Western Context

Alberta moves to allow municipal political parties, the auditor general fires government employees getting money on the side, and Canada pauses non-lethal exports to Israel. Also, Toronto Police give bad advice to deter car thieves.

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“We might as well leave cookies and milk at the front door along with a note. ‘Dear Mr. Criminal, the keys are in the mailbox, don’t kick my door in.’” – Ontario Premier Doug Ford on the Toronto Police’s advice to keep car keys by the front door to prevent injury during home invasions.

Duration: 56:22
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta to introduce legislation allowing political parties on municipal ballots
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• Auditor general’s office discovers three of its own employees earning side money off undisclosed government contracts
• Trudeau government has paused non-lethal military exports to Israel over human rights concerns
• Toronto Police: Just Let the Thieves Steal Your Car
• Word of the Week: Faraday

Alberta and BC show differing approaches to the drug crisis and public safety, and the federal government removes GST on rental starts and considers a grocery tax. Also, the Trudeau government gives subsidies to cricket farmers.

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“I grew up eating crickets in my porridge as a kid because they bring so much protein.” – Liberal MP for London West Arielle Kayabaga on the feasibility of cricket farming in Canada.

Duration: 46:12
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta overhauling prosecution practices in effort to address rise in violent crime
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• B.C. to ban drug possession near playgrounds for duration of decriminalization pilot project
• Ottawa to remove GST on new rental housing, calls on cities to end exclusionary zoning
• Trudeau Liberals handing out millions to help put crickets on menu
• Word of the Week: Housing

Canada’s passport redesign removes iconic historical images, the UCP makes a plan to reduce city crime, and BC’s old growth forests are still being logged. Also, the Alberta NDP spreads misinformation about healthcare.

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“I would advocate that [Terry Fox] should be on more things. He’s one of Canada’s greatest heroes. He was a young person in the early 80s who inspired a nation and a world to do better. And because of him, there’s been a lot of suffering that’s been alleviated because of the money raised for cancer (research). To remove such an iconic Canadian in place of what I’ll call such generic Canadiana imagery makes absolutely no sense.” – Dave Teixeira, the organizer of the Terry Fox Hometown Run, on the federal government’s removal of Terry Fox from the new passport design.

Duration: 55:06
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada removes Terry Fox from passport, prompting backlash
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• UCP announces Safe Streets Action Plan
• Images of felled ancient tree a ‘gut-punch’, old-growth experts say
• Deeply concerning’: Smith suggests privatizing major Alberta hospitals in 2021 video
• Word of the Week: Passport

The federal government wants to battle over provincial resource rights, BC seizes Hells Angels clubhouses, and Danielle Smith limits media questions ahead of the May election. Also, an unnamed MP casts aspersions on CSIS’s credibility.

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“As we’ve known for a long time, the Hells Angels is a criminal organization. It doesn’t matter if it’s a clubhouse or other asset – a high-value car or high-value boat – if it’s been obtained through organized crime, they’re going to lose it.” – BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth on the forfeiture of three Hells Angels clubhouses.

Duration: 50:24
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Sask. premier calls out federal minister following comments on natural resource rights
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• B.C. moves to seize Hells Angels clubhouses in Nanaimo, Vancouver, Kelowna
• Alberta Premier Smith, with election looming, announces new limits on media questions
• Canadian MP felt ‘shadow of doubt’ after spy agency warned him about diplomat
• Word of the Week: Forfeiture

Chrystia Freeland’s budget includes $43b in new spending, 2023 sees an increase in unprovoked violence, and Danielle Smith speaks with a controversial pastor. Also, Dominic Leblanc’s sister-in-law is appointed as interim ethics commissioner.

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“The public has to believe that ethics are taken seriously, and they have yet to have any big evidence of that since 2018. The (Conflict of Interest) Act has been there for 17 years for God’s sake, so maybe the time has come to do something different so that we don’t keep repeating the same errors. After 17 years, maybe we should realize that something is not working,” – Retiring Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion on the Trudeau government’s repeated ethical transgressions

Duration: 57:47
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• In Budget 2023, Liberals eye inflation relief ‘without having to write a big cheque’
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• Random murders and police killings, once exceedingly rare, now becoming regular part of Canadian crime landscape
• Danielle Smith her own worst enemy on COVID court cases but that doesn’t make her guilty
• Opposition cries foul after minister’s in-law appointed interim ethics commissioner
• Word of the Week: Unprovoked

The Supreme Court of Canada rules that life without parole is ‘cruel’, small possession of drugs is decriminalized in BC, and the Tim Hortons app invades Canadians’ privacy. Also, the Trudeau government has created 72 secret orders in council.

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“[Leading an open, transparent government] is the big promise that the prime minister made to Canadians in 2015. Seven years later, that promise has melted like snow in the sun. The prime minister leads the most closed, most opaque, the most censored government that we have ever seen. We have just learned of the existence of 72 secret orders-in-council. Why are the Liberals so afraid to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” – Conservative MP Luc Berthold, during question period.

Duration: 49:35
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada supreme court rules life without chance of parole is ‘cruel’ and illegal
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• Small-scale possession of illicit drugs will be decriminalized in B.C. starting next year: federal government
• Tim Hortons’ app committed ‘mass invasion’ of Canadians’ privacy, watchdog finds
• Trudeau government has adopted dozens of secret cabinet orders since coming to power
• Word of the Week: Cruel

Trudeau releases his 2022 budget, BC experiences an increase in crime, and the UCP makes healthcare changes. Also, the Newfoundland offshore oil project Bay du Nord has been approved.

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“The headline policy, a two-year ban on residential property purchases by foreigners, will have a negligible impact on home prices… We know from the pandemic period, when home prices escalated with virtually no foreign money, that our problem is made-in-Canada.” – Phil Soper, chief executive at Royal LePage on the housing affordability crisis.

Duration: 57:20
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada Speeds Up Deficit Reduction in 2022 Budget: Key Takeaways
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• ‘Every excuse in the book’: Eby under fire over B.C.’s handling of prolific offenders
• NDP calls on Alberta government to stop the push to ‘Americanize’ public health care
• Federal government approves controversial Bay du Nord oil project
• Word of the Week: Prolific

A new group in the senate sparks calls for reform, China resumes Canadian meat imports to curb inflation, and Alberta starts to enact tougher castle doctrine laws. Also, testing has revealed lead in Canada’s drinking water, while our government is on vacation.

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Duration: 48:12
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• 11 Canadian senators form new group to represent regional interests
• China to resume importing beef and pork from Canada
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• Eddie Maurice and it sounds like good news
• ‘This is not a joke’: High levels of lead found in water at Canadian daycares, schools
• Word of the Week: Independent

Trudeau’s middle class tax cut provides more wealth for the top 1%, a look at our new federal poll tracker, and a conclusion to the Northern BC murder spree. Also, social media misrepresents a First Nations ceremony to excuse Trudeau’s blackface.

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Duration: 46:38
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada’s top 1 per cent saw fastest income acceleration, overall decrease in taxes
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• Polling for Canada 2019
• Schmegelsky, McLeod admitted to northern B.C. homicides before killing themselves, video footage reveals
• An old photo of Stephen Harper in Indigenous garb is being misrepresented online
• Word of the Week: Knee jerk