border
• Ottawa let wildfire fuel pile up in Jasper for decades
• Word of the Week: Cooperative

The Premiers’ meeting delivers a united message to Trudeau, the public service has grown far faster than Canada’s population, and John Rustad has a plan to fix BC’s healthcare crisis. Also, Randy Boissonnault is in hot water again.

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“[Trudeau] is delivering worse service.You can’t get anyone on the phone at CRA. Incredible delays just to get a passport. And the federal government is not delivering any services that it wasn’t delivering before. In other words, after nine years of Trudeau, Canadians are paying more for bureaucracy to get less in service.” – Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on the decay of services in Canada.

Duration: 48:28
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Premiers gather in Halifax with a message for Trudeau: stick to your lane
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• Under Trudeau, the civil service has grown twice as fast as Canada’s population
• B.C. Conservatives pitch health-care changes, more private clinics
• Multiple texts about ‘other Randy’ blamed on ‘auto-correct’ by Boissonnault’s former business partner
• Word of the Week: Delivery

Canada faces pressure at the NATO summit to up defence spending, Alberta faces an electricity shortage, and BC’s economy starts to stagnate. Also KFC Canada begins to sell halal chicken.

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“We are buying big things. We are building big things, and we are protecting the longest coastline in the world, including with increased responsibilities for the Arctic.” – Justin Trudeau on his government’s efforts to protect our sovereignty.

Duration: 55:39
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada faces pressure at Nato summit for riding on ‘coattails’
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• Alberta Electric System Operator declares grid alert
• Trans Mountain Pipeline Outperforming the Entire B.C. Economy Should be a Wakeup Call
• What is halal chicken? KFC’s switch to ‘diverse menu options’ sparks boycott calls
• Word of the Week: Coattails

3 years later Lytton still hasn’t been rebuilt, the UK Labour election win shows lessons for Canada, and Poilievre promises to repeal the online harms bill. Also, Historica Canada deletes the John A MacDonald Heritage Minute.

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“People don’t expect the timeline in terms of what it takes for insurance to process their claim. And then and it’s probably not as much insurance as it is the bureaucracy within the provincial governments wanting to do this right.” – Dan Wollf, founder of Legacy Pro Contractors, a company working on the rebuilding of Lytton, BC.

Duration: 58:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• 3 years and a record $239M in recovery funding later, Lytton still hasn’t rebuilt
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• 2024 UK Election: Keir Starmer becomes Labour PM
• Poilievre would repeal online harms bill after PBO report finds $200 million in new bureaucracy
• Historica Canada deletes John A. Macdonald Heritage Minute from YouTube
• Word of the Week: Artifact