Western Context

Unity prevails as the Wildrose and PC parties vote to unite, new BC NDP Premier John Horgan unveils his “experienced” cabinet, a billion from Canadian mining firms is lost in the Congo, and experts argue for repatriating former Canadian Evil Losers fighters.

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Duration: 40:12
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta Conservative Parties Choose Unity
• John Horgan’s cabinet sends message that experience matters
>Money from Canadian mining firms vanishes in Congo, report finds
• Ottawa may have no choice but to repatriate, prosecute captured Canadian Evil Losers members: experts
• Word of the Week: Experience

A First Nations band in BC refused to evacuate, the Alberta Finance Minister isn’t concerned with an interest rate hike, a survey finds 71% of Canadians disagree with the Khadr settlement, and the media ignores NDP candidates extreme views on capitalism.

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Duration: 36:34
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• ‘We’re not leaving’: Tempers flare between First Nation, RCMP amid wildfire evacuation order
• Interest rate hike not good for Alberta right now: Ceci
• Khadr’s Compensation: 71% of Canadians say government made wrong call by settling out of court
• NDP leadership candidates’ extremism ignored by Media Party
• Word of the Week: reconciliation

Ignorance causing forest fires in BC, the Alberta government doesn’t seem concerned about another credit rating downgrade, Trudeau forgets to mention Alberta on July 1st and the CBC sweeps it under the rug, and Trudeau pays $10.5M to Omar Khadr.

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Duration: 43:03
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Preventable fires caused due to ‘complacency and ignorance,’ officials say
• Alberta credit rating maintained but DBRS concerned about growing debt
• Trudeau forgets Alberta on Canada Day
• Government formally apologizes to Omar Khadr, as Andrew Scheer condemns ‘disgusting’ payout
• Word of the Week: Ignorance

The BC NDP comes to power, a movement for centrists in Alberta, Trudeau makes controversial statements about immigrants and Canada Day, and the federal government still has no plan to balance the budget.

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Duration: 38:48
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• NDP asked to form next B.C. government after Liberal defeat
• Political centrists choose to rally around Alberta Party
• Justin Trudeau ‘jealous’ of immigrants and families who chose Canada
• Trudeau claims his government has met fiscal targets and Conservatives partly to blame for deficit
• Word of the Week: confidence

Plunging approval ratings for Premier Notley, and a surprising shift to the left in the BC Liberal’s throne speech. Meanwhile, there are questions of accountability in the Senate, and bad journalism leads to misplaced anger over the Syrian Refugee plan.

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Duration: 42:20
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Premier Rachel Notley tied for second as Canada’s least popular premier: Poll
• B.C. legislature hears Throne Speech / Clark’s left turn worries her party’s conservatives, could endanger Liberals free-enterprise coalition
• Tie vote defeats Senate motion to split infrastructure bank from budget bill
• Kellie Leitch criticized over tweet attacking Syrian refugee program
• Word of the Week: Accountable

The Oil Sands Advisory Group in Alberta unveils measures that limit growth, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin is retiring, questions of national security with a high tech company sale to China, and is Trudeau enacting his platform of real change?

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Duration: 43:02
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Oil Sands Advisory Group calls for emissions restrictions when 100 megatonne limit nears
• Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin to retire
• Liberals waive security review for Chinese takeover of high-tech firm
• Is this Stephen Harper or Justin Trudeau running things on Parliament Hill?: Hébert
• Word of the Week: Change

Poor government planning led to a delayed response to the Fort McMurray wildfire, no one wants to be Speaker in BC, and a look at the UK election. Plus, how should media report terrorism at home after an attack in Toronto?

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Duration: 34:47
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Poor co-ordination and communication hindered battle with Fort McMurray wildfire, says leaked report
• B.C. politics in ‘uncharted territory’ as legislature poised to tussle over Speaker appointment
• June 8th 2017 UK Election
• Toronto woman charged with assault at Scarborough mall
• Word of the Week: Speaker

Did the Trudeau government do its research on the Paris deal and a carbon tax? A so called “strong stable minority” in BC, Rachel Notley appeals to conservatives, and the media hit job on Andrew Scheer.

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Duration: 48:15
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Trump dumps climate and Trudeau says we’ll always have Paris
• BC Greens strike deal to force end of Liberal era, support NDP government
• Rachel Notley makes appeal to conservatives turned off by potential merger between Wildrose and PCs
• The Hit Job on Andrew Scheer
• Word of the Week: Smear

The long Conservative leadership race is finally over with a surprise victor: Andrew Scheer! Also, reforming the social studies curriculum in Alberta, continued uncertainty in BC, and foreign campaigning and financing in the 2015 federal election.

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Duration: 45:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Andrew Scheer wins Conservative Party of Canada Leadership race
• New Social Studies curriculum pushes social change, not history
• BC Liberals denied majority as final election count leaves government in danger
• Andrew Weaver sought a $30,000 big money donation from a member of a Vancouver development company
• New report alleges outside influence in Canada’s 2015 federal election
• Word of the Week: Unity

The Wildrose and PC Party of Alberta agree to form the United Conservative Party. Andrew Weaver in BC reveals his demands. Trudeau begins shifting away power from the west with the NEB. And time spent this summer on unnecessary apologies.

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Duration: 37:19
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta’s Wildrose, PCs agree to create new United Conservative Party
• Vaughn Palmer: For Greens, proportional representation is non-negotiable
• National Energy Board needs major overhaul, panel says
• Ottawa to apologize to those who suffered because of sexuality
• Word of the Week: Referendum