What happens when Alberta separatists take their campaign south of the border and start fighting with each other along the way?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips look at the Globe and Mail’s reporting on Alberta separatists, Republican operatives, and efforts to win support in Washington.

First: the separatist movement. What does the infighting tell us about the people behind the campaign, how much does foreign attention matter, and why is the bigger problem less about campaign technology than who has access to Alberta’s voter data?

Then: the referendum. With less than two weeks to go, Annalise and Shannon look at whether “No to the Nine” has broken through, how advance voting changes the final stretch, and what the campaigns still need to do before Albertans cast their ballots.

Plus, for Patreon subscribers: British Columbia’s election campaign. Shannon breaks down the NDP’s decision to raise taxes on high-income earners, the political risk of confirming voters’ fears about New Democrats, and whether a populist economic pitch can actually work.

And Finally: Quebec. A new sovereigntist government puts national unity back at the centre of the conversation, with big implications for immigration, healthcare, and Alberta.

Separatists, foreign influence, referendum strategy, BC taxes, Quebec sovereignty, and what happens when the girls start fighting.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

Mentioned in this episode:

2025 National Security Strategy — White House

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf

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Canada has some of the strongest legal protections for abortion in the world. So why do reproductive-rights advocates say the fight is changing rather than ending?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil sits down with Frédérique Chabot, executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, to talk about where the abortion fight is happening now.

First: abortion may be legal in Canada, but access is shaped by geography, the health-care system and provincial policy. Fred explains why her organization is also watching the politics of trans rights and gender-affirming care — and the political strategies that can move from one issue to another.

Then: the fight moves online. Fred breaks down what she calls the “betrayed woman” narrative: messaging that draws on real frustrations with women’s health care to encourage women to reject hormonal contraception. They talk about influencers, algorithms, misinformation and why the digital information environment has become a new front in reproductive health.

Finally: where does a national reproductive-rights organization focus when health care is largely delivered by the provinces? Fred talks about connecting the dots between local fights and national trends, the future of public health care, and what Action Canada is watching across the country.

Abortion access, gender-affirming care, contraception, misinformation and the changing politics of reproductive rights.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

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Guest:

Frédérique Chabot — Executive Director, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

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What happens when a government calls a snap election two years early — and the opposition is still trying to figure out who it is?

This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward are joined by Nikki Hill, co-host of the Left East to West podcast, to break down David Eby’s surprise election call, the collapse and reconstruction of the B.C. Conservatives, and why British Columbians are heading back to the polls on October 24.

First: how did we get here? From the razor-thin 2024 result and the folding of B.C. United, to repeated Conservative leadership turmoil and a caucus that has struggled to hold itself together, Nikki walks through the political chain reaction that brought B.C. to another election.

Then: why now? The panel looks at Eby’s argument for a fresh mandate amid a one-seat majority, the trade war, forestry, major projects, housing, healthcare and affordability — and whether voters will see the election as necessary or simply opportunistic.

Plus, for Patreon subscribers: what does a truly snap election look like on the ground? Candidate recruitment, campaign managers, swing seats, resource triage, municipal-election overlap, and what organizers actually do when they suddenly have just over a month to build a campaign.

A snap election, a fractured right, a one-seat majority, and 32 days to figure out what comes next.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca

Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended episodes and ad-free listening:

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Guest:

Nikki Hill — co-host of Left East to West

https://www.youtube.com/@LeftEasttoWest

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/left-east-to-west/id1870368396

Get your tickets for The Strategists Live!:

Edmonton - October 13: https://strategistliveshow.ca/calgary

Calgary - October 27: https://strategistliveshow.ca/edmonton

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