The Breakdown

Episode 6.38 - Get on th omnibus with Dr Duane Bratt (@duanebratt)!

To call the last Alberta legislative session a whirlwind is certainly an understatement! Where the Kenney government introduced single bills that were full of changes, making it hard for Albertans to follow, the Smith administration has instead just turned on a firehose of bills... Making it hard for Albertans to follow. So to try and make sense of all of the legal changes the UCP made in the last few months, we sat down with political scientist Dr. Duane Bratt in an episode that you don't want to miss! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a spring lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we’re trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at [email protected]! If you’re listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Episode 6.37 - The BC Humanist Association and Government Neutrality

In case Alberta politics isn't a hot enough topic, we're spending this episode on the intersection of religion and the machinery of public governance! In 2015 the Supreme Court of Canada decided in the Saturday Decision that prayer at municipal governments violates the states duty to neutrality, but is that decision being followed? To take this on, we sit down with Ian Bushfiled, the executive director of the BC Humanist Association and one of their main researchers Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff to talk about their efforts to document the overlap of religion and particularly prayer in government and their campaigns to ensure that the machinery of government remains neutral when it comes to matters of faith. And what does Sea Cucumber crime have to do with all of this? Some links compliments of the BC Humanist Association... Alberta Report: https://www.bchumanist.ca/last_municipality_standing Ontario Report: https://www.bchumanist.ca/open_for_unconstitutional_business Manitoba Report: https://www.bchumanist.ca/in_open_defiance First BC Report: https://www.bchumanist.ca/municipal_prayer?utm_campaign=muni_prayer_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=bchumanist Second BC Report: https://www.bchumanist.ca/we_yelled_at_them_until_they_stopped Legislative prayer across Canada report: https://www.bchumanist.ca/prayer-across-canada Our analysis of change in prayer in the BC Legislature: https://utpdistribution.com/9780776637891/legislatures-in-evolution-les-legislatures-en-transformation/ A shorter analysis looking at prayer in the BC Legislature: http://www.revparlcan.ca/en/thoughts-on-prayers-an-analysis-of-prayers-in-the-legislative-assembly-of-british-columbia-2003-2019/ Our first study of prayer in the BC Legislature: https://www.bchumanist.ca/house_of_prayers_report Our paper exploring how inclusive prayers are impossible and the state cannot possible adjudicate these issues: https://secularismandnonreligion.org/articles/10.5334/snr.140/?fbclid=IwAR2XO7BvxOLBM7_C-H

New episode! What is the Heritage Savings Trust Fund? Why does Danielle Smith simultaneously believe that it needs to be protected AND used to protect corporate bottom lines? And what does all of this have to do with her proposed Alberta Pension Plan? #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

New episode! And we kick it off with a case study on none other than David Staples and his recent anti-trans posts promoting an American far right religious astroturf group! #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

June 16th, 2024 Alberta Politics Roundup!

June 16th, 2024 Alberta Politics Roundup! This'll go long...

If there's 3 minutes of Alberta Politics you should watch today, this is it. Shannon Phillips delivered an unflinching summary of the state of Alberta Politics that every Albertan should hear. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Can we talk about the Australian billionaire who wants to exploit Grassy Mountain mining coal? Because it seems her company has a history of exploitation and contempt for indigenous people in a very genocidey kind of way... #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

June 9th, 2024 Alberta Politics Roundup!

June 9th, 2024 Alberta Politics Roundup! This'll go long...

NDP Leadership Candidate Marathon!

With ballots being mailed out and recieved for the NDP Leadership Race, we're putting on a special marathon of all of our interviews with the remaining NDP Leadership candidates! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a spring lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we’re trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab. If you’re listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Episode 6.34 - "Kenneyism" with @JeremyAppel1025

With the Western Standard episode out of the way, we’re back with a conversation with Jeremy Appel to talk about his book "Kenneyism"! In this chat we get into why Jeremy wrote the book, we unpack the mind of Kenney a bit and we talk about the future of Alberta politics with a contrast between Smith and Kenney! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a spring lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we’re trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab. If you’re listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

The Western Standrad wants their audience to believe that they don't accept any govt funding. So what's up with the sole sourced contract they got from Smith's govt? On our new episode we take a look at that contract & how they get even more taxpayer money! #abpoli #cdnpoli

Episode 6.33 - The Western (Lowered) Standard

Western (Lowered) Standard In 2019, Derek Fildebrandt revived Ezra Levant's former publication th Western Standard and set about building a media empire out of Western Canada that was predicated on (among other things) not accepting any government funding. But can they really say that they don't accept any government funding and that they don't get taxpayer money? Over that last 6 months we've completed a series of FOIP's that show that The Western Standard has indeed been getting taxpayer funds. Not only has the government of Alberta been paying the Western Standard for their content and for subscriptions, but they've also been directing taxpayer dollars to the Western Standard for Advertising as well! Which is all pretty "conflict-of-interesty" given the fact that the WS was the previous media home of Danielle Smith and two of her highest ranking officials! We unpack all of that an more in this episode! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a spring lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we’re trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab. If you’re listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

By request... Here's our host, @natepike's full speech from today's province wide #EnoughisenoughUCP protests. Are you angry? #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

By request... Here's our host, @natepike's full speech from today's province wide #EnoughisenoughUCP protests. Are you angry? #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Since “senator elect” Erika (who’s also a former Smith staffer) wants more people to see her take on Pride… We present… “Wherein Erika claims she gets to define what Pride is, blames Pride organizers for not advocating properly with the UCP & McIvers the math on the groups.” (Also #Yeg Pride Corner is on the list) #abpoli

Smith has put in more effort than expected distancing herself from the #YYC Lougheed COVID Noncologist convention. But today, she walked all of that back before validating, endorsed and legitimizing the event. (It's not legitimate) Guess her masters called? #abpoli #cdnpoli

Episode 6.32 - Alberta Party Leader Lindsay Amantea! (@lindsayamantea, @albertaparty)

It's time for a conversation with new Alberta Party leader, Lindsay Amantea! With more than a few pundits and political scientists making it clear that they believe Alberta is now inexorably a two party state, you have to wonder why the Alberta Party and it's leader believe that they have a place in the political conversation, and we pose exactly that question (and a whole lot more) in this upbeat and humorous conversation! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a spring lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we’re trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab. If you’re listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Is Danielle Smith making Alberta more authoritarian? If there's two minutes from our new episode with political scientist Dr. Lisa Young that you should watch and make sure others watch, it's these two minutes right here. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Episode 6.31 - Bills 18 & 20 with Dr. Lisa Young!

Welcome to Episode 6.31, an in depth deep dive on Bills 18 & 20 with Political Scientist Dr. Lisa Young! In this conversation that is quite the ride, we hear from Dr. Young on what Bills 18 & 20 do and also what the implications are for the province of Alberta in both the short term and the long term, including an important call to action! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a spring lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we’re trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab. If you’re listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Today Smith was asked about her blatant lies about AESO asking for the renewables pause... Her response? "Ok, look, maybe it wasn't AESO, but this one time I did a tour & asked 5 technicians if the power grid would work better if it was more stable & they all nodded" #abpoli