Western Context

A Liberal candidate invited Chinese influence into the campaign, Carney’s platform puts Canada further into debt, and a new Alberta addictions plan looks at involuntary treatment. Also, Liberal staffers spread disinformation buttons.

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“Despite their public claims, it’s clear that it’s the Liberals who are attempting to bring American-style politics to our country. One wonders what other dirty tricks the Liberals are behind as they desperately seek to distract from their disastrous record while seeking a fourth Liberal term.” – Conservative Party of Canada spokesperson Sam Lilly on Liberal operatives leaving inflammatory material in a conservative conference.

Duration: 1:06:22
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Liberal candidate invited head of suspected secret Chinese police station to campaign event
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• Liberal platform promises $130B in new measures over 4 years, adding $225B to federal debt
• New Alberta addiction model will see some users ordered into treatment
• Liberal operatives planted ‘stop the steal’ buttons at conservative conference
• Word of the Week: Harm

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

We talk about the reliability of polls, Mark Carney pledges $150M to the CBC, and the Liberals refuse to repeal Bill C-69. Also, BC’s carbon tax is reluctantly scrapped by the NDP at the last minute.

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“I support the policy. I thought it was a good policy. I fought for the policy. Without a doubt, the policy became absolutely toxic with British Columbians, [who] don’t support it; they don’t want it. We listen to the people.” – BC NDP Premier David Eby on reluctantly scrapping BC’s carbon tax.

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

• Polls in the 2025 Election
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• Carney pledges $150M boost to ‘underfunded’ CBC
• Carney says he will not repeal Liberals’ anti-pipeline Bill C-69
• Word of the Week: Toxic

We talk about the rise of precarity in Canada, Edmonton’s mayor Amarjeet Sohi is running for the federal Liberals, and David Eby partially backs down from his undemocratic bill. Also, we look at the relationship between Mark Carney’s assets and China.

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“This is a fundamental brutal assault on our constitution, on our way of governing ourselves and it is not warranted by anything I can imagine. It just boggles the mind. I can’t imagine any circumstances under which any government in a democracy should be given these powers in a blank cheque.” – Former BC NDP Premier Ujjal Dosanjh’s remarks on current BC NDP premier David Eby’s undemocratic Bill 7.

Duration: 1:09:44
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• How an emerging precarity mindset is impacting public opinion and the Canadian election
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• Mayor Sohi makes it official, taking leave to run for the federal Liberals in Edmonton Southeast
• David Eby walks back key portion of proposed B.C. tariff response legislation following backlash
• Carney’s green funds at Brookfield used Bermuda tax haven to attract investors
• Word of the Week: Precarity

China is imposing tariffs on Canadian canola, Danielle Smith has a list of national unity demands, and David Eby continues his trade crusade against the US. Also, we look at Canada’s unhappiness and the idea of a lost decade.

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“Two can play this game. So, Canada, you don’t want to mess with Alaska. If you do, we’re going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports, and that’ll help our economy tremendously. It’ll help our tourism industry tremendously, and it’ll really hurt their tourism. They’re playing a dangerous game here. I hope they back down.” – Alaskan Senator Dan Sullivan on BC Premier David Eby’s proposal to toll Alaska trucks.

Duration: 1:03:37
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• China is imposing 100% tariffs on Canadian canola
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• Protecting Alberta from unconstitutional federal overreach
• Alaska senator threatens to halt cruise ships from coming to B.C.
• A lost decade under the Liberals
• Word of the Week: Dumping

Mark Carney wins the Liberal leadership race, Alberta makes a deal with Japan on LNG, and David Eby wants to give himself unchecked powers. Also, Carney sets the carbon tax to $0 on day 1.

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“We have new ministers with new ideas, ready to respond to new threats and seize new opportunities.” – New Prime Minister Mark Carney on his ‘new’ cabinet consisting of many old faces.

Duration: 1:06:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Mark Carney wins Liberal leadership by a landslide with 86% of votes
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• Alberta inks LNG deal with Japan thwarting Ottawa’s export skepticism
• B.C. legislation would give cabinet sweeping powers amid U.S. tariff threats
• Carney cuts carbon tax rate to zero, neutralizing unpopular policy before possible campaign
• Word of the Week: Follow through

Trudeau announces a high speed rail network right before he resigns, Carney’s financial policies get lambasted by economists, and BC’s throne speech says very little on the future. Also, the Liberals want to double CBC funding.

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“The changes at the CBC should be part of a package of measures to protect Canadians from foreign interference, from threats from the Trump administration, and the hegemony and the place that the richest men on the planet occupy in the public space of discussion, debate and information.” – Pascale St-Onge on a blueprint of changes for the CBC.

Duration: 1:04:21
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• High-speed rail line with 300 km/h trains will run between Toronto and Quebec City, Trudeau announces
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• Carney’s budgeting proposal was a ‘disaster’ when Alberta tried it, economists say
• BC throne speech cites war against Nazis to portray province in historic battle
• Liberals want to nearly double CBC funding, as an investment in ‘national security’
• Word of the Week: Lame duck

Poilievre pledges to increase our Arctic footprint, Carney wants to rebrand the carbon tax, and the BC NDP cancels the planned grocery rebate. Also, the anniversary of the flag brings a renewal of Canada first.

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“We intended to do this, but the world has changed on us. It’s become much more uncertain.” – BC Finance Brenda Bailey on cancelling the campaign promised $1000 grocery rebate.

Duration: 57:41
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Poilievre pledges Arctic military base, naval icebreakers if party forms government
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• Does Mark Carney want a trade war with Trump over carbon emissions?
• BC NDP blames Trump while axing promise that should never have been made
• CBC host afraid Canadian flag associates him with Freedom Convoy
• Word of the Week: Hijacked

BC’s safe supply is being trafficked, Alberta wants to investigate AHS, and 50,000 international students are unaccounted for. Also, the tariff threat is being used as a political wedge by the Trudeau Liberals and mainstream media.

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“There are indications here that this is a program that is exploiting the most vulnerable people in our province by enabling a system whereby people with severe addictions are being used for profit by some bad actors in pharmacies, housing and health care. And frankly, it’s disgusting.” – BC Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko on news of trafficking of BC’s ‘safe supply’ prescription drugs.

Duration: 1:04:13
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. investigating ‘significant’ prescribed opioid diversion
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• NDP demand probes into corruption claims in Alberta health contracts
• 20,000 Indian students didn’t show up to class after arriving in Canada. What happened to them?
• Trudeau and Sheinbaum Took Different Routes to a Tariff Deal
• Word of the Week: Tariff

Trudeau plans to stack the Senate before resigning, a Victoria school board is fired by the BC NDP, and Calgary reluctantly approves the UCP’s Green Line plan. Also, the final report into foreign interference is released by Justice Hogue.

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“There are legitimate concerns about parliamentarians potentially having problematic relationships with foreign officials, exercising poor judgment, behaving naively and perhaps displaying questionable ethics. But I did not see evidence of parliamentarians conspiring with foreign states against Canada. While some conduct may be concerning, I did not see evidence of ‘traitors’ in Parliament.” – Justice Marie-Josée Hogue on the contradicting information given in the final report on foreign interference in Canadian Politics.

Duration: 1:01:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Trudeau plans on stacking Senate before retiring
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• Entire Victoria School Board fired by B.C. education minister over its ban on police in schools
• Held hostage’: City council reluctantly approves province’s Green Line plan
• Trudeau Government Left Canada Vulnerable to Foreign Interference, Report Finds
• Word of the Week: Traitor