Western Context

Carney avoids talking about forced labour in China, the Alberta government wants to remove politics from education, and a Vancouver Canucks reporter gets barred from the arena due to an unflattering article. Also, Avi Lewis is elected NDP leader.

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

“He looks like a hero, because he took me on as a critic of the motherland. He is supporting the motherland and that makes him look very good and makes me look terrible … I think he thought it would be well-received by the Chinese embassy, which it was.” – Margaret McCuaig-Johnston on being grilled by Liberal MP Michael Ma.

Duration: 1:05:01
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Carney avoids describing China’s treatment of Uyghurs as genocide
• Support us on Patreon
• Alberta government says new bill intended to remove politics, ideology from schools
• Canucks’ decision to revoke credential of reporter alarms colleagues
• Who is Avi Lewis, the new leader of the NDP?
• Word of the Week: Selective

The federal by-elections deal another loss to Trudeau’s Liberals, the BC election campaign officially starts, and Alberta is investing in new schools. Also, involuntary care becomes David Eby’s newest policy reversal.

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

“Now, after our party clearly outlined a plan to bring compassion and accountability to addiction treatment, Eby is suddenly pretending to be on board. People of all ages are being abandoned to their addictions, left to suffer and die while this government hands out drug supplies instead of real help.” – BC Conservative leader John Rustad on David Eby’s reversal on involuntary care.

Duration: 57:11
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Another Blow to Trudeau: Liberals Lose a Long-Held Seat
• Support us on Patreon
• John Rustad lays out plan if elected as B.C.’s next leader
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces $8.6B in school builds
• B.C. to open ‘highly secure’ involuntary care facilities
• Word of the Week: Involuntary

Alberta increases funding for charter schools, BC ties its minimum wage increase to inflation, and Quebec is forcing Ukrainian refugees into French schools. Also, the census data shows that Trudeau’s immigration plan negatively impacts the housing crisis.

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

Duration: 1:01:22
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta earmarks $72 million for charter schools, plans for possible new ‘collegiate’ model
• Support us on Patreon
• B.C.’s minimum wage, now tied to inflation, up 45 cents to $15.65 an hour
• Quebec won’t allow Ukrainian refugee children to attend English schools
• Canada’s population jumped by nearly half a million in 2021
• Word of the Week: Mandamus

Lockheed promises $17b into Canada’s GDP if the F-35 is finally chosen, the Alberta NDP claims Dr. Hinshaw is being muzzled by the UCP, and China could be stealing our academics’ research. Also, new US aluminum tariffs show the media’s true priorities.

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

Duration: 51:59
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Lockheed Martin promises $16.9B injection to Canadian economy with F-35s
• Support us on Patreon
• COVID-19 and Dr. Hinshaw under attack
• CSIS warns about China’s efforts to recruit Canadian scientists
• US slaps 10% levy on some Canadian aluminium
• Word of the Week: Reciprocity

Trudeau shuffles his cabinet and creates a border security minister, many provinces now oppose Trudeau’s carbon tax, and Alberta’s NDP is equalizing and diversifying K-4 education. Also, Vancouver’s False Creek is teeming with raw sewage and E coli.

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

Duration: 40:49
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Trudeau cabinet shuffle brings new faces, several changes for run-up to 2019 campaign
• Trudeau’s carbon tax looks pretty much dead now that most provinces are out
• Support us on Patreon
• In new social studies curriculum, there’s no such things as Albertans
• Call for clean swimming water in Vancouver’s False Creek falls flat
• Word of the Week: Sanitary

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?

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

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

The BC NDP is promising to spend without first raising revenue. A Calgary public school confiscates banana bread? Disappointment regarding the Northern Gateway pipeline. And the refugee situation on our southern border has changed and not for the better!

Download Now
Direct Download – 64 Kbit MP3 (Full Show Notes)

Duration: 37:45
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Horgan set to miraculously spend big — and balance the books
• Education minister weighs in after boy banished from CBE class over banana bread
• ‘We are very disappointed’: Loss of Northern Gateway devastating for many First Nations, chiefs say
• Border services officer assaulted by asylum seeker detained for criminal past: Nearly half of recent illegal border crossers have criminal records, CBSA union says
• Word of the Week: Border