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Updated 6d ago
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Updated 10/18/2024
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Updated May 15

6d ago

Ministry of Podcasts: Episode 7

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, notwithstanding an abandoned first recording, an unexplained middle finger, and Zain Velji arriving without sufficient battery life or advance knowledge of his own schedule. Be it further resolved that the House shall receive testimony from the duly elected Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation on matters including but not limited to: The rapidly escalating scandal over who may receive a Canadian flag, how many flags constitute a reasonable request, and whether declining an order for one hundred of them amounts to a betrayal of the country, The strange campaign to keep Alberta in Canada, the patchwork of parties, MPs and third-party advertisers attempting to fill the space where an actual referendum campaign ought to be, The daily reality of serving as a constituency MP, parliamentary secretary and the closest government representative to roughly two million people while navigating what an MP can promise, influence and actually deliver, And the Calgary Stampede as a ten-day exercise in political endurance, including 71 events, 40 visiting Liberal MPs and one Prime Minister turning the city into the country’s largest informal caucus meeting. Therefore be it finally resolved that this episode shall be entered into the record as a defence of Canadian unity, an account of the work that happens between the speeches and the cameras, and a reminder that public service requires equal measures of stamina, candour and access to a reliable supply of Canadian flags. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 27

Episode 4044: How Carney Falls

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the ways Mark Carney’s extended political honeymoon could finally come to an end, from a weakening economy and progressive defections to Liberal insider culture and the arrival of a shinier opponent. What happens if voters stop believing there is no deal to be made with Donald Trump and start blaming Carney for failing to make one? Can economic progressivism keep urban voters from drifting back to the NDP? And is Stephen Carter’s national basic income plan the bold political masterstroke nobody asked him to invent? 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 Support The Strategists Legal Defence Fund. https://donate.thestrategists.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 23

Just Answer the Fing Questions

What happens when politicians and their staff decide the questions are the problem? This week on Balance of Power, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips break down two spectacular examples of how not to handle the media, and what competent political communication is supposed to look like when the stakes are high. First: Ontario’s wildfire response. After a ministerial staffer interrupted a live CBC interview to declare that there would be no more questions, Leah and Shannon explain why crisis communication requires more information, more availability, and fewer fights with reporters. Then: Devin Dreeshen’s continuing inability to answer a very simple question. Is Alberta’s transportation minister a separatist, and will he vote to keep Alberta in Canada? If he knows the question is coming, why can’t he answer it? Plus, for Patreon subscribers: what would a genuinely progressive response to tariffs, artificial intelligence and data centres look like? Leah and Shannon talk worker protections, digital sovereignty, public investment, Wab Kinew’s rejection of a proposed hyperscale data centre, and the case for a national electricity grid. Wildfires, media training, separatism, political staffing, worker power, artificial intelligence, and the revolutionary idea that ministers should just answer the Fing questions. 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: Request a special ballot for Alberta’s upcoming referendum: https://specialballot.elections.ab.ca/ Alberta’s Voice sign pickup information: https://albertasvoice.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1d ago

The Jeff Sloychuk Memorial Episode

What should politicians actually be doing while everyone else is trying to enjoy August? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips remember Jeff Sloychuk, a longtime labour and NDP organizer whose politics were rooted in working-class people, practical action and getting the job done. First: summer politics. Is August a time to rest, work the barbecue circuit or quietly prepare for the fights coming in the fall? The panel looks at how Pierre Poilievre used summer advertising to reshape his image, what Danielle Smith’s small private fundraisers are really communicating, and why political campaigns should never assume voters have stopped paying attention. Then: labour, influencers and the changing media ecosystem. After CUPE partnered with Alberta content creators to explain the WestJet labour dispute, the panel digs into why audiences, not advertisements, have become the real political asset, and how shifting public attitudes toward unions are changing who gets heard. Plus, for Patreon subscribers: Leah shares lessons from the federal NDP’s experiment with political influencers, the panel debates whether campaign buses and traditional media tours still matter, and they offer direct advice for Alberta’s federalist campaigns on creators, YouTube, ground organizing and putting Canadian flags everywhere. Summer strategy, labour politics, influencer campaigns, Canadian flags and the value of getting politics out of the ether and onto people’s doorsteps. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Jeff Sloychuk. 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/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
6d ago

Episode 7

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, notwithstanding an abandoned first recording, an unexplained middle finger, and Zain Velji arriving without sufficient battery life or advance knowledge of his own schedule. Be it further resolved that the House shall receive testimony from the duly elected Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation on matters including but not limited to: The rapidly escalating scandal over who may receive a Canadian flag, how many flags constitute a reasonable request, and whether declining an order for one hundred of them amounts to a betrayal of the country, The strange campaign to keep Alberta in Canada, the patchwork of parties, MPs and third-party advertisers attempting to fill the space where an actual referendum campaign ought to be, The daily reality of serving as a constituency MP, parliamentary secretary and the closest government representative to roughly two million people while navigating what an MP can promise, influence and actually deliver, And the Calgary Stampede as a ten-day exercise in political endurance, including 71 events, 40 visiting Liberal MPs and one Prime Minister turning the city into the country’s largest informal caucus meeting. Therefore be it finally resolved that this episode shall be entered into the record as a defence of Canadian unity, an account of the work that happens between the speeches and the cameras, and a reminder that public service requires equal measures of stamina, candour and access to a reliable supply of Canadian flags. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 18

The Politics of the Ambush

What happens when politics stops being a conversation and becomes an ambush? This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward dig into the recent political ambush videos in Alberta, the instincts they reveal, and the mistakes politicians make when they forget who is really watching. First: the confrontation. From Naheed Nenshi’s exchange over a photo with the Israeli ambassador to Danielle Smith’s response to questions about appearing on a separatist podcast, Shannon and Leah look at what these moments actually reveal about political character. Then: the camera. When every interaction can become a clip, should politicians engage, walk away, or treat the ambush as an opportunity? And why the person asking the question is rarely the real audience. Plus, for Patreon subscribers: new polling on Alberta separatism, the danger of federalist complacency, the turnout gap, and why the road to the 51st state may be a more powerful political argument than another pipeline announcement. Ambush videos, political instincts, crisis communications, party discipline, separatist polling, and what happens when the unscripted moment becomes the whole story. 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.
Jul 22

Episode 4043: The Money vs The Many

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the emerging fight between moneyed interests and economic populists in the Democratic Party, and ask whether progressive candidates need broader coalitions, better slogans or simply better abs. Then they turn to Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats, Mark Carney’s restrained response and the premiers volunteering to play attack dog. Can economic populism work in Canada? Should Carney start treating Trump like the political villain Canadians already believe he is? And is Carter now pro-slogan, or just anti-admitting he was wrong? 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 14

Balance of Power: Sit up Straight

In a province where politics increasingly feels like performance, what happens when the people who understand the stage best start talking openly about persuasion, authenticity, and fear? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips unpack the politics of communication, the growing international fascination with Alberta separatism, and why the fight over Canada’s future may already be underway. First: the Wab Kinew factor. Leah reports from the Canadian Labour Congress convention in Winnipeg, where both Naheed Nenshi and Wab Kinew delivered very different kinds of speeches, sparking a conversation about charisma, media training, authenticity, and whether great political communication can actually be taught. Then: Alberta as spectacle. The panel digs into recent coverage from The Guardian, Toronto Star, and other international outlets examining Alberta separatism, voter data controversies, and the rise of grievance politics. Is this necessary scrutiny, dangerous mainstreaming, or another example of Alberta being flattened into caricature for outside audiences? Plus: Jason Kenney’s return to the federalist fight. After a Calgary event on Canadian unity featuring Kenney and MP Cory Hogan, the hosts debate whether conservatives who helped fuel western alienation can now successfully contain it, what responsibility they carry for this moment, and whether fear itself might be necessary to motivate Albertans to act. Media training, separatism, grievance politics, posture discourse, and the uncomfortable question of who still has the power to persuade. 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.
May 27

Episode 4033: That Thing That Breaks the Camel

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into the rapidly escalating Alberta separatism fight, the growing fractures inside the UCP, and whether Danielle Smith has finally pushed things too far. Are groups actually trying to stop separatism, or just positioning themselves to claim credit afterward? Have Alberta’s mayors become some of the most effective pro-Canada voices in the province? And why is it so hard to just get a normal Canadian flag lawn sign? 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 1

Before You Put Your Name on a Sign

What does it actually take to run for office, and how do you know whether you should? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips offer a practical guide for anyone thinking about putting their name on a ballot, from the first conversation with a riding association to the realities of campaigning, fundraising, vetting, and family life. First: forget the myth of the star candidate. A recognizable name might earn attention, but campaigns are built by people willing to knock doors, raise money, recruit a team, learn from those who came before them, and do the unglamorous work long before election day. Then: candidate, vet thyself. Leah explains what political parties look for when they examine a prospective candidate’s history, why honesty matters more than perfection, and how years of social media posts can become a very expensive problem for a campaign. Plus: why the candidate is not the protagonist, why campaigns are won through money and marks rather than grocery store compliments, and why anyone already imagining themselves in cabinet should probably take a step back. Nominations, door knocking, political ambition, opposition research, lawn signs, campaign strategy, and everything to consider before putting your name on one. 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.

The Strategists Podcast Network represents a growing slate of political programming examining campaigns, governance, and the practice of political strategy. Described as “shockingly insightful” and “sports talk radio for politics.”

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The Strategists Network

Top Shows

Ministry of Podcasts: Episode 7

Episode 4044: How Carney Falls

Just Answer the Fing Questions

The Jeff Sloychuk Memorial Episode

Episode 7

The Politics of the Ambush

Episode 4043: The Money vs The Many

Balance of Power: Sit up Straight

Episode 4033: That Thing That Breaks the Camel

Before You Put Your Name on a Sign

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