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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