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Balance of Power

Sit Up Straight

Season 1, Ep. 14
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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.


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  • 13. A Polluted Process

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    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.caJoin the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord:https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodMentioned in this episode:Arlene Dickinson's Instagram Carouselhttps://www.instagram.com/p/DYAgKmqEpo0/

  • 12. Gay Enough?

    41:20||Season 1, Ep. 12
    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.caJoin the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord:https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodMentioned in this episode:Alberta Referendumbhttps://albertareferendumb2026.ca/

  • 11. Solving the Wrong Problem

    31:56||Season 1, Ep. 11
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  • 10. Picnic in a Thunderstorm

    38:55||Season 1, Ep. 10
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  • 9. Does Anything Matter?

    48:53||Season 1, Ep. 9
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  • 8. Legacy, Loss, and a New NDP

    58:29||Season 1, Ep. 8
    What happens when a leadership win sparks tension inside the party?This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips, Leah Ward and Shannon Greer reflect on the legacy of Stephen Lewis, unpack the implications of Avi Lewis’s decisive leadership win, and dig into what it all means for New Democrats across the country.First: legacy and loss. The panel reflects on Stephen Lewis’ impact on Canadian politics, the NDP movement, and the organizing culture that still shapes campaigns today.Then: the new leader. What does Avi Lewis’ win signal about where the federal NDP is headed? From shifts in labour relationships to a more populist policy approach, the hosts break down the opportunities, and risks, of this moment.Plus: Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck joins the show to talk about affordability, energy policy, and the realities of building a government-in-waiting. From a healthcare system pushed to the brink, to rising costs and soaring power bills, and the challenge of connecting policy to people’s day-to-day lives on the Prairies.“Legacy, Leadership, and What It Means to Be an Effective Opposition”Welcome to Balance of Power.Have a comment or idea? email us: suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.caGuestMLA Carla Beck, Leader of the Saskatchewan NDPhttps://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/carlabeckGuest HostShannon Greerhttps://www.newwestpublicaffairs.ca/shannon-greerMentioned in this episodeStephen Lewis' Eulogy for Jack Laytonhttps://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.1715421The Stephen Lewis Foundationhttps://stephenlewisfoundation.org/Stephen Lewis GOTV Speechhttps://www.facebook.com/reel/2076947419829035

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    01:05:23||Season 1, Ep. 7
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  • 6. The Politics of the Scoop

    47:25||Season 1, Ep. 6
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