The Strategists

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into Alberta’s referendum campaigns, the NDP’s struggle to turn a pro-Canada message into partisan advantage, and the growing conservative pile-on against Calgary Mayor Jeremy Farkas over Stampede concert noise. Should party money ever be spent without asking people to vote for the party? Has Farkas become one of Alberta’s most effective opposition voices? And when the province decides fun is mandatory, how loud is loud enough?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

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Websites mentioned in this episode
https://coach.albertasvoice.ca
https://albertareferendumb2026.ca/
https://suddenlycanadian.ca/
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Stephen Carter and Zain Velji continue their live reaction to Carter’s appearance at The Walrus debate at the Canadian Vote Summit. As the conversation turns from democratic engagement to political reality, they unpack whether candidate debates still matter, why Question Period might be little more than political theatre, and what politicians actually learn from the process. Are democratic reforms solving real problems or chasing idealized outcomes? Is civility a moral virtue or a strategic choice? And can Stephen Carter make it through an entire democracy summit without calling someone the worst politician in Canadian history?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.
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You can also watch our episodes on YouTube.
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Stephen Carter and Zain Velji dive into Elections Alberta’s plan to recruit 60,000 workers and count 45 million ballots, and what that could mean for how referendum results are reported on election night. Could Alberta be headed for a separatist mirage where early returns tell the wrong story? Is Pierre Poilievre walking a tightrope that Stephen Harper never would have touched? And does Shannon Phillips have her flippy-floppies with her on a boat?

Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

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Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into the rapidly escalating Alberta separatism fight, the growing fractures inside the UCP, and whether Danielle Smith has finally pushed things too far. Are groups actually trying to stop separatism, or just positioning themselves to claim credit afterward? Have Alberta’s mayors become some of the most effective pro-Canada voices in the province? And why is it so hard to just get a normal Canadian flag lawn sign?
Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.

Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.
https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod

You can also watch our episodes on YouTube.
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In a moment when Prairie politics feels increasingly untethered from reality, what happens when governments start making generational decisions while chasing internal political pressure?

This week on Balance of Power, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips are joined by Saskatchewan NDP MLA Aleana Young to unpack Saskatchewan’s stunning $26 billion coal gamble, the politics driving it, and why the fight over energy policy is becoming a proxy for something much bigger across Western Canada.

First: the coal bombshell. Aleana Young walks through the leaked SaskPower documents showing the true cost of rebuilding and operating Saskatchewan’s coal plants, why the government’s numbers kept changing, and how a plan sold as affordability could end up doubling power bills.

Then: governing for the base. From separatism to immigration rhetoric to attacks on institutions, the panel digs into what happens when premiers stop trying to persuade the broader public and start managing internal party pressure instead.

Plus, for Patreon Subscribers: Danielle Smith’s looming referendum speech. What arguments will she make, who will she blame, and how do governments chip away at trust in courts, institutions, and democratic norms while claiming to defend democracy itself?

Coal, courts, separatism, healthcare collapse, Prairie politics, and the risks of governments that seem increasingly adrift.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

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