Balance of Power

Can you lose five referendum questions and still declare victory?In this special live Balance of Power crossover with The Strategists, recorded in Calgary, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips join Stephen Carter and Zain Velji to unpack the aftermath of Alberta's referendum, the successes and failures of the No to the Nine campaign, and what the results mean for Danielle Smith's political future.First: the referendum results. Who emerged as the real winners and losers, did the No to the Nine campaign accomplish what it set out to do, and how much political damage did the vote actually inflict on the government?Then: Danielle Smith's next move. With the referendum behind her, can the premier successfully change the channel, and what do the results mean for her government's political agenda?And finally: the political lessons. What did the campaigns get right and wrong, what should Alberta's political parties take away from the results, and can Stephen Carter make a convincing case that losing five questions still counts as a win?Referendum results, campaign strategy, political winners and losers, Danielle Smith's next move, and the art of winning by losing.Welcome to Balance of Power.Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended episodes and ad-free listening:https://www.patreon.com/strategistspodHave a comment or idea? Email us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when Alberta separatists take their campaign south of the border and start fighting with each other along the way?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips look at the Globe and Mail’s reporting on Alberta separatists, Republican operatives, and efforts to win support in Washington.First: the separatist movement. What does the infighting tell us about the people behind the campaign, how much does foreign attention matter, and why is the bigger problem less about campaign technology than who has access to Alberta’s voter data?Then: the referendum. With less than two weeks to go, Annalise and Shannon look at whether “No to the Nine” has broken through, how advance voting changes the final stretch, and what the campaigns still need to do before Albertans cast their ballots.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: British Columbia’s election campaign. Shannon breaks down the NDP’s decision to raise taxes on high-income earners, the political risk of confirming voters’ fears about New Democrats, and whether a populist economic pitch can actually work.And Finally: Quebec. A new sovereigntist government puts national unity back at the centre of the conversation, with big implications for immigration, healthcare, and Alberta.Separatists, foreign influence, referendum strategy, BC taxes, Quebec sovereignty, and what happens when the girls start fighting.Welcome to Balance of Power.Mentioned in this episode:2025 National Security Strategy — White Househttps://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdfGet tickets to The Strategists Live:Edmonton - October 13 at the Horowitz TheatreCalgary - October 27 at the Bella Concert Hallhttps://strategistsliveshow.caHave a comment or idea? Email us at [email protected] the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended episodes and ad-free listening:https://www.patreon.com/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada has some of the strongest legal protections for abortion in the world. So why do reproductive-rights advocates say the fight is changing rather than ending?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil sits down with Frédérique Chabot, executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, to talk about where the abortion fight is happening now.First: abortion may be legal in Canada, but access is shaped by geography, the health-care system and provincial policy. Fred explains why her organization is also watching the politics of trans rights and gender-affirming care — and the political strategies that can move from one issue to another.Then: the fight moves online. Fred breaks down what she calls the “betrayed woman” narrative: messaging that draws on real frustrations with women’s health care to encourage women to reject hormonal contraception. They talk about influencers, algorithms, misinformation and why the digital information environment has become a new front in reproductive health.Finally: where does a national reproductive-rights organization focus when health care is largely delivered by the provinces? Fred talks about connecting the dots between local fights and national trends, the future of public health care, and what Action Canada is watching across the country.Abortion access, gender-affirming care, contraception, misinformation and the changing politics of reproductive rights.Welcome to Balance of Power.Have a comment or idea? Email us at [email protected] the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended episodes and ad-free listening:patreon.com/strategistspodGuest:Frédérique Chabot — Executive Director, Action Canada for Sexual Health and RightsAction Canada for Sexual Health and RightsGet your tickets for The Strategists Live!:strategistliveshow.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a government calls a snap election two years early — and the opposition is still trying to figure out who it is?This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward are joined by Nikki Hill, co-host of the Left East to West podcast, to break down David Eby’s surprise election call, the collapse and reconstruction of the B.C. Conservatives, and why British Columbians are heading back to the polls on October 24.First: how did we get here? From the razor-thin 2024 result and the folding of B.C. United, to repeated Conservative leadership turmoil and a caucus that has struggled to hold itself together, Nikki walks through the political chain reaction that brought B.C. to another election.Then: why now? The panel looks at Eby’s argument for a fresh mandate amid a one-seat majority, the trade war, forestry, major projects, housing, healthcare and affordability — and whether voters will see the election as necessary or simply opportunistic.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: what does a truly snap election look like on the ground? Candidate recruitment, campaign managers, swing seats, resource triage, municipal-election overlap, and what organizers actually do when they suddenly have just over a month to build a campaign.A snap election, a fractured right, a one-seat majority, and 32 days to figure out what comes next.Welcome to Balance of Power.Have a comment or idea? Email us at [email protected] the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended episodes and ad-free listening:https://www.patreon.com/strategistspodGuest:Nikki Hill — co-host of Left East to Westhttps://www.youtube.com/@LeftEasttoWesthttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/left-east-to-west/id1870368396Get your tickets for The Strategists Live!:Edmonton - October 13: https://strategistliveshow.ca/calgaryCalgary - October 27: https://strategistliveshow.ca/edmonton(yes you read those links correctly) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a seat everyone assumed was safely Conservative suddenly flips?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips break down the Calgary-Shaw by-election upset, what actually drove the result, and why everyone seems to be taking a different lesson from the same vote.First: the shock. The NDP wins a seat it had no business winning based on recent history, without an obvious right-wing vote split. Was it candidate quality, ground game, referendum anger, dissatisfaction with the UCP, or some combination of all of it?Then: what the result means for Calgary politics. The panel looks at Kyle Campbell’s appeal, the role of healthcare, schools and affordability, whether the referendum actually moved votes, and why “no safe Conservative seats in Calgary” is suddenly a much more credible political message.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: the campaign mechanics behind the result. Why advance voting is changing how campaigns organize, how parties pull identified supporters to the polls early, and whether the UCP simply got out-organized on the ground.Calgary-Shaw, candidate recruitment, referendum politics, Nenshi momentum, ground game, and what happens when a supposedly safe seat stops looking safe.Welcome to Balance of Power.Have a comment or idea? Email us at [email protected] the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended episodes and ad-free listening:https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.