Western Context

The feds admit they purchased Canadians’ cell phone data, Alberta looks to attract tech talent through immigration, and the BC Liberal leadership race isn’t short on controversy. Also, unvaccinated truckers will soon be unable to cross the US/CAN border.

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“It’s created a whole disaster. Governments are supposed to provide clarity and calmness, and what has gone on … provided nothing but chaos and confusion.” – Mike Millian, President of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada on the Government of Canada’s trucker vaccine mandate.

Duration: 1:01:25
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Canada’s privacy watchdog probing health officials’ use of cellphone location data
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• Alberta looking to attract tech talent with new immigration program
• B.C. Liberals launch review of new memberships ahead of Feb. 5 leadership vote
• COVID-19 vaccines still mandatory for Canadian cross-border truckers, feds say
• Word of the Week: Aggregate

We look at how polls work and why they can’t be trusted, the BC NDP releases ICU info to get people vaccinated, and the Alberta NDP are influencing local municipal candidates. Also, Trudeau’s record on housing affordability is in question.

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Duration: 44:51
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Your 2021 Reminder on Why You Should be Skeptical of Polls
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• All COVID-19 patients under age 50 in B.C. ICUs are unvaccinated, health minister says
• Alberta NDP-connected group sought to influence Edmonton’s municipal election by limiting number of progressive candidates
• IT’S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO’: Liberal candidate says housing tax is coming
• Word of the Week: Flipping

Maryam Monsef refers to the Taliban as ‘our brothers’, A Chinese shipyard is building Canadian ships, and BC institutes a vaccine passport and mandatory masks. Also, Twitter labels a Chrystia Freeland tweet of O’Toole as being ‘manipulated media’.

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Duration: 53:18
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“I want to take this opportunity to speak with our brothers, the Taliban. We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individual in Afghanistan out of the country. We call on you to immediately stop the violence, the genocide, the femicide, the destruction of infrastructure, including heritage buildings” – Liberal Minister of Women and Gender Equality Maryam Monsef on the crisis in Afghanistan.

• Maryam Monsef called the Taliban ‘brothers.’ Here’s what you need to know
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• Chinese state-owned shipbuilder tapped to supply ferry for Crown corporation as Canadians remain jailed
• B.C. becomes second province to require proof of vaccination, starting Sept. 13
• Twitter adds ‘manipulated’ warning label to tweet from Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland
• Word of the Week: Brother

The upcoming election spurs a need for Canadian innovation, a Calgary doctor donating to the NDP organized anti-government protests, and China sentences Michael Spavor to 11 years. Also, concerns over vaccine passports go unheard.

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Duration: 51:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“Justin Trudeau’s planning an election in the middle of a pandemic because he’s focused on politics. It’s time we had a prime minister planning an economic recovery focused on Canadians. We’re ready.” – Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole on his priority in the coming unnecessary election.

• PM Trudeau expected to launch federal election on Sunday: sources
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• Member of Alberta premier’s staff questions Calgary doctor’s political motives as others rally to his defence
• Canadian businessman Michael Spavor sentenced by Chinese court to 11 years in prison for spying
• Feds to roll out vaccine passports for foreign travel
• Word of the Week: Arbitrary

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

The remains of 215 indigenous children are found near the Kamloops residential school, Jason Kenney warns of the danger of erasing our history, and John Horgan lays out a modern forestry plan. Also, Canada’s first dose successes can be misleading.

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Duration: 58:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“The critical recommendation that’s in play at Fairy Creek is consulting with the title holders. If we were to arbitrarily put deferrals in place there, that would be a return to the colonialism that we have so graphically been brought back to this week by the discovery in Kamloops.” – BC Premier John Horgan on why he won’t immediately protect old growth forests from being logged.

• Remains of 215 Indigenous children found buried at former Kamloops residential school
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• Kenney defends contentious Canadian history, laments cancel culture after Calgary school renamed
• B.C. lays out plans for ‘modernizing’ regulation of the forest industry
• U.S. to share millions of vaccine doses, including with Canada, as Ottawa pushed to donate too
• Word of the Week: Assimilation

Kenney walks a tightrope with unpopular restrictions, Horgan ignores a major logging protest in his riding, and Trudeau attempts to blame the provinces for poor vaccine rollouts. Also, Trudeau continues to stonewall testimony on the WE Charity scandal.

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Duration: 58:18
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“It’s disappointing that we find ourselves for a third time experiencing the Liberals’ ‘Choose your own adventure of parliamentary democracy’. We’re now jammed up with shenanigans that leave us unable to complete our report.” – Conservative Ethics Critic Michael Barrett on Liberal stonewalling on WE Charity testimony

• Kenney says he will boot UCP MLAs from caucus if they break COVID-19 rules or encourage others to do so
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• ‘War in the woods’: activists blockade Vancouver Island in bid to save ancient trees
• Hajdu publicizes delivery of 10 million vaccine doses as Ford blames federal rollout for shot delays
• Federal elections watchdog looking into WE Charity, researcher says
• Word of the Week: Revolt

Alberta brings recall legislation and citizen initiatives, BC’s vaccine schedule moves up with focus on essential workers, and Rogers attempts to buy Shaw for $26b. Also, the Two Michaels receive court dates while Canada gives money to pro-China groups.

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Duration: 55:26
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

“It’s kind of shocking. They have freedom to express their opinion, whether they support the talking points of the Communist Party or not. The problem is they cannot do that with my tax money. Why should I support with my tax dollars their propaganda?” – Mehmet Tohti, executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project

• Alberta government tables legislation that would allow voters to recall elected MLAs plus citizen initiative act
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• Vaccinated people will get flexibility to do more in B.C., premier says
• Rogers’ $16 Billion Bid for Shaw Jolts Canada Wireless Sector
• Michael Spavor’s trial in China ends without a verdict
• Word of the Week: Essential

BC’s vaccine rollout has some setbacks on Day 1, while Alberta looks to mobilize its own vaccine industry, and the situation of the 2 Michaels becomes more dire. Also, it turns out that the federal government knew about the Vance allegations back in 2018.

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Duration: 43:32
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. minister blasts Telus performance on 90-plus vaccine appointments
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• Alberta asking for proposals to build its own vaccine manufacturing industry
• Feds ‘not aware’ of court date for 2 Michaels as Chinese paper warns they’ll face trial ‘soon’
• Privy Council Office was warned to ‘put some things in writing’ after 2018 Vance complaint
• Word of the Week: Mobilization

Alaska pleads for cruises while Trudeau says no, alternative voting methods are being readied for a possible spring election, and SNC gets a sole sourced $150M contract for field hospitals. Also, a 4 month gap between vaccine doses leads to questions.

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Duration: 44:36
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

 “British Columbia’s decision to extend to four months the interval between first and second doses of three different vaccines amounts to a ‘population level experiment’.“ — Chief Science Adviser of Canada, Mona Nemer

• U.S. politicians push to revive Alaska cruises, with Victoria as ‘technical’ stop
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• Canadians should be able vote by phone during pandemic
• SNC-Lavalin gets $150 million contract for field hospitals nobody asked for
• Second doses of COVID-19 vaccines can be given up to 4 months after first, NACI now says
• Word of the Week: Experiment