Barring an addition to 2023’s electoral calendar, the big political contest of this year will be Alberta’s provincial election.The polls are suggesting the race will be tight between Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives and Rachel Notley’s New Democrats — perhaps as tight as any election in Alberta in 30 years.Back on The Writ Podcast to set us up for the showdown is Elise von Scheel, the CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in Calgary. Also joining the show is Lisa Young, professor of political science at the University of Calgary. She is a frequent commentator on Alberta politics, a co-investigator on the Viewpoint Alberta survey and you should check out her newsletter, What Now?!?As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

The Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is an underrated role in our parliamentary system. Whoever is in it normally tries to use it as an audition for the top job — but their function is a vital one in our democracy that is often overlooked.Until today.With the political season still a little quiet, the CBC’s Aaron Wherry has joined me to play a little game: Opposition Leader Draft!We’ll dig through the history books to draft our fantasy opposition front bench — and chat a little about the importance of the opposition leader’s job.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

It’s that time of year again!Last year, Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com joined me for a little friendly competition to see who could best predict what would happen in politics in 2022.Well, the results are in — and the title is up for grabs again in 2023.So, join us for this game of over/under as we guess what will happen in federal politics next year as well as in the provincial elections scheduled in Alberta, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube.This will be the last episode of The Writ Podcast for 2022. See you next year! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

On Monday, the Liberals won the Mississauga–Lakeshore byelection, holding a seat that the Conservatives will need to win if they ever form a government.Do the results have any broader implications? And where do the federal parties sit as they end 2022 and look ahead to 2023?Plus — what to make of the Manitoba provincial byelection results in Kirkfield Park?Joining me this week to chat about it all are two former party pollsters, Dan Arnold and Andrew Enns.Dan, now chief strategy officer at Pollara, was director of research and advertising in the prime minister's office and the Liberals’ pollster during the last three federal election campaigns. Andrew is executive vice-president at Léger. He conducting polling for the Conservatives in Stephen Harper’s last three campaigns and has polled for provincial conservative parties across the country.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

It’s been three months since Pierre Poilievre won the Conservative leadership race and took over as leader of the official opposition. So, it’s about time to see how he’s doing so far.To help me do that on this week’s episode of The Writ Podcast, I’m joined again by Tim Powers of Summa Strategies and Chad Rogers of Crestview Strategy.And, to guide our performance evaluation of the new Conservative leader, we’re going to rely on the bestselling business book, The First 90 Days, by Michael D. Watkins.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube.Monday 8:30 PM ET : Mississauga–Lakeshore Byelection Results LivestreamSpecial offer: save 12% on subscriptions to The Writ if you subscribe by December 12! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

Every decade, Canada’s electoral map has to be redrawn to account for the country’s growing and moving population. The decisions made by the non-partisan commissions have big implications for our democracy — and the political futures of our MPs.So how does this process work? And how is it not working as well as it could?Joining me this week to discuss this is Michael Pal, associate professor in the faculty of law at the University of Ottawa and a recognized expert in this field.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

It’s a big week at the Rouleau inquiry looking into the use of the Emergencies Act earlier this year, with cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testifying.But has the inquiry changed any minds — and will Justice Paul Rouleau’s findings have any political consequences on the Liberals or the opposition parties?Speaking of which, one of those parties has chosen a new leader — sort of. After a brief and tumultuous interregnum, Elizabeth May is back at the helm of the Green Party (with a little help from Jonathan Pedneault).Joining me today to discuss this is the CBC’s Aaron Wherry and Supriya Dwivedi, Director of Policy and Engagement at the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, Senior Counsel for Enterprise Canada and co-host of the Seriously Podcast.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

It’s time for the second question-and-answer episode of The Writ Podcast, in which I tackle a few questions submitted by subscribers to The Writ. Here’s a sampling of some of the questions answered in this episode:* Would a change of leader boost Liberal support?* How do Pierre Poilievre’s post-leadership polling numbers compare to his predecessors?* Does the Alberta NDP have a path to government that includes seats outside of Calgary and Edmonton?* If I could cover the politics of any other country, which would it be?As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also listen to this episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

Labour tensions have been high in Ontario, after Doug Ford’s government brought in a bill that imposed a contract on education workers and banned them from going on strike, invoking the notwithstanding clause in the process. That didn’t prevent schools in much of the province from shutting down for two days and Ford subsequently backed down, promised to repeal the legislation and is back at the negotiating table.This comes only a few months since the Ontario PCs made inroads among working class voters in the June provincial election. Have those bridges with labour been burnt?To discuss the latest news from Queen’s Park, as well as what is going on with the Ontario Liberal and NDP leadership races, I’m joined today by Sabrina Nanji of Queen's Park Observer and Larry Savage, professor in the department of Labour Studies at Brock University.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this discussion on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe

In the U.S. midterms on Tuesday, the Republicans are expected to take control of the House and the Democrats have little better than even odds of holding the Senate. But with rising polarization and election denialism, there’s more at stake in Tuesday’s vote than whether the red or blue team will come out ahead.Joining me on this week’s episode of The Writ Podcast is Nathaniel Rakich, senior elections analyst at FiveThirtyEight. Nathaniel breaks down the races to watch on Tuesday and together we discuss what sets America’s elections apart from those here in Canada.As always, in addition to listening to the episode in your inbox, at TheWrit.ca or on podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, you can also watch this discussion on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thewrit.ca/subscribe