Western Context

The Liberals split their border bill into two, Alberta continues its health care reforms, and Vancouver apologizes for hosting a Harry Potter event. Also, Carney meets with Trump but returns with no trade deal.

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“I think they’re going to walk away very happy. We’re going to especially treat Canada fairly. The people of Canada will love us again, most of them still do, I think — they love us.” – US President Donald Trump on the future Canada/US relationship.

Duration: 54:57
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Conservatives won’t support Liberal border bill without major changes
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• Premier Danielle Smith instructs health ministers to improve wait times, transition non-acute patients out of hospital
• ‘This will not happen again’: Vancouver Park Board apologizes for hosting Harry Potter event
• Trump says ‘Canada will love us again’ — but there’s still no deal on tariffs after Carney meeting
• Word of the Week: Outrage

Carney admits a US trade deal may include tariffs, the BC government restores drug funding for a young girl, and Danielle Smith muses pulling out of supply management. Also, Canada’s justice system gives more lenient sentences to non-Canadians.

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“If we really want to make the eastern politicians (have to) change their underwear, we should remove our supply management from the Canadian system.” – Red Deer County resident Lee Eddy on removing Alberta from supply management (heavily editorialized).

Duration: 1:02:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Carney says a U.S. trade deal without some tariffs is unlikely
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• B.C. backtracks and restores rare drug coverage for 10-year-old Charleigh Pollock
• Danielle Smith says pulling Alberta out of supply management is worth considering
• Controversy after two newcomers to Canada receive no jail for GTA sex offences
• Word of the Week: Coverage

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

A misleading article defends Eby’s crime record, capital gains tax increases yield less revenue than expected, and TD bank is fined billions in the US for money laundering. Also, Canadian doctors now have to be on the lookout for scurvy.

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“Really, if you’re not thinking about scurvy, then there’s no way that you’re going to be able to diagnose it … the case presents a complex example of food insecurity manifesting as an uncommon diagnosis.” – Dr. Sally Engelhart on diagnosing scurvy in Canada.

Duration: 58:54
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. Election Fact Check: Conservatives say NDP soft on crime
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• Capital gains tax hike to yield less than 40% of revenue forecast by Liberals
• TD Bank fined $3B US after pleading guilty in historic U.S. money-laundering case
• Canadian doctors warned to be on the lookout for scurvy
• Word of the Week: Archaic

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