Balance of Power

The Strategists Network
The Strategists Network
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A political podcast for people who know politics isn’t polite. We talk about who holds power, how it’s used, and why the process can make even reasonable people swear. Serious conversations with real-world stakes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3d ago

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Jun 24

    Punch-Back Politics

    What happens when conservatives pick a fight with someone who knows exactly how to fight back? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips dig into Calgary’s Stampede noise war, Jeromy Farkas’s escalating feud with Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre, and what happens when conservative messaging gets turned back on the people who invented it. First: the fun police. Why did federal and provincial Conservatives decide to go to war over Cowboys, noise bylaws, and late-night Stampede parties? And did they badly misread both Calgary and the mayor they were attacking? Then: the punch back. Farkas names the antagonist, speaks plainly, moves quickly, and refuses to retreat into process language. Annalise and Shannon break down why his response worked, what the left could learn from it, and why there may be more room to oppose Danielle Smith than many politicians seem to think. Plus, for Patreon subscribers: Annalise and Shannon debate the Governor General’s clothing allowance, the gendered expectations placed on women in public life, and whether politicians should get help paying for the uniforms their jobs demand. Producer Haxim joins the conversation to provide the underrepresented white male perspective, and mansplain what female politicians should be wearing. Stampede politics, culture wars, conservative infighting, noise complaints, political uniforms, and the strategic value of punching back. 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: Playboy meets country at the Calgary Stampede https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/playboy-meets-country-at-the-calgary-stampede/article18268605/ Bell: Farkas on fire, Danielle Smith pushes back — the Stampede tent brawl https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/bell-jeromy-farkas-danielle-smith-stampede-tent-noise-brawl Farkas: No, Calgary is not cancelling Stampede. We are standing up for neighbours https://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/1ud8j5h/no_calgary_is_not_cancelling_stampede_we_are/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Jun 20

    Talking to Americans

    What happens when stepping away from politics creates room to think differently about art, fear, community, and the work still left to do? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips unpack Shannon’s recent trip to Patmos, Greece, where she joined artists, writers, and musicians including Ani DiFranco, Neko Case, Anaïs Mitchell, and Ann Powers for a ten-day creative salon. First: art in dark times. What does it mean to create while authoritarianism is rising, politics feels exhausting, and people are searching for beauty, joy, and respite without simply looking away? Then: finding the side door into a story. Shannon reflects on her own unfinished writing project, the fear that comes with telling political stories, and why image, structure, and metaphor may offer a better path than straightforward journalism. Plus, for Patreon subscribers: fear, cancellation, and the limits of progressive communication. When inclusion becomes a demand to say everything at once, does it make art and politics less effective? The panel digs into plain language, difficult questions, the trans debate, and whether fear of saying the wrong thing is pushing people away instead of bringing them in. Art, politics, rage, religion, long COVID, summer camp for grown-ups, Americans with a lot of feelings, and why sometimes the answer is simply to become a cloud. 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, bonus segments, and access to our exclusive Discord: https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Jun 12

    Too Many Ballots, Too Much Internet

    How many ballots is too many ballots? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward unpack the staggering logistics behind Alberta’s October referendum vote. With Elections Alberta preparing to print 45 million ballots and recruit 60,000 workers, they explore what happens when direct democracy collides with administrative reality. First: the ballot problem. The hosts break down Elections Alberta’s largest recruitment drive ever, the challenge of hand-counting tens of millions of ballots, and why a referendum featuring ten questions — and potentially eleven — could test the limits of the province’s electoral machinery. Then: the federal government’s new Online Harms Act. Can governments protect young people online without cutting them off from community and connection? And are policymakers focusing on the platforms, the algorithms, or the wrong problem entirely? Plus, for Patreon subscribers: environmental politics and persuasion. From Water Not Coal to Don’t Go Breaking My Parks, Annalise and Leah dig into why some campaigns break through with audiences who don’t see themselves as environmentalists, and why “this, not that” can be more powerful than another campaign built around “no.” Referendums, ballot chaos, water politics, online harms, political organizing, and the challenge of governing in an age of overload. Welcome to Balance of Power. Mentioned in this episode: Shannon's thread on Social Media https://bsky.app/profile/sphillipsab.bsky.social/post/3mnwfgkbm4k2f Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended 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.

  7. Jun 3

    The Cost of Grievance

    For years, Alberta's separation movement has talked about what it wants. What happens when it has to talk about what it costs? This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward look at what it means for a political project built on emotion to encounter a spreadsheet. As new estimates put a price tag on Alberta independence, they ask whether the politics of grievance can survive contact with the math. First: burnout. The hosts discuss political exhaustion, attention scarcity, and what happens when voters are asked to process major constitutional questions while already feeling overwhelmed by work, life, and the endless news cycle. Then: the price tag. As new figures emerge about the potential costs of Alberta independence, the panel digs into the assumptions behind the numbers, the political incentives driving the debate, and whether Albertans are getting a realistic picture of what leaving Canada would actually mean. Plus, for Patreon subscribers: hope versus fear. Is positive campaigning more effective than warning about risks? Why does the promise of separation resonate with some voters? And what can political organizers learn from deep canvassing, healthcare campaigns, and the challenge of changing minds in a polarized environment? Separation, sovereignty, political persuasion, voter fatigue, and the cost of grievance. Welcome to Balance of Power. Mentioned in this episode Canadians aren’t taking their paid vacation days. Can burnout be far behind? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-canadians-arent-taking-their-paid-vacation-days-can-burnout-be-far/ Bell: Danielle Smith drops a $400-billion bomb on Alberta separatism https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/bell-danielle-smith-400-billion-alberta-separatism Fringe to Mainstream: The Movement to Split Alberta From Canada Gets Its Moment https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/world/canada/canada-alberta-separation-referendum-vote.html Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended 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.

  8. May 20

    The Most Expensive Option

    In a moment when Prairie politics feels increasingly untethered from reality, what happens when governments start making generational decisions while chasing internal political pressure? This week on Balance of Power, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips are joined by Saskatchewan NDP MLA Aleana Young to unpack Saskatchewan’s stunning $26 billion coal gamble, the politics driving it, and why the fight over energy policy is becoming a proxy for something much bigger across Western Canada. First: the coal bombshell. Aleana Young walks through the leaked SaskPower documents showing the true cost of rebuilding and operating Saskatchewan’s coal plants, why the government’s numbers kept changing, and how a plan sold as affordability could end up doubling power bills. Then: governing for the base. From separatism to immigration rhetoric to attacks on institutions, the panel digs into what happens when premiers stop trying to persuade the broader public and start managing internal party pressure instead. Plus, for Patreon Subscribers: Danielle Smith’s looming referendum speech. What arguments will she make, who will she blame, and how do governments chip away at trust in courts, institutions, and democratic norms while claiming to defend democracy itself? Coal, courts, separatism, healthcare collapse, Prairie politics, and the risks of governments that seem increasingly adrift. Welcome to Balance of Power. Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord: https://patreon.com/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

A political podcast for people who know politics isn’t polite. We talk about who holds power, how it’s used, and why the process can make even reasonable people swear. Serious conversations with real-world stakes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Channel
    The Strategists Network
  • Creator
    Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, Shannon Phillips
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Strategists Media Corporation
  • Show Website
    Balance of Power

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