Balance of Power

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. 4d ago

    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.

    31 min

  2. 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.

    30 min

  3. 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.

    44 min

  4. May 13

    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.

    1h 9m

  5. May 8

    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

  6. May 1

    Gay Enough?

    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

  7. Apr 23

    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. Apr 15

    Picnic in a Thunderstorm

    In a moment where things feel like they’re slipping, what does control even look like? This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips, Leah Ward, and Annalise Klingbeil step into a rough stretch for the Conservatives and unpack what happens when a party starts to wobble. From by-election losses to internal pressure, they walk through how instability takes hold and what it really takes to stop it. First: stopping the bleeding. What actually works when things start to slip? Is this about discipline, tone, or something deeper inside the operation? Then: the reset question. What does a real reset look like and who has to change for it to land? Can you adjust the message without changing the messenger? And finally: the long game. What does opposition look like when there’s no quick path back? How do you rebuild credibility, keep a team together, and plan for three years instead of three months? Strategy, tone, internal pressure, and what it means to lead when things aren’t going your way. 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: Stand Up for Alberta’s Public Libraries https://www.caplibraries.ca/stand-up-for-albertas-public-libraries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
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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
    2K
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Strategists Media Corporation
  • Show Website
    Balance of Power

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