The Writ

With an election only a few months away, this week’s Alberta budget can’t be anything but an election budget. Will Premier Danielle Smith’s plan for the province help her win in May, or does it provide an opening for Rachel Notley and her New Democrats?To break down what the budget means for Alberta and the election, I’m joined this week by Elise von Scheel, the CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in Calgary, and Trevor Tombe, professor of economics at the University of Calgary.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 polls haven’t been in agreement lately, so where do things really stand?What role does health care play in public opinion and politics — both at the federal and provincial levels?How are things looking ahead of Alberta’s provincial election, and what about those reports about Chinese interference in the 2021 federal vote?Joining me to tackle all of these questions are three party pollsters, Dan Arnold, Andrew Enns and James Valcke.Dan, 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 conducted polling for the Conservatives in Stephen Harper’s last three campaigns and has polled for provincial conservative parties across Canada.James is director of research and strategy at Viewpoints Research, which has polled for the NDP in elections across the country. He has worked on various central campaigns, including the NDP's breakthrough 2011 election.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

From billions of dollars in new healthcare spending to what seems like an endless stream of Chinese balloons and/or extraterrestrial incursions into Canadian airspace, there’s plenty of news to discuss in federal politics.Plus, there’s that bombshell resignation of John Tory in Toronto.So, joining me to chat about it all this week is the CBC’s Aaron Wherry and Shannon Proudfoot of The Globe and Mail.(My apologies for the poorer audio quality than usual in this episode.)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 Ontario Liberals are looking for a new leader. Four potential candidates from within their provincial and federal ranks have expressed an interest.Also thinking about it? Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario.That’s because a group of Ontario Liberals think they’d be better off with Schreiner and have said so in a public letter. It’s a bizarre and unprecedented move for some from a party that governed as recently as 2018 to see a saviour in the leader of a party who has never won more than a single seat.It’s not the only bit of news coming out of Queen’s Park, as the Ontario New Democrats have named their new leader in Marit Stiles and Premier Doug Ford is considering his response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s offer of new healthcare funding.There’s lots to chat about in Ontario politics, so joining me this week on The Writ Podcast is Sabrina Nanji of Queen’s Park Observer and John Michael McGrath, writer at TVO.org and co-host of the ONpoli podcast with Steve Paikin.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 results are in — and they’re surprising.Polling conducted by Pollara and covered at The Writ over the last two weeks showed who Canadians think was the greatest prime minister and opposition leader in our history. But the results didn’t line up with the usual rankings made by historians and political scientists. What does that say about how Canadians remember their own history?I’m joined this week on The Writ Podcast by Dan Arnold, chief strategy officer at Pollara, and Stephen Azzi, professor at the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton 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 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

Since Pierre Poilievre became the leader of the Conservative Party last September, his appearances in English-language media have been relatively infrequent and very targeted. But in Quebec, Poilievre has been much more present as he tries to get better known, and better liked, in the province.So what are the challenges Poilievre and the Conservatives face in Quebec — and what are their realistic prospects?To discuss Pierre Poilievre’s attempt at a grande séduction of Quebec, I’m joined this week by Marie Vastel of Le Devoir, and our friend Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.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

While it might not have the drama and potential national repercussions of Alberta’s election in May, Manitoba’s provincial election in October could prove to be 2023’s big shift.The Progressive Conservatives have governed the province since 2016 and were re-elected under Brian Pallister in 2019. But the PCs have been trailing in the polls for years. A change at the top in late 2021, when Heather Stefanson was named as Pallister’s replacement, hasn’t changed things.That makes this year’s election Wab Kinew and the NDP’s to lose.Joining me this week to discuss Manitoba’s election year is Curtis Brown, principal at Probe Research, and Ian Froese, the CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in Winnipeg.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

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