The Writ

The merger of the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party was supposed to end the split of the right in Alberta’s politics. But while the United Conservative Party has successfully prevented another right-of-centre party from rising to prominence in the province, it hasn’t stopped divisions forming within its own organization.Joining me this week on the podcast is the CBC’s Jason Markusoff, who has looked into the rise of the Take Back Alberta group that has tried to influence the direction of the UCP from the inside.What does this mean for the future of the United Conservatives — and for Danielle Smith, win or lose in Alberta’s election on May 29?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 first week of the Alberta election campaign is nearly over — and it’s been off to a slow start. So, who is coming out ahead in the early going and just how engaged are voters in this tight contest?To break down Week 1, I’m joined by Elise von Scheel, the CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in Calgary, and Lisa Young, professor of political science at the University of Calgary and author of the What Now?!? newsletter.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

With just days to go before the starting pistol goes off on Alberta’s campaign, I’m joined this week by Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com to break down where things stand in this hotly-contested election.We also chat about some other recent news, including François Legault’s decision to go back on his promise of a third link between Quebec City and Lévis for motorists, the results of the New Brunswick byelections, the re-branding of the B.C. Liberals and is it majority or bust for Pierre Poilievre?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

Did you know that Toronto is a big city? It’s true! If it were a province, it would rank fifth on the list. More people live in Toronto than in all of Atlantic Canada or in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.And on June 26, Torontonians will be going to the polls in the biggest byelection in Canadian history.Voters will have lots of options for John Tory’s replacement, as there are dozens of candidates on the ballot. The list of real contenders is shorter — but still really long.To weed out the pretenders from the contenders, I’m joined this week by Matt Elliott, a contributing columnist to the Toronto Star and publisher of the City Hall Watcher newsletter.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 10 years since Justin Trudeau became leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.That not only makes him one of today’s longest-serving party leaders in the country, it also puts him on a short list of historic Liberal leaders: only Lester Pearson, Jean Chrétien, Pierre Trudeau, Mackenzie King and Wilfrid Laurier have held the job longer than Justin Trudeau has.He says he will lead the Liberals into the next election, but a decade is already more than enough time to leave a mark. To discuss Trudeau’s legacy to date, I’m joined this week by the CBC’s Aaron Wherry, who wrote a book on the first years of Trudeau’s time in office, and Susan Delacourt of the Toronto Star.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

What should we make of the recommendation from Elections Ontario to ban the publication of polls in the last two weeks of an election campaign?And the Prince Edward Island election earlier this week has got me thinking about the links between provincial and federal politics. How do voters separate, if it all, their partisan attachment to parties at the two levels of government?The party pollsters are back to discuss.Dan Arnold, 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 Enns 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 Valcke 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

Dennis King’s Progressive Conservatives kicked off the Prince Edward Island election campaign with a big lead in the polls, seemingly leaving the only real battle to be between Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens and Sharon Cameron’s Liberals for official opposition status.But are King’s PCs still on track for a big majority win, maybe even a sweep? Or did any of the campaign’s controversies or this past week’s leaders debate change the dial?Back to wrap this campaign is Stuart Neatby, political reporter for the Charlottetown Guardian and the Saltwire Network.My livestream of the results will be starting on Monday at 6 PM Eastern / 7 PM Atlantic. You will find it here.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

Will Joe Biden’s visit to Ottawa this week be his last as U.S. president?With the 2024 election looming, it is still an open question whether or not Biden will run again as the Democratic nominee. If he does, who will be his opponent? And, if it is Donald Trump again, can he beat him a second time?Those are questions for the future. For now, the focus will be on the state of U.S.-Canada relations, and what might come out of Biden’s visit.To tackle both where things stand now and where they could stand next year, I’m joined this week by Alex Panetta, Washington, D.C. correspondent for the CBC.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

Has the Chinese election interference moved the dial in the polls? And what are each party’s incentives (or disincentives) in forcing an election this spring?What about where things stand ahead of the upcoming Alberta election or in the midst of Prince Edward Island’s campaign? And what to make of an upset in a Quebec byelection this week?Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com (and L’actualité and POLITICO Canada) is back on the podcast this week to chat with me about all this and everything in between.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

Canada’s smallest province wasn’t supposed to hold its next election until the fall, but earlier this week Premier Dennis King pulled the plug on his government and set April 3 as the date for Prince Edward Island’s provincial election.There’s plenty to watch as this campaign unfolds. Will King’s gamble pay off for his Progressive Conservatives? Can the Greens repeat their breakthrough from 2019 that catapulted them to official opposition status for the first time anywhere in Canada? And will the Liberal brand take another hit if the party finishes in third place again?Joining me this week to setup this campaign are Teresa Wright, freelance political journalist and former national reporter with the Canadian Press and Global News, and Stuart Neatby, political reporter for the Charlottetown Guardian and the Saltwire Network.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