PODCAST: Signatures Ignored? Corb Lund on Alberta’s Coal Petition and Premier's Referendum Hypocrisy

PODCAST: Signatures Ignored? Corb Lund on Alberta’s Coal Petition and Premier's Referendum Hypocrisy

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a conversation with Alberta country musician and Water Not Coal [http://WaterNotCoal.ca] petition organizer Corb Lund. The goal of the petition campaign was to force a referendum on banning coal mining projects in the eastern slopes of the Rockies. After months of hard work, the petitions have been submitted to Elections Alberta. Based on their count, Lund says they cleared more than 200,000 signatures - well above the legislated petition threshold. Yet, after previous reassurances that the question would appear alongside the ten others on the October ballot, Premier Danielle Smith is now saying that’s too late to include the Water Not Coal question. Lund shares his thoughts on the journey to this point, his frustration over the lack of transparency around the process and the disappointment stemming from previous assurances he received directly from the premier. Plus, where does this all go from here? Get full access to Rob Breakenridge at robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe [https://robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PODCAST: Lorne Gunter on the premier's gas tax flip flop and whether her case for Canada is landing

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, veteran political columnist Lorne Gunter [https://edmontonjournal.com/author/lgunter/] joins Rob to break down another fascinating political week in Alberta. We start with the announcement this week from Premier Danielle Smith that the province is forsaking a mandate gas tax cut and instead opting to send $100 rebates to over three million Albertans. While affordability remains a top concern in the province, the announcement has not gone over well. We’ll also take a look at the latest on the separation debate and whether the premier’s referendum strategy - and the case she’s making against separation - is landing with Albertans. A couple of recent polls show that support for separation appears to be softening. But we also had a new report [https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/illustrating-albertans-contribution-to-the-rest-of-canada] out this week detailing the significant contribution Alberta makes to Confederation. Gunter says this remains a key frustration for many Albertans and it’s important for federalists to understand where that frustration comes from. The case against separation cannot simply be an endorsement of the status quo. Get full access to Rob Breakenridge at robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe [https://robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PODCAST: Protecting Kids or Compromising Privacy Rights? Unpacking the Unintended Consequences of Bill C-34

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at Ottawa’s new Bill C-34, also known as the Safe Social Media Act. The bill including a new ban on social media for children under 16 (with some exceptions), and also creates the new Digital Safety Commission to over see the newly created ‘duty to act responsibly” “duty to protect children” that the bill imposes on social media companies. To better understand what this might all mean in practice, we’re joined by one of Canada’s leading experts on digital law and policy: Dr. Michael Geist, law professor at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law. Prof. Geist outlines his concerns with the bill, especially when it comes to the privacy implications of the age verification requirement that the social media ban will require. Overall, though, Prof. Geist says there are many unanswered questions with this bill, especially given that many of the details will be sorted out in regulations only after the bill is passed. We’ll also look at why so much seems to be happening all at once on this front, with Bill C-34, Bill C-22 (lawful access bill), the new A.I. strategy, and the new CRTC rules and culture requirements on foreign streaming companies. Get full access to Rob Breakenridge at robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe [https://robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PODCAST: Is Canada in a recession? Or, is it a "technical" recession...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, the latest on the state of the Canadian economy and the debate sparked this week over whether Canada has fallen into recession. We’ll hear from Charles St-Arnaud, Chief Economist with Servus Credit Union, who notes that while the last two quarters show a small contraction, the overall trend has been stagnant, dragged down by reduced population growth, lagging productivity, and stalled household purchasing power. We’ll find out whether there’s reason for optimism as to whether things can turn in the right direction. We’ll also have a closer look at the potential impacts of two key pieces of federal legislation. Bill C-22 (The Lawful Access Act) and Bill C-9 (The Combating Hate Act) are both on the verge of becoming law, but both could have major implications for privacy and free speech in Canada. We’ll hear from Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director with the Canadian Constitution Foundation [https://theccf.ca/], about what the government is trying to accomplish through these bills, and what the concerns are. Plus, the latest on the debate in Alberta over separation and the province’s future in Confederation. Two new polls provide an interesting snapshot of where public opinion is at, and the premier ruffled some separatist feathers this week by laying out the significant costs that Alberta would bear if it chose to leave Canada. Get full access to Rob Breakenridge at robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe [https://robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PODCAST: Why Alberta Needs to Lead, Not Leave

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, the debate around Alberta’s future is heating up amid the official announcement of the October 19th referendum. We’ll be joined by Ken Boessenkool [https://mbpolicy.com/team/ken-boessenkool/], who’s one of the founders of a new group called Lead Not Leave [https://www.leadnotleave.ca/], which also includes former Alberta finance ministers Jim Dinning and Travis Toews. Their goal is to make the case for keeping the province in Confederation, while at the same time advancing ideas to strengthen both Alberta and Canada. They argue that separation is not a solution [https://www.readtheline.ca/p/alberta-must-lead-not-leave]. Plus, a new study from the Montreal Economic Institute [https://www.iedm.org/] examines the evidence for government-run grocery stores - an idea that seems to be catching on in both Canada and the United States. The study concludes [https://www.iedm.org/city-run-grocery-stores-are-not-the-solution-to-canadas-food-price-problem/], though, that such an approach won’t address the problem of high food prices, and will create other problems along the way. We’ll hear from study author and MEI senior fellow Charles Lammam. Get full access to Rob Breakenridge at robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe [https://robbreakenridge.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]