Western Context

BC fish farms are under increased scrutiny from the BC government, Mainstreet is singled out as polls get another election wrong in Alberta, Singh refuses to denounce the Air India terrorists, and Bill Morneau gets caught in an a conflict of interest.

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Duration: 47:07
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Popham pens ‘eviction’ notice-like letter to B.C. fish farms
• Mainstreet’s future with Postmedia uncertain after botched Calgary election poll
• Jagmeet Singh Suggests CBC’s Insistent Questioning About Alleged Terrorist Was Racist
• Bill Morneau didn’t place assets in blind trust, raising conflict-of-interest risk
• Word of the Week: Conflict of Interest

Alberta’s fiscal policy is “not sustainable”, organized crime in casinos threatens BC’s economy and residents, $212,234 for a federal budget book cover by the federal government, and the wildly varying stories on Andrew Scheer and the focus on sex appeal.

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Duration: 43:46
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta’s current fiscal policy ‘not sustainable’ in the long term: report
• Organized crime a ‘viable threat to public safety’ in B.C. casinos: gov’t report
• Budget Cover Cost $212,234
• Andrew who? In search of Scheer’s still-elusive Conservative identity
• Andrew Scheer’s sex appeal: How the Tory leader stands up against two world-renowned political hunks
• Word of the Week: Balance

Terrorism comes to Edmonton. Also, electoral reform in BC, an AB NDP MLA leaves caucus, Jagmeet Singh wins the federal NDP race, Energy East is now dead, Ottawa spends too much on legal fees, and the BBC notes our Holocaust memorial’s Jewish omission.

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Duration: 1:04:28
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Edmonton Police Officers and Pedestrians Struck in Edmonton Terrorist Attack
• NDP announces B.C. referendum on proportional representation
• Karen McPherson Leaves NDP Caucus
• Jagmeet Singh wins NDP leadership race
• TransCanada terminates plan for Energy East pipeline
• Ottawa spent $110K in legal fees fighting First Nations girl over $6K dental procedure
• Canada forgets to mention Jewish people at Holocaust memorial
• Word of the Week: terrorism

In Alberta clickbait dominates a headline about UCP education policy, the BC NDP flip-flop and conduct dozens of partisan appointments, the media questions the accuracy of polling, and an acquitted ISIS fan fights to stay in Canada. Should he be able to?

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Duration: 41:34
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says United Conservatives are determined to bring harm to gay children
• (BC) NDP government stacks jobs with partisan insiders
• ANALYSIS: Poll finds Scheer’s Tories ahead of Trudeau’s Liberals but can we believe it?
• Acquitted ISIS supporter fights to stay in Canada
• Word of the Week: Acquit

An Alberta NDP bill creating a new timezone is defeated, the BC NDP replace big money donations with taxpayer money, the feds’ small business tax changes affect millions of Canadians, and a fake story from Victoria garners international media outrage.

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Duration: 40:47
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Committee decides Albertans should keep changing clocks twice a year
• B.C. taxpayers to foot campaign-finance bill banning corporate, union donations
• Ottawa’s tax reforms are about feeding the spending beast, not fairness
• B.C. filmmaker admits using fake name to promote ticket policy charging white males more
• Word of the Week: Taxation

A video of Jagmeet Singh being heckled takes off in the media, an oilsands company defends Notley’s carbon tax, but who’s paying? Also, Horgan’s “slimy” remarks lead to a taxpayer funded lawsuit, lastly, some insensitive articles posted on Sept 11th.

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Duration: 37:54
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• John Ivison: Jagmeet Singh heckler video may be his Trudeau boxing match moment
• Company defends Rachel Notley’s support for the oilsands after Brian Jean attacks NDP
• B.C. taxpayers likely to foot bill in Horgan/Wilson fiasco
• What happens when an ISIS member returns to Canada? The story of one Toronto-area man
• Word of the Week: insensitive

Is Kenney’s balanced budget feasible? The NDP calls it “mean spirited”! A BC Liberal “betrays” his party to become speaker, the federal government want to change taxes impacting small businesses, and McKenna virtue signalling in the NAFTA negotiations.

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Duration: 37:36
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Jason Kenney proposes drastic cut to Alberta’s per capita spending, balanced budget in 3 years
• BC Liberal goes against party wishes, acclaimed as Speaker of the House
• Jack Mintz: Mere ‘tweaks’ won’t fix the Liberals’ draconian tax-reform plan
• Catherine McKenna says she is ‘done’ with ‘ridiculous’ Tory language on environment
• Word of the Week: Virtue signalling

Canada has strong economic growth; why are there still deficits? Tolls on BC bridges are eliminated shifting costs to taxpayers, a meme from Jason Kenney causes overblown coverage, and the Feds are spending money in Lac-Saint-Jean ahead of a by-election.

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Duration: 36:48
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada’s economy blows away forecasts with 4.5% growth — its strongest start to year since 2002
• Eliminating tolls might be a bridge too far for B.C. taxpayers
• ‘Sexist’ meme tweet by Jason Kenney draws criticism, spokesperson calls outrage ‘contrived’
• Liberals to fund high-speed Internet in Lac-Saint-Jean ahead of key by-election
• Word of the Week: Meme

Planners seem deaf to the hurdles of Edmonton LRT expansion, Trudeau’s advisor defends his friend’s cushy diplomat appointment, the government focuses on climate change not natural resources with NAFTA, and a teacher’s union is trying to revise history.

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Duration: 48:48
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Edmonton city councillors ignorant of LRT planning
• Gerald Butts defends new consul-general Rana Sarkar’s salary
• Climate change still a priority in NAFTA talks: environment minister
• Ontario teachers’ union wants John A. Macdonald elementary schools renamed
• Word of the Week: Revisionism

The NDP rules out amalgamation in Victoria despite local support, the media overcovers AB MLA Fildebrandt leaving the UCP, 3800 illegal migrants in August already and a lack of immigrant integration, and the meltdown at The Rebel. What’s true, what isn’t?

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Duration: 55:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. rules out amalgamating capital region, ponders more sharing of services
• Alberta MLA Derek Fildebrandt steps down from United Conservative Party caucus
• Douglas Todd: Canada struggling to ‘absorb’ immigrants, internal report says
• Ezra Levant’s ‘damage control’ not enough for UCP leadership hopeful taking on The Rebel
• Word of the Week: Far right