Western Context

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

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

Trudeau has yet to account for $600b in spending, more needs to be done to end boil water advisories, and Alberta’s deficit drops much faster than expected. Also, the CBC tells us words we shouldn’t use, while we give context on the history of those words.

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“Being an English speaker doesn’t entail that you necessarily know the racist etymology automatically. The fact that you said it, oblivious to the etymology, doesn’t automatically make you a bad person. As language users, we have the social responsibility to monitor the impact our utterances have on others, especially when it involves a marginalized group.” – Ai Taniguchi, a linguist and an associate language studies professor with University of Toronto Mississauga.

Duration: 50:54
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Liberals yet to account for $600-billion in public spending
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• Not enough money coming from federal government to maintain Indigenous water treatment systems: PBO report
• Alberta’s projected deficit drops to $5.8 billion, buoyed largely by global energy price spike
• CBC’s 18 words you can’t say is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard
• Word of the Week: Etymology

The BCCDC is withholding information from the public, Alberta’s new restrictions are wildly mischaracterized, and we get no closer to the end of the Vance allegations. Also, the finances of the Trudeau government are much worse than they realize.

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Duration: 53:58
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“We don’t actually have [IT] systems to support the same consistent collection of the same data over time. We are releasing more than what other provinces are releasing.” – Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on why BC is not releasing more COVID-19 stats than other provinces are releasing.

• Leaked reports show B.C. health authorities withholding data from the public
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• Revamped Alberta Restrictions
• PM says his office didn’t know Vance allegations were about sexual misconduct
• Liberal budget underestimates size of federal deficits, will lead to decades of higher debt: PBO
• Word of the Week: Disclosure

Late government actions have let variants of concern into Canada, BC locks down travel within health regions, and Alberta’s free market leads the way in solar investment. Also, Trudeau’s first budget in two years shows just how much debt we are in.

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Duration: 57:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“The truth is that the tragedy of COVID-19 has created a window of opportunity, which we can open to finally build a system of early learning and child care across our country.” – Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland

• ‘Practically impossible’ to keep COVID-19 variants out, officials say, as flights from hotspots continue
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• B.C. to restrict non-essential travel between 3 provincial health zones
• Lots of irony in Alberta leading the country in new solar projects
• Budget vows to build ‘for the long term’ as it promises child care cash, projects massive deficits
• Word of the Week: Debtonation

A look at Canada’s 2017 Federal Budget and its allocation of funds. M103 has been passed but to what end? Premier Notley says a PST in Alberta needs a mandate. Meanwhile, the media misdirects on Snapchat and cardboard cutouts of the Prime Minister.

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Duration: 35:12
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Federal Budget 2017
• MPs pass M-103 Thursday even as new poll says most Canadians would vote down anti-Islamophobia motion
• Premier Notley says no PST in Alberta without mandate from voters
• No more Snapchats with Trudeau’s stand-in: Global Affairs bans use of life-size cardboard cut-outs of PM
• Word of the Week: Achievement