The Strategists

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into Alberta’s referendum fight and the political chaos engulfing British Columbia. Is Danielle Smith trying to use the nine referendum questions to contain separatism, or simply keep it alive? Should David Eby call an early election while the BC Conservatives are in free fall, or would that risk repeating Jim Prentice’s biggest mistake? And is the most complicated part of Alberta politics now just figuring out which Strategists live show you bought tickets for?

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

The Strategists Live!:
Edmonton - October 13: https://strategistliveshow.ca/calgary
Calgary - October 27: https://strategistliveshow.ca/edmonton

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

You can also watch our episodes on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Phillips and Conspiracy Zain dive into the Alberta NDP’s surprise Calgary-Shaw victory, what it says about the UCP’s vulnerability in Calgary, and whether the result changes the political calculus heading into the referendum. Is there really no such thing as a safe Conservative seat in Calgary anymore? Does this win give Naheed Nenshi a new opening, or just tempt the NDP to learn the wrong lessons? And is Conspiracy Zain onto something about what the UCP might do next, or has the tinfoil hat fully cut off the circulation?

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

Join us live in Edmonton and Calgary:
https://strategistsliveshow.ca/calgary (Edmonton Tickets)
https://strategistsliveshow.ca/edmonton (Calgary Tickets)

Read Forward Weekly:
https://forwardweekly.ca

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.
https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down Alberta’s new $4 million referendum advertising campaign, what the government’s creative says about its polling, and whether a massive spending advantage can actually overcome a muddled message. Does the government’s softer language on immigration reveal a strategic vulnerability? Can the opposition turn a David-versus-Goliath funding gap into an advantage? And has the live-show ticketing system become too confusing even for the people who created it?

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

The Strategists Live:
Edmonton — October 13, 2026
strategistsliveshow.ca/calgary

Calgary — October 27, 2026
strategistsliveshow.ca/edmonton

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.
https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward dive into Elections Alberta’s referendum headaches, the growing pressure around the province’s special-ballot process, and whether the agency is actually resourced to pull off one of the biggest votes in Canadian history. Is Elections Alberta undermining confidence in the referendum by mishandling basic details? At what point does an election agency have to pull the fire alarm and say it cannot guarantee the process without more resources? And has Shannon finally found the one thing more frustrating than Alberta politics: her printer?

Annalise Klingbeil, 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.
https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips rank the people, politicians, and campaigners on Alberta’s stay-in-Canada side. Who is actually moving votes? Are the BC Conservatives about to split themselves into two parties? And has Carter replaced AFL tipping with referendum power rankings?

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.
https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod

LIVE SHOWS: October 13 in Edmonton at the Horowitz Events Centre, and October 27 in Calgary at the Bella Concert Hall. One before the referendum. One after. Tickets coming soon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.