Western Context

The Premiers’ meeting delivers a united message to Trudeau, the public service has grown far faster than Canada’s population, and John Rustad has a plan to fix BC’s healthcare crisis. Also, Randy Boissonnault is in hot water again.

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“[Trudeau] is delivering worse service.You can’t get anyone on the phone at CRA. Incredible delays just to get a passport. And the federal government is not delivering any services that it wasn’t delivering before. In other words, after nine years of Trudeau, Canadians are paying more for bureaucracy to get less in service.” – Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on the decay of services in Canada.

Duration: 48:28
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Premiers gather in Halifax with a message for Trudeau: stick to your lane
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• Under Trudeau, the civil service has grown twice as fast as Canada’s population
• B.C. Conservatives pitch health-care changes, more private clinics
• Multiple texts about ‘other Randy’ blamed on ‘auto-correct’ by Boissonnault’s former business partner
• Word of the Week: Delivery

ArriveCan contractors receive over $1B in federal contracts, Alberta will decentralize AHS at the end of the year, and cyberattacks threaten the BC government’s storage of information. Also, illegal border crossers can be given up to $224 per day.

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“What is particularly shocking is… nothing is being done at CBSA. On the contrary, people that admit openly that they’ve breached the basic code of conduct as civil servants are now being promoted. That’s scary.” Bloc MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné on the CBSA misconduct with ArriveCan contractors.

Duration: 50:25
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Three firms tied to ArriveCan app got $1-billion in federal contracts, Ottawa reveals
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• Alberta announces the 4 health agencies that will replace AHS later this year
• Public deserves answers after B.C. government cyberattack
• Some illegal border crossers receive $224 in food and accommodation per day while awaiting processing
• Word of the Week: Contract

BC’s Unexplained Wealth Order claims its first forfeiture candidate, the UCP invoke the Sovereignty Act on provincial power generation, and BC’s healthcare is likened to a 3rd world country. Also, Google makes a deal with Trudeau on C-18.

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“These measures are not something that we want to do. They are a plan to counteract the absurd, illogical, unscientific and unconstitutional interference in Alberta’s electrical grid by a federal government that simply doesn’t care what happens to our province. We refuse to meekly accept actions which are so plainly destructive to Alberta’s economy and to the very safety and security of Albertan citizens.” – Danielle Smith on Alberta’s first invocation of the Alberta Sovereignty Act.

Duration: 56:38
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. couple questioned how they bought their house under new Unexplained Wealth Order
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• Alberta invokes sovereignty act, sets groundwork for Crown corporation to be ‘generator of last resort’
• B.C.’s health-care system like ‘third-world country’: MLA
• Federal government reaches deal with Google on Online News Act
• Word of the Week: Forfeiture

Trudeau performs a cabinet shuffle, the media highlights private Alberta medical clinics charging member fees, and problems at BC Ferries continue. Also, a TD report shows how immigration is fuelling unaffordability.

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“A cabinet of 39 is not a serious decision-making body. As cabinet gets larger, moreover, the ministers get smaller. In a cabinet of 12, every minister is a player. As you pass 20, they start to blur together. By the time you near 40, they look like ants.” – Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet on the size of Trudeau’s new cabinet.

Duration: 53:45
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Trudeau overhauls his cabinet, drops 7 ministers and shuffles most portfolios
• NDP calls for probe into how many medical clinics are charging ‘member’ fees in Alberta
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• B.C. Ferries running out of excuses
• Canada’s Immigration Policy Driving Housing Unaffordability, Higher Rates – TD
• Word of the Week: Shuffle

An ex-RCMP officer is charged with using information to help China, Alberta’s health minister has a mandate to review and reform AHS, and Canada is committed to the digital services tax. Also, Steven Guilbeault continues to attack the oil and gas sector.

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“If it wasn’t clear before, it is now. The Trudeau government doesn’t want to just reduce emissions in our energy sector, they want to completely shut down our energy sector.” – Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe on new revelations about a federal emission cap.

Duration: 1:03:02
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Ex-Canadian Mountie charged over alleged China interference
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• Health minister given mandate to review, reform Alberta Health Services
• Canada pushing ahead with tax on Big Tech opposed by U.S., Freeland says
• Western premiers push back as Guilbeault calls for ‘phase-out of unabated fossil fuels’
• Word of the Week: Unabated

Danielle Smith’s UCP wins a majority government in Alberta, BC’s health care crisis gets overdramatized, and Erin O’Toole says CSIS warned him of China’s interference. Also, a tweet from Pierre Poilievre highlights the homeless problem in Canada.

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“Welcome to another miracle on the prairies!” – Premier Danielle Smith on the UCP winning the Alberta 2023 election.

Duration: 56:53
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta United Conservatives win majority government
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• Fellow Canadians: Visit British Columbia at your own risk
• Erin O’Toole says CSIS has informed him he was target of voter suppression and misinformation campaign by China
• Kelowna encampment residents speak out after Poilievre compares designated sleeping area to 3rd world country
• Word of the Week: Risk

Trudeau appoints a special rapporteur to investigate Chinese interference, Alberta and the federal government are at odds over health transfers, and BC will continue changing clocks. Also, Bill C-11 amendments get rejected by Trudeau’s Heritage Minister.

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“My views are that this is far larger than election interference allegations. The government of China is an existential threat to Canada on a multiplicity of levels, and we need to come to grips with that. It’s more than the election. It’s at the universities. It’s at the police stations. It’s at the Confucius Institutes. It’s at the exploitation of resources, et cetera, et cetera. I think it is far bigger than that.” – Liberal MP John McKay of Scarborough-Guildwood on the threat of China to Canada.

Duration: 57:53
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Two high-level memos allege Beijing covertly funded Canadian election candidates
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• Alberta will have $13.8M deducted from health transfers because patients paid for services
• B.C. Premier David Eby pressured to stick with daylight time for good this weekend
• Heritage Minister rejects key C-11 amendment, puts himself on potential collision course with Senators
• Word of the Week: Rapporteur

Trudeau announces new funding towards health care transfers, Alberta campaign funding coverage shows double standards, and David Eby announces funding for BC’s municipalities. Also, the Roxham road issue continues to get worse.

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“The military gave me and my family free bus tickets. I am going to Canada for a better quality of life for my family.” – Migrant Raymond Peña on his free trip to Canada and eventual entry at Roxham Road.

Duration: 1:06:23
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, including $46B in new funding
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• ‘Huge concern’: Opposition says Alberta premier should come clean on campaign funding
• Premier David Eby announces $1 billion in grants for municipalities
• NYC now paying for bus fare if migrants head north to Roxham Road
• Word of the Week: Crisis

The Freedom Convoy wasn’t a CSIS threat, Alberta makes changes to AHS, and the BC Liberals vote to change their name to BC United. Also, a confrontation between Xi Jinping and Trudeau overshadows China’s growing influence.

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“In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have… We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we disagree on.” – Justin Trudeau on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reaction to their conversations being leaked.

Duration: 55:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• CSIS told government Freedom Convoy didn’t pose national security threat day before Emergencies Act invoked
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• Alberta announces health-care reform: AHS board fired, administrator appointed
• B.C. Liberal Party set to become B.C. United after members vote to change party name
• Chinese president confronts Trudeau at the G-20
• Word of the Week: Definition

Reports show Chinese government infiltration into Canada, the BC NDP is hiding information on doctor shortages, and the UCP plans to give money to Albertans to tackle inflation. Also, Chrystia Freeland cancels her family’s Disney+ subscription.

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“The prime minister is not a potted plant. He can defend his position if he wishes. But there needs to be a meeting…and the federal government has not been willing to do the work to come to the table and sit down, prime ministers and premiers, and talk about one of the central issues facing the country.” – BC Health Minister Adrian Dix on Trudeau’s unwillingness to move on meeting about provincial health transfers.

Duration: 56:51
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• Canadian intelligence warned PM Trudeau that China covertly funded 2019 election candidates
• Support us on Patreon
• B.C. government now masking data on doctor shortages at primary care clinics
• UCP planning flood of Danielle Dollars to Albertans, with election to follow
• Chrystia Freeland backs away from ‘out of touch’ comment about Disney+
• Word of the Week: Infiltrate