The Strategists

Stephen Carter, Zain Velji
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  • POLITICS
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Professional unprofessional strategists Stephen Carter, Zain Velji, and Shannon Phillips break down the news of the day. Not just what’s happening, but how it’s being played. Policy is one thing. Politics is another. The show dissects the strategy behind the headlines: what governments are doing, why it matters, and the political incentives driving every move. They don't tell you what to think. They make you harder to spin. Originally hosted with Corey Hogan (now inside the machine), The Strategists now anchors a growing podcast network: •⁠ ⁠The Strategists — weekly strategy, sharp takes, and questionable professionalism •⁠ ⁠Ministry of Podcasts — Corey Hogan reports from inside Parliament •⁠ ⁠Balance of Power — Annalise Klingbeil, Shannon Phillips, and Leah Ward bring a distinct lens to power and politics Described as “shockingly insightful” and “sports talk radio for politics.” Not sponsored by Flair Airlines. Get bonus episodes and more at strategistspatreon.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Balance of Power: A Polluted Process

    11 HR AGO

    Balance of Power: A Polluted Process

    In a week where Alberta politics somehow got even messier, what happens when the process itself becomes the problem? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips dig into the escalating fallout from the alleged misuse of Alberta’s voters list, the separatist petition, and why a data leak involving nearly three million Albertans is about much more than privacy. First: the list. Elections Alberta has sent hundreds of cease and desist letters, political names are being searched, and people with real safety concerns are left wondering who has their information and what they might do with it. Then: the referendum question. If the petition process was built on allegedly unlawful access to voter data, can any referendum that follows be trusted? And who needs to step up to restore confidence before Albertans are asked to vote? Plus: blame, agency, and the politics of “not my fault.” From Danielle Smith’s response to Arlene Dickinson’s viral post, Annalise and Shannon look at how responsibility gets shifted, how stories break through, and what ordinary Albertans can actually do next. Voters lists, cease and desist letters, separatists, public trust, and what it means when the democratic process gets polluted. Welcome to Balance of Power. Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord: https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod Mentioned in this episode: Arlene Dickinson's Instagram Carousel https://www.instagram.com/p/DYAgKmqEpo0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    Episode 4028: List Price

    Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips talk about the Alberta Liberal Party rejecting Carter’s referendum campaign plan, and what that means for the fight against Alberta’s separatist and immigration questions. They also dig into the alleged leak and misuse of Alberta’s electors list, why voter data is so valuable, and why the story is about much more than a spreadsheet. What happens when a clever political workaround runs into a wall? How serious is it when the machinery of campaigns gets handed to people who were never supposed to have it? And can Zain get enough protein before Christ returns at the Edmonton live show? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Get your Live Show tickets at: http://www.strategistslive.com/ 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.

    1hr 4min

  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    Strategists Live! Edmonton May 9: No Hockey, No Excuses

    The Strategists are live in Edmonton on Saturday, May 9, and this is your reminder to get tickets before they’re gone. Stephen Carter, Zain Velji, and Shannon Phillips will be at St. Andrews United Church for a two-act podcasting extravaganza. Act One: The Strategists Live, with no special guests because apparently we like Calgary better. Act Two: the accountability episode for Stephen Carter and Better Edmonton. Doors open at 7:00 Get your tickets at strategistslive.com, strategistslive.ca, or thestrategistslive.com. And if you need to book a flight, why not use thestrategistslive.ca to book through our non-consensual partner, Flair Airlines. It’s not like you have playoff hockey to watch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
  4. Balance of Power: Gay Enough?

    1 MAY

    Balance of Power: Gay Enough?

    In a moment when trust in democracy feels fragile, what happens when the basic machinery of politics becomes the story? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips dig into the Elections Alberta investigation, the alleged misuse of the list of electors, and why a story about voter data is not just procedural, but deeply personal. First: the list. Who is supposed to have access to voter information, what is it meant to be used for, and why does alleged misuse by separatist organizers raise such serious questions about privacy, safety, and democratic trust? Then: sport as politics. The federal government is making a major investment in sport, but the conversation quickly turns to something bigger: community, belonging, national identity, and why a playoff crowd might tell us more about unity than another press conference. Plus, for Patreon subscribers: the Alberta NDP’s difficult moment. New polling shows the UCP still riding high and Naheed Nenshi struggling to break through. Is this a leadership problem, a message problem, a Calgary problem, or just the brutal work of opposition in a fractured media environment? Privacy, trust, sports, sovereignty, polling, and what it takes to rebuild political attention when everyone is looking somewhere else. Welcome to Balance of Power. Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord: https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod Mentioned in this episode: Alberta Referendumb https://albertareferendumb2026.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
  5. Ministry of Podcasts: Episode 6

    29 APR

    Ministry of Podcasts: Episode 6

    Be it resolved that the Minister of Podcasts, Stephen Carter, together with the Chair of Oral Questions, Zain Velji, do hereby call this sitting of The Ministry of Podcasts to order, despite the late hour, the early votes, and the growing evidence that Corey Hogan now lives primarily in committee rooms. Be it further resolved that The Strategists Podcast shall be granted the honour of first money in on the Canada Strong Fund, Be it further further resolved that the House shall receive first-year reflections from the duly elected Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation, Corey Hogan, on matters including but not limited to: What it feels like to realize you are now one of 343 people helping make laws for the country, The personal cost of the job: missed dinners, Ottawa apartments, FaceTime goodnights, and friendships managed mostly by text, And what happens when you stop watching politics from the outside and realize you are now inside the machine, responsible for steering it. Therefore be it finally resolved that this episode shall be entered into the record as both parliamentary testimony and a caution that governing the country is much harder than yelling about it from the outside. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

  6. 28 APR

    Episode 4027: Normie Goes National

    Stephen Carter, Shannon Phillips, and Producer Haxim talk about what happens when a weekend joke turns into a national political story. After Producer Haxim launches his satirical Alberta referendum site and “becomes a podcaster,” the crew breaks down why the government’s referendum campaign feels more like a persuasion machine than public education. They also dig into Carter’s Alberta Liberal Party referendum plan, and whether the rules were quietly changed to shut it down. Shannon Phillips discusses her article for Forward Weekly on how the Alberta NDP lost its advantage and how it might win it back. Is Alberta’s referendum fight really about the questions on the ballot? Can a political party raise money around an idea instead of a candidate? And how many headlines before Haxim starts asking for his own comms team? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Get your tickets for the May 9th live show at https://strategistslive.ca/ Mentioned in this episode: Producer Haxim's Referendumb Site https://albertareferendumb2026.ca Shannon's Forward Weekly Article https://archive.forwardweekly.ca/?issue=05 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.

    58 min

  7. 22 APR

    Balance of Power: Solving the Wrong Problem

    If the problems keep getting worse, are we even solving the right one? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward take on a set of decisions that feel increasingly out of step with how people actually live. From time changes to family planning to public consultation, they walk through what happens when policy targets miss the mark. First: daylight saving time. Alberta is moving toward making it permanent—but what does that actually mean for winter mornings, daily routines, and how people function? Is this about convenience, or are we ignoring what the research says? Then: fertility in Alberta. A new report lays out the cost, access, and emotional toll of treatment, raising bigger questions about population growth, affordability, and what actually drives people’s decisions to have kids. And finally: the Alberta Next survey. After a long fight to release the data, what do the responses actually show? And what’s the point of consultation if the outcome is already decided? Policy, incentives, and what happens when we keep solving the wrong problem. Welcome to Balance of Power. Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord: https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  8. 20 APR

    Episode 4026: Who’s Stepping Up?

    Stephen Carter and Zain Velji try to figure out who is actually going to do something as Alberta’s political fights pile up. From referendum questions to separatism to electoral boundaries, they break down what’s happening, why it matters, and why the same small group of people seems to be carrying all of it. Is this a coordination problem or an activation problem? What role should the NDP actually play in the boundaries fight? And are we spending as much time fighting each other as the actual fight? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. You can email The Strategists at suggestionSbox@balanceofpowerpod.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.

    44 min
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About

Professional unprofessional strategists Stephen Carter, Zain Velji, and Shannon Phillips break down the news of the day. Not just what’s happening, but how it’s being played. Policy is one thing. Politics is another. The show dissects the strategy behind the headlines: what governments are doing, why it matters, and the political incentives driving every move. They don't tell you what to think. They make you harder to spin. Originally hosted with Corey Hogan (now inside the machine), The Strategists now anchors a growing podcast network: •⁠ ⁠The Strategists — weekly strategy, sharp takes, and questionable professionalism •⁠ ⁠Ministry of Podcasts — Corey Hogan reports from inside Parliament •⁠ ⁠Balance of Power — Annalise Klingbeil, Shannon Phillips, and Leah Ward bring a distinct lens to power and politics Described as “shockingly insightful” and “sports talk radio for politics.” Not sponsored by Flair Airlines. Get bonus episodes and more at strategistspatreon.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephen Carter, Zain Velji
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2015-2026 The Strategists Media Corporation
  • Show Website
    The Strategists

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