It's been not just quite a week but quite a year! To help make sense of the "year" part, we are extremely excited to welcome back to the show Political Scientist Dr Duane Bratt! Dr Bratt takes us through his top five biggest events in Alberta politics and shares what he's watching as the year turns over from 2024 to 2025! If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tyleno...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 78
Welcome to the episode where Nate gets sued for $6 Million by Sam Mraiche, who became famous for importing Vanch Masks, childrens medication's from Turkey and hosting UCP Government members in his elite skybox during hockey games! (And our regular Alberta Politics roundup) Nate takes us through the lawsuit, his response and then... (As if that wasn't enough) We take a look at border comms blunders, massive changes to homeless funding in Alberta, the latest news for the Alberta Pension Fund and t...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 77
As we head into the end of the year, we’re dropping what is likely to be one of our most controversial episodes, but it’s also potentially one of the most insightful and informative of the year as well! Because in this episode we sit down with conservative political organizer Kris Moen and new UCP member Andrea Willman, both of whom wrote policies in the hopes of seeing get debated on the floor of the recent UCP AGM! In this extended conversation we get into their thoughts on the new directions ...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 76
Time for another live Alberta Politics Roundup! Despite the fact that the end of the legislative session is over, the last week in Alberta politics has been as busy as ever! In this episode we take a look at the EMS Crisis, Rachel Notley's resignation and the building calls for Naheed Nenshi to run in a Byelection, the drama coming our of the Edmonton Police service, the rapid fire developments on border security and the latest in the Green Line debacle! Don't forget, we have merch that's availa...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 75
It's the return of our live Alberta Politics Roundup! This week we take a look at the bizarrely contradictory decision by the province to eliminate 70% of photo radar, the impact of the new impact assessment regulations for renewable energy in Alberta, Danielle Smith's roll out of the Sovereignty Act and her new border security measures and a whole lot more! Don't forget to look for our call in section later on in the week where we get into a Tylenot update and hear a heartbreaking story from on...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Season 6Ep. 74
With changes to FOIP legislation, the surprise firing of the AIMCO board, a UCP legislative agenda that’s entirely about social regression with nothing to address cost of living and a byelection looking in Lethbridge, we figured it was time to sit down for another conversation with Alberta Party leader Lindsay Amantea! Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 6Ep. 73
Albertans have been facing steadily increasing insurance costs since the UCP came to power. Recently the UCP announced that they would be moving Alberta to “no fault” insurance, but what does that mean and does it actually translate into cheaper insurance for good drivers? Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab ! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up ...
Mar 03, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 72
With so many conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation being shared both intentionally and unintentionally, how are Albertans supposed to navigate the minefield that our information ecosystem has become? In this episode we sit down with renowned expert in navigating that minefield, Timothy Caulfield to try and figure exactly that out! From his Univeristy of Alberta bio... "Timothy Caulfield is a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and Research Director o...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 71
Welcome to our new episode, a conversation with NDP MLA's Janis Irwin and Rakhi Pancholi! In this episode we get into the sweeping changes that the UCP are introducing to Alberta's political landscape, including the changes to electoral boundaries, the Freedom Of Information Act, changes to the conflict of interest act, anti trans policies and more! We also take some time to talk about what issues the NDP would like to see government pursuing instead of making government more opaque and less acc...
Mar 03, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 70
What are parental rights? With Danielle Smith and the UCP using parental rights as a justification for pushing forward policies that many legal scholars are condemning as being gross violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we wanted to get a better understanding of what "parental rights" even mean and where they start and stop. In order to do that, we're sitting down with legal scholar and award winning advoacte, Florence Ashley! Florence served as a clerk in the Supreme Court...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 6Ep. 69
Time for another Alberta politics roundup! In this episode we take a look at the onslaught of ABPoli news, including the UCP's reaction to emission reduction regulations, the introduction of halal mortagages to crown corporations, the changes to FOIP laws, the UCP adding two seats to the legislature, the redrawing of electoral maps, and a whole lot more! You can donate to skipping stone at https://www.skippingstone.ca/legalfund Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.c...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Season 6Ep. 68
Remember all that curriculum kerfuffle? Jason Kenney campaigned on running the ready to be implemented curriculum through the shredder, but what the UCP brought forward initially was the dumpster fire to end all dumpster fires. The UCP took the social studies curriculum back and rewrote it, but how does that new curriculum measure up? To find out we're super excited to welcome back to the program none other than curriculum expert, Dr. Carla Peck! Plus, we get into what Danielle Smith's new chang...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Season 6Ep. 67
With the Danielle Smith bringing forward her new Bill of Rights and her long feared anti-Trans, anti-parental choice legislation, we sat down with lawyer and legal scholar Dr. Lorian Hardcastle to get a sense of what the legal implications of this legislation is and perhaps most importantly, how can it be challenged! You can donate to skipping stone at https://www.skippingstone.ca/legalfund Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab! As always...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 40 min•Season 6Ep. 66
We're back with another Live Alberta Politics Roundup! With the confluence of Danielle Smith's leadership review, the UCP AGM and the Legislature returning to session, there's no shortage of things to talk about! We start with our regular look at the events of the week before we do a deep dive on several of the new pieces of legislation, including the Bill(s) of Rights and the three anti-trans pieces of legislation. From there we take a look at a sampling of the policies passed at the UCP AGM be...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 11 min•Season 6Ep. 64
On October 26, 2024 the new grassroots org "Alberta Resistance" held their first event and invited our host Nate Pike to close out the evening. ABR has generously provided the audio of Nate's speech to us as there have been more than a few requests by people who were unable to attend. This is not an "official" Breakdown episode, so we're presenting it as a bonus episode! To learn more about the folks at AB Resistance visit https://www.abresistance.ca Don't forget, we have merch that's available ...
Mar 03, 2025•44 min
What are all of the hidden connections in the skybox photo from the Vancouver Semi-Finals? Tonight, we finally peel back as many layers as we (legally) can and explore the vast network that ties together the infamous Tylenot debacle, the sub par Vanch masks from the beginning of he pandemic and the trails that lead into the offices of multiple ministers and even the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith's office! Strap in and take as many breaks as you need! Don't forget, we have merch that's avail...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 21 min
As Alberta continues to see Danielle Smith and the UCP put forward polices that don't appear to be based on what's best for the province but rather that cater to the extreme right wing of the UCP, many people are asking what can possibly be done... And a grassroots org called Alberta Resistance is apparently stepping forward to try and present Albertans with some options! To learn more about their efforts and their launch coming up on October 26th in Calgary, we sat down with founder Marg Toker ...
Mar 03, 2025•53 min•Season 6Ep. 62
With labour shortages plaguing healthcare and the Alberta government taking a stunningly rigid and inflexible approach to negotiations, particularly in ensuring that Alberta's healthcare workers are paid fairly, we sat down with Health Science Association President Mike Parker for a deep dive on negotiating with Smith's UCP, the dangers of uberizing health care and the lack of an evidence based approach to Alberta's health care challenges! Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 61
With the healthcare crisis only worsening, we sat down with former Alberta Medical Association Dr Paul Parks for an unleashed conversation on healthcare in Alberta! In this conversation we cover the recent healthcare announcements from the UCP claiming to address the healthcare crisis (they don't), the priorities that the UCP is choosing to pursue, the worsening crisis in Edmonton hospitals, forced treatment and the UCP's regressive trans healthcare policies! Don't forget, we have merch that's a...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 60
It's time for another Alberta Politics Roundup and FOIP reveal! We run through some of the bigger and more embarrassing moments in Alberta Politics, including the Western Standards new government funding, Vote tabulators, the marching on of the Free Alberta Strategy before we take a look at the FOIP we recieved back that again appears to prove on other lie in th ongoing skybox scandal! Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab ! As always, if...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 11 min•Season 6Ep. 59
It was another whirlwind week in Alberta Politics and we're back to try and break it all down! With the facade dropping on why healthcare workers aren't getting paid, the announcement that Danielle Smith considers the Sheriffs her own provincial police force, vote tabulators, anti-trans policies and more there's no shortage of things to talk about! Plus what's the deal with the Free Alberta Strategy? Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab ...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 58
With Danielle Smith announcing over $8 billion dollars to go towards building new public, charter and private schools, we sat down with Alberta Teachers Association Local 38 President to get her read on Smith's announcement, Smith's claims that education has only been in crisis for the last 18 months and the state of classrooms in general! Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab ! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're ...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Season 6Ep. 57
By special request! We've split off our segment from Sunday where we begin the deep dive on Danielle Smith's Skybox Scandal, starting with our recent FOIP that appears to demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that while the UCP wrote new "ethics" rules, it didn't take them long at all before they completely violated them! Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab ! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce...
Mar 03, 2025•48 min
Not only is this another Alberta politics roundup, but we're also starting to peel back the layers of the UCP Corruption onion, and it's a lot worse than you think! We start with our regular run down of the week in Alberta politics, including The Rebel's official designation as being part of the 1%, Danielle Smith's week of dogwhistles, the recent school construction announcement and a lot more! From there we get into our recent FOIP that appears to demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that wh...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 55 min•Season 6Ep. 56
Hold my hand is an advocacy organization that works to build community for families with disabled kids and also to advocate for changes to prevent those kids from falling through the cracks! In this extremely important conversation, we chat with Hold My Hand leaders about their work, the challenges faced by disabled kids and their parents, the lack of supports available and the difficulties in accessing them! *Warning - This episode includes the subjects of abuse and sexual assault. Don't forget...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 55
It seems like last week everyone was in court! The Coutts Convicts got sentenced, a former justice minister got sanction and the published of the Western Standard, Derek Fildebrandt was in court facing allegations of threatening kids with death! Plus there was the continued Green Line drama and Danielle Smith leaned heavily into xenophobic and racist dog whistles on the immigration file! Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab ! As always, ...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 47 min
Can you deal with bad faith actors in good faith? On this breakdown of Alberta Politics, we take a look at the Western Standards latest taxpayer funded funding, the seeming cronyism continues in the war room, changes to accessing education, Jennifer "Poop Cookies" Johnson's impending return to caucus and cabinet and... We do a semi deep dive on both the Green Line debacle in Calgary and Danielle Smith's broken promises to Alberta's Muslim community! Don't forget, we have merch that's available a...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Season 6Ep. 53
It's time for another Alberta Politics Roundup and this one is an absolute MONSTER! There's all kinds of news with "Take Back Alberta", Alberta is rolling out a new Bill Of Rights (of some kind?), healthcare is in crisis and so much more! Plus we break down Danielle Smith's recent exclusive town hall in Drayton Valley and we dissect the extraordinarily bad and revealing fiscal update that ended up having almost nothing to do with Alberta's projected deficit and debt and everything to do with the...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 52
We’re solving education in Alberta with ATA President Jason Schilling! (We come up with solutions at least, there's still a "political will" problem...) In this episode we get into the challenges that students and teachers are facing as they return to school, including a very intense discussion on Danielle Smith's new outing polices. Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown-ab! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying ...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 51
We're back with another live Alberta Politics Roundup! With summer ending, we've got a review of some of the biggest stories that are coming down the pipes in Alberta, including they state of education, healthcare, coal mining, the UCP's attack on charter rights and Smith's incoming attack on trans rights, access to health care and parental choice! Plus oh yeah, we get into that whole thing with Jespo... Don't forget, we have merch that's available at https://www.abpoli.ca/category/the-breakdown...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 37 min
