Western Context

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

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

Uncertainty rules the fortnight in BC, photo radar comes into question in Alberta, and the federal government spends and spends while moving at a slow pace. But no worry, there’s always your Trudeau cutout or government funded Snapchat filter!

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Duration: 36:38
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Uncertainty rules the day after BC Election 2017
• Photo radar under review by Alberta government
• Trudeau government close to breaking all-time record for per-capita federal spending
• Trudeau Liberals have only passed 17 government bills since coming into power
• Federal government spent $14K on Snapchat filters last year
• Word of the Week: Frivolous

Picture of the Week

A story of narrative with the overblown #IamLinda conversation versus the dishonesty of Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. The BC chapter of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has a look at the party platforms. And we have a talk about consequences.

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Duration: 36:07
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• The manufactured outrage of #IamLinda
• Bateman: BC Liberal fiscal plan “head and shoulders above the rest”
• Trudeau government vows to shut down debate in effort to pass legislative agenda
• Conservatives blast Sajjan for linking Syrian conflict to climate change
• Word of the Week: consequence

Kevin O’Leary has dropped out of the Conservative leadership race. A look at the BC party election platforms and which one will hurt you the least. And, a summation of the media being blindsided by the United States stance on NAFTA.

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Duration: 48:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Kevin O’Leary drops out of Conservative leadership race and will support rival Maxime Bernier
• A look at the major BC Party platforms, and what you’re actually voting for
• BC Election: Spoil your ballot, vote Green – just don’t vote NDP
• Donald Trump tells Justin Trudeau he won’t terminate NAFTA, renegotiation agreed upon
• Word of the Week: Trade war

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!

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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

Context regarding Jason Kenney and GSA’s in Alberta. Big money hits BC politics and the BC Conservatives face NDP infiltrators. Plus, how high of a carbon tax would be necessary to reach environmental targets?

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Duration: 36:43
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Jason Kenney slammed for comments about gay-straight alliances
• Socialist takeover continues: NDP ties of two BC Conservative candidates raises questions
• On ‘big money’ politics, John Horgan’s not so subtle himself
• Secret briefing says up to $300-per-tonne federal carbon tax by 2050 required to meet climate targets
• Word of the Week: Quorum