Western Context

Alberta rejects permanent summer time and equalization, Margaret Trudeau speaks at an event by a company lobbying the government, and Saskatchewan approves of Regeneron to treat COVID. Also, we look at just how money laundering affects BC real estate.

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“A clear majority of Albertans have sent a powerful, democratic message: They want a fair deal in the federation. These results have given Alberta’s government a powerful mandate to secure changes to equalization and other federal transfers that have treated Albertans unfairly for so long. Our message is clear: Ottawa must respect Alberta and the huge role we play in Canada’s economic prosperity.” — Premier Jason Kenney reacting to the results of Alberta’s Equalization Referendum.

Duration: 54:06
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta barely rejects permanent daylight time; majority supports ending equalization
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• Prime minister’s mother spoke at event hosted by organization that received federal funding for jobs program
• Saskatchewan approves use of monoclonal antibodies to treat high-risk COVID-19 patients
• Man making $40k/year bought $32m in Vancouver real estate via CCP-linked offshore accounts
• Word of the Week: Laundering

Alberta shows us that referendums are not just symbolic, Huawei sponsors a Chinese cultural event in BC, and we look at municipal elections in Edmonton and Calgary. Also, inflation on groceries and natural gas is here to stay.

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“A lot of people in finance are learning that the most important word in the English language is ‘transitory,’…How confident are you that [this inflation] really is transitory, because if you took a poll of smart people in finance … you’d probably get 50% saying it probably is and 50% saying it probably isn’t.” – U.S. Council on Foreign Relations member Roger Altman, to Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem.

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

• Why should Saskatchewan pay to heat swimming pools in Quebec?
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• Huawei-sponsored event draws flag-waving B.C. politicians
• Farkas drops bomb, now Calgary mayor’s race is a dogfight
• Natural gas price hikes will fuel inflation and hit low-income Canadians the hardest
• Word of the Week: Transitory

Singh and O’Toole battle for BC’s votes, Alberta will vote on equalization and DST in the fall, and the Green Party goes through a civil war. Also, we detail the untold stories of the pandemic: overdoses, comorbidities and more.

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Duration: 55:13
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“Any time we talk about big infrastructure, there has to be a commitment that the infrastructure is made with Canadian products, Canadian steel, Canadian aluminum. The Liberals have talked about a high-speed train. They’ve never mentioned once that they’re going to use Canadian products in a high-speed train,” -NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on his not quite “Buy Canadian” strategy

• Singh promises public infrastructure to be made with ‘Canadian products’ in jobs plan
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• Albertans to vote on daylight saving time, equalization in the fall; pension and police to be further studied
• Green party executive launches membership review of its own leader, Annamie Paul
• Overdoses, alcohol-related deaths increased in Canadians under 65 during pandemic: StatCan
• Word of the Week: Advantage

Alberta wraps up a successful spring session, CBC is turning off Facebook comments, and Trudeau paid more for less in buying vaccines. Also, our Public Health Agency is held in contempt of Parliament as the Trudeau government covers up more and more.

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Duration: 48:31
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“It’s one thing for our journalists to deal with toxicity on these platforms. It’s another for our audience members who try to engage with and discuss our journalism to encounter it on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, where they are almost guaranteed to be confronted by hate, racism and abuse.” – CBC editor in Chief Brodie Fenlon on the fabricated dangers of free speech

• Alberta legislature wraps tumultuous spring sitting, likely to call new session in the fall
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• Why CBC is turning off Facebook comments on news posts for a month
• Canada paid a premium to get doses from Pfizer earlier than planned
• Handing over Winnipeg lab documents has ‘national security’ implications
• Word of the Week: Contempt

Cancel culture strikes at UBC, the Alberta NDP calls referendums undemocratic, and Trudeau allowed disgraced MP Marwan Tabbara to run in 2019 despite allegations. Also, the media wants Canada to bend to the will of the Chinese government.

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Duration: 50:09
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Michael Korenberg resigns as chair of UBC board of governors after he likes a tweet by Dinesh D’Souza
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• Alberta Opposition NDP label referendum bill a covert Jason Kenney power grab
• Liberals allowed MP Marwan Tabbara to run in 2019 despite sexual harassment investigation
• Feds could abandon Meng Wanzhou’s case now if they wanted to: ex-minister, lawyer
• Word of the Week: Cancel Culture

While declaring a climate emergency, Trudeau reapproves Trans Mountain, at the same time as enforcing legislation attacking Alberta’s energy sector. Also Andrew Scheer unveils his climate plan, and Parliament finishes for the summer.

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Duration: 51:44
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Trudeau cabinet approves Trans Mountain expansion project
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• Kenney says bills C-48, C-69 ‘prejudicial attack on Alberta’; bring referendum on equalization closer
• Scheer’s climate plan puts focus on ‘tech not taxes’ with $2.5B in pledges
• House of Commons session recap + total bills passed by Trudeau since 2015 vs. Harper
• Word of the Week: Emergency

Returning ISIS fighters spark rule of law worries, the Alberta election campaign begins with talk of a referendum, and Victoria mayor Lisa Helps hires the NDP finance minister’s daughter. Also, Trudeau loses a confidence vote but the speaker covers it up.

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Duration: 44:36
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• All of Canada under threat for Liberals’ refusal to uphold law concerning returning ISIL fighters
• Alberta campaign officially begins and UCP promises referendum on equalization if no pipelines
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• Victoria mayor hires daughter of finance minister as chief of staff
• House of Commons voting marathon ends, after Liberals nearly lost a confidence motion
• Word of the Week: Mainstream

The BC electoral reform debate shows that Horgan wants people to be woke and lit, an Edmonton councillor recommends halting LRT plans, the federal government wastes millions on cars for the G7 summit, and we exercise caution on the validity of polls.

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Duration: 54:57
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Are you ‘woke’ enough to make sense of John Horgan’s ‘lit’ quip?
• Edmonton Coun. Tim Cartmell calls for halt on west LRT amid funding concerns
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• Federal government spent $23M on 631 new cars for G7 summit. Now, it’s trying to sell most of them off
• Explainer: Polls
• Word of the Week: Regression

The BC Government sets the questions for the electoral referendum, The Ontario PCs win a majority, and BQ leader Martine Ouellet resigns causing uncertainty in Quebec. Also, a lack of information on the military’s supposed shortfall of sleeping bags.

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Duration: 45:06
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. cabinet confirms format of electoral reform referendum
• We have taken back Ontario’: Doug Ford leads PCs to majority government
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• Embattled Bloc Québécois leader Martine Ouellet resigns
• Soldiers ordered to return sleeping bags, rucksacks due to ‘shortfall of equipment’
• Word of the Week: Majority

Alberta’s NDP government released a fiscal update that looked rosy but is not, the BC NDP government created an electoral reform survey to sway opinion despite appearing “neutral”, and we cover Finance Minister Morneau’s continuing clash with ethics.

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Duration: 36:15
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• As economy improves, Alberta’s NDP government says it’s time to cut spending
• Mike Smyth: NDP and Greens stack the deck in referendum vote
• Bill Morneau threatens to take Tories to court over ethics allegations
• Word of the Week: Ethics