Western Context

Louise Arbour will be Canada’s new governor general, Chinese officials wanted to stop Vancouver’s Shen Yun performances, and Alberta’s electors list sees a data breach. Also, US Indigenous tribes are using BC’s DRIPA legislation to halt resource projects.

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“I have never seen anything like this… over six terms of governments, working for the provincial government. I have never seen this level of ineptitude and incompetence.” – Geoffrey Moyse former legal counsel in the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General’s Office, on Premier Eby’s troubles with DRIPA.

Duration: 1:14:17
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• PM Carney names Louise Arbour as Canada’s next governor general
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• Chinese consulate met Vancouver official in bid to stop event critical of communist rule
• Elections Alberta alerted to improper use of voters’ information in late March, journalist says
• U.S. tribes demand a say in key B.C. economic decisions
• Word of the Week: Pejorative

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.

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“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
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• 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 CBC leaves out important information on the Toronto protests, Calgary sees infrastructure problems with its water pipes, and BC ends its failed decriminalization pilot. Also, Mark Carney makes a deal with China on canola and EVs.

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“The world has changed much since that last visit. I believe that the progress we have made and the partnership sets us up for the new world order” – Prime Minister Mark Carney on the need for a relationship with China.

Duration: 1:11:52
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• 8 arrests, 29 charges laid at downtown demonstrations
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• Duckworth worried about mental health at city hall when pipeline report came down
• B.C. officially ends decriminalization pilot project after concerns about public drug use
• Canada, China reach initial trade deal on electric vehicles, canola
• Word of the Week: Realpolitik

David Eby backtracks on indigenous reconciliation, Alberta’s job creation lowers unemployment, and the CRA spends $18M on a chatbot that doesn’t work. Also, another floor crossing shows the importance of foreign interference coverage.

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“Without regard to party lines—to safeguard the democratic election system we cherish and respect. Even if existing laws permit party-switching, the world is watching—especially countries that, under authoritarian rule, are denied democratic elections. They are observing whether Canada still has the resolve to defend democracy.” – Joe Tay, former Conservative candidate for Don Valley North on foreign interference and floor crossings.

Duration: 1:10:23
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Eby plans $150 million in loan guarantees for Cowichan land owners
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• Three month job-creation spree drives significant plunge in Alberta unemployment rate
• The CRA spent $18M on ‘Charlie,’ a new tax information chatbot that is wrong most of the time
• Ex-Conservative MP Michael Ma crosses floor to join Carney Liberals
• Word of the Week: must

Mark Carney threatens an election if his budget doesn’t pass, Alberta uses the notwithstanding clause to end the teacher’s strike, and David Eby continues to force his reconciliation policies through. Also, Carney thaws Canada’s relationship with China.

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“Distance is not the way to solve problems, not the way to serve our people.” – Prime Minister Mark Carney on rebooting the relationship with China.

Duration: 1:08:33
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Liberal House leader ‘starting to worry’ about support for upcoming budget
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• Alberta uses Charter’s notwithstanding clause to order striking teachers back to work
• B.C. premier prepared to call early election if bill for North Coast Transmission Line voted down
• Canada’s Carney to visit Xi in China, marking ‘turning point’ in relations
• Word of the Week: Negotiable

Conservatives say the justice system favours non citizens, China increases tariffs on canola, and the Alberta Next panels see increased media bias. Also, a court decision gives Aboriginal title to a large section of Richmond BC to a Vancouver Island band.

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“We respect the court’s role in our justice system, but given the significant legal issues raised in the recent decision in Cowichan Tribes v. AG Canada et al., we believe it must be reconsidered on appeal. This ruling could have significant unintended consequences for fee simple private property rights in B.C. that must be reconsidered by a higher court.” – Attorney General Niki Sharma on the recent court decision granting Aboriginal Title part of Vancouver to a Vancouver Island based First Nation.

Duration: 1:11:58
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

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• Conservatives say the justice system favours non-citizens. Experts disagree
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• Sask. premier calls for ‘immediate action’ from Ottawa to address massive Chinese canola tariffs
• Tensions high at town hall as Alberta Next Panel faces polarized crowd in Edmonton
• Indigenous group wins land claim over riverbank in metro Vancouver
• Word of the Week: Claim

Another report details repressive foreign interference in Canada, an Alberta farmer is arrested for overselling eggs, and the Conservatives release their 100 day platform. Also Mark Carney changes his story on Trump’s phone call.

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“This morning, my dad Henk Van Essen was arrested because of chickens and because of eggs. More specifically, he was arrested because the Egg Farmers of Alberta don’t like that he can sell inspected eggs to people without paying millions into their quota system.” – Lyndsay van Essen on her father’s arrest after he sold eggs.

Duration: 1:02:26
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Federal officials report ‘repression’ operation targeting Conservative candidate
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• Small-scale Alberta egg farmer arrested for selling eggs outside quota system
• Poilievre lays out plan for first 100 days of a Conservative government
• Carney says Trump raised ’51st state’ during their call but ‘the president says a lot of things’
• Word of the Week: Tradecraft

A Liberal candidate invited Chinese influence into the campaign, Carney’s platform puts Canada further into debt, and a new Alberta addictions plan looks at involuntary treatment. Also, Liberal staffers spread disinformation buttons.

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“Despite their public claims, it’s clear that it’s the Liberals who are attempting to bring American-style politics to our country. One wonders what other dirty tricks the Liberals are behind as they desperately seek to distract from their disastrous record while seeking a fourth Liberal term.” – Conservative Party of Canada spokesperson Sam Lilly on Liberal operatives leaving inflammatory material in a conservative conference.

Duration: 1:06:22
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Liberal candidate invited head of suspected secret Chinese police station to campaign event
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• Liberal platform promises $130B in new measures over 4 years, adding $225B to federal debt
• New Alberta addiction model will see some users ordered into treatment
• Liberal operatives planted ‘stop the steal’ buttons at conservative conference
• Word of the Week: Harm

Mark Carney makes a confusing statement about Israel and Hamas, the US is going to hike softwood lumber duties again, and Alberta wants to change healthcare to an activity-based model. Also, the Liberals’ ties to China are growing more concerning.

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“The PRC is trying to assist Carney. If you think that somehow this influencing campaign stays confined to one community—it doesn’t. The point is to mold opinions, have them spread, and be shared with others. It also doesn’t mean [Carney] is complicit in it. But it does signal [the WeChat posts are] meant to influence and help his campaign. You don’t run positive stuff about a candidate that you want to lose.” – Dennis Molinaro, a former Canadian national security analyst, suggesting that Beijing’s information campaign could spread beyond the Chinese diaspora.

Duration: 1:04:02
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu rebukes Mark Carney over Gaza comment at rally
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• U.S. set to significantly hike softwood lumber duties against Canada
• Alberta revamping health-care grants to ‘activity-based’ hospital funding system
• Beijing Intelligence Operation Promotes PM Carney’s Strength Against U.S. to Sway Chinese Canadian Voters, Election Monitor Says
• Word of the Week: Sway

We talk about the rise of precarity in Canada, Edmonton’s mayor Amarjeet Sohi is running for the federal Liberals, and David Eby partially backs down from his undemocratic bill. Also, we look at the relationship between Mark Carney’s assets and China.

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“This is a fundamental brutal assault on our constitution, on our way of governing ourselves and it is not warranted by anything I can imagine. It just boggles the mind. I can’t imagine any circumstances under which any government in a democracy should be given these powers in a blank cheque.” – Former BC NDP Premier Ujjal Dosanjh’s remarks on current BC NDP premier David Eby’s undemocratic Bill 7.

Duration: 1:09:44
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• How an emerging precarity mindset is impacting public opinion and the Canadian election
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• Mayor Sohi makes it official, taking leave to run for the federal Liberals in Edmonton Southeast
• David Eby walks back key portion of proposed B.C. tariff response legislation following backlash
• Carney’s green funds at Brookfield used Bermuda tax haven to attract investors
• Word of the Week: Precarity