Balance of Power Podcast

Real frustrations. Real experiences. A powerful narrative. Frédérique Chabot explains the “betrayed woman” — and why she could have been a target herself. Watch The Abortion Fight Has Changed: youtube.com/@BalanceofPowerPod Or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

What do political ambush videos actually reveal? Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward break down Alberta’s latest gotcha moments, what politicians reach for under pressure, and why the person asking the question is rarely the real audience. https://youtu.be/g8QXpz9DIls #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips break down Jeromy Farkas’s feud with Danielle Smith, Pierre Poilievre and Cowboys, and how he turned the “fun police” attack back on them. Watch:

Shannon Phillips went to Greece for a creative salon with Ani DiFranco, Neko Case, Anaïs Mitchell and Ann Powers, and came home thinking differently about art, fear, politics and community. Plus: what creativity can do when politics becomes exhausting.

Can governments protect young people online without cutting them off from connection? Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward break down the new Online Harms Act, plus Alberta’s 45-million-ballot referendum headache.

Why do grievance movements often seem more optimistic than the people opposing them? Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward discuss positive versus negative campaigning, political persuasion, and why facts alone don't always win arguments. Full episode available now. https://youtu.be/gSdyVhpxDhg

What happens when politics collides with reality? This week, Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward discuss burnout, political exhaustion, attention scarcity, and what happens when grievance politics finally encounters a price tag. Watch now:

The Sask Party’s argument against relying on Alberta natural gas is apparently: “Look how Europe relying on Russian gas turned out.” Yes, really. 👇

How does a $900M government project turn into a $26 BILLION catastrophe? 📉 Double the bills, zero transparency. SaskPower Critic Aleana Young walks us through the escalating math that left the Premier completely speechless. 🍺 Hold my beer, indeed. Full episode: https://network.thestrategists.ca

Saskatchewan NDP MLA Aleana Young joins Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips to break down the SaskPower coal bombshell, the staggering $26 billion price tag, Prairie separatism politics, and governments increasingly governed by their own base.

New episode: A Polluted Process. Shannon and Annalise dig into Alberta’s voters list leak, the cease and desist letters, the separatist petition, and why a referendum process built on compromised data may already be tainted. Watch:

When trust in democracy is already thin, voter data suddenly becomes very personal. This week on Balance of Power: the Elections Alberta investigation, sports as a surprising politics of belonging, and why a playoff crowd might say more about unity than another speech.

Are we solving the wrong problem? From permanent daylight saving to fertility costs to Alberta Next, decisions aren’t lining up with reality. Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward break down what’s being missed, and why it matters.

A bad week or the start of something worse? We break down what happens when a party starts to wobble. Stopping the bleed, resetting the message, and what the long game actually looks like. Plus: why libraries are suddenly political.

Does anything matter in politics anymore? If caucus doesn’t matter, if accountability doesn’t matter… what’s left?

Does anything matter anymore? We get into floor crossing, political values, and how decisions actually get made. Plus housing, outer space, and more. New episode:

Carla Beck joins Balance of Power this Wednesday! Don't miss it. Available wherever you get podcasts.

Governments keep getting this wrong. Puberty is irreversible. So why are we treating it like the safer option?

Are these policies about rights or strategy? We break down the politics of “parental rights,” the shift from clinical care to political conflict, and what happens when the courts aren’t enough. Watch now:

Governments don’t just announce decisions, they shape the story first. We break down why leaks to columnists happen, what they achieve, and how it changes the narrative. Plus: the real fight over carbon pricing. Watch:

Public pressure forced a shift. MLA Claudia Chender explains how protests and opposition pushback led Nova Scotia’s government to walk back parts of its budget plan.

Three stories this week on Balance of Power: • How leadership campaigns win once voting starts • Nova Scotia politics with MLA Claudia Chender • The hidden cost of maintaining a political image Watch:

Temporary foreign workers pay into EI. Many never receive a dollar from it. If injured or too sick to work, they’re often sent home. They pay taxes into healthcare and education while their families aren’t even in Canada. So who’s subsidizing whom? Dr. Bragg explains:

Alberta’s immigration referendum questions sound simple. They’re not. Dr. Bronwyn Bragg explains the narrative they create.

This referendum question has a problem.

Welcome to Balance of Power A fresh lens on the forces shaping Canada’s future This week: • Alberta’s immigration referendum • The economics of immigration and the labour market • Why facts often lose to political narratives • Guest: Dr. Bronwyn Bragg ▶ Watch now:

Welcome to Balance of Power A fresh lens on the forces shaping Canada’s future This week: • AI regulation after the Tumbler Ridge tragedy • Alberta’s referendum organizing war • Is Nenshi facing a real caucus problem? 🎧 Listen now:

TV Dad vs YouTube Bro. Are we misreading the political moment? This week on Balance of Power: Alberta separatists meeting U.S. officials, immigration and the politics of “out of control,” the Gen Z narrative, and Poilievre’s rough week. Listen now: balanceofpowerpod.ca

If this is a turning point, why isn’t business turning up?

Welcome to Balance of Power A fresh lens on the forces shaping Canada's future In our debut: • Is Alberta separation gaining ground? • What does volunteer burnout mean for local democracy? • Are billions in auto subsidies coming with any strings attached? 🎧 Listen now: