Balance of Power

What happens when a referendum starts to feel less like a vote and more like a warning?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward are joined by political scientist Lisa Young to talk about the strange political fall Alberta is heading into, the separation debate, and what happens when a fringe idea becomes a live political question.First: be careful what you wish for. Lisa explains the thinking behind her recent speculative fiction imagining a future Alberta outside Canada, and why she sees separation as a fundamentally radical leap into the unknown.Then: misinformation, foreign influence, and the widening gap between the information ecosystems shaping the stay and leave sides. What does that mean for the referendum, and how do you have a productive political debate when people are starting from completely different versions of reality?Plus, for Patreon subscribers: the other nine referendum questions, why Lisa is surprised by the lack of organized opposition to them, and what their outcome could mean for politics far beyond Alberta.Separation, misinformation, resentment, turnout, and the weirdest fall in Alberta history?Welcome to Balance of Power.Mentioned in this episode:Lisa Young’s Substack: What now?!? An Alberta Politics newsletterhttps://lisayoung.substack.com/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/strategistspod

What should politicians actually be doing while everyone else is trying to enjoy August?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips remember Jeff Sloychuk, a longtime labour and NDP organizer whose politics were rooted in working-class people, practical action and getting the job done.First: summer politics. Is August a time to rest, work the barbecue circuit or quietly prepare for the fights coming in the fall? The panel looks at how Pierre Poilievre used summer advertising to reshape his image, what Danielle Smith’s small private fundraisers are really communicating, and why political campaigns should never assume voters have stopped paying attention.Then: labour, influencers and the changing media ecosystem. After CUPE partnered with Alberta content creators to explain the WestJet labour dispute, the panel digs into why audiences, not advertisements, have become the real political asset, and how shifting public attitudes toward unions are changing who gets heard.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: Leah shares lessons from the federal NDP’s experiment with political influencers, the panel debates whether campaign buses and traditional media tours still matter, and they offer direct advice for Alberta’s federalist campaigns on creators, YouTube, ground organizing and putting Canadian flags everywhere.Summer strategy, labour politics, influencer campaigns, Canadian flags and the value of getting politics out of the ether and onto people’s doorsteps.This episode is dedicated to the memory of Jeff Sloychuk.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/strategistspod

What happens when politicians and their staff decide the questions are the problem?This week on Balance of Power, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips break down two spectacular examples of how not to handle the media, and what competent political communication is supposed to look like when the stakes are high.First: Ontario’s wildfire response. After a ministerial staffer interrupted a live CBC interview to declare that there would be no more questions, Leah and Shannon explain why crisis communication requires more information, more availability, and fewer fights with reporters.Then: Devin Dreeshen’s continuing inability to answer a very simple question. Is Alberta’s transportation minister a separatist, and will he vote to keep Alberta in Canada? If he knows the question is coming, why can’t he answer it?Plus, for Patreon subscribers: what would a genuinely progressive response to tariffs, artificial intelligence and data centres look like? Leah and Shannon talk worker protections, digital sovereignty, public investment, Wab Kinew’s rejection of a proposed hyperscale data centre, and the case for a national electricity grid.Wildfires, media training, separatism, political staffing, worker power, artificial intelligence, and the revolutionary idea that ministers should just answer the Fing questions.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:Request a special ballot for Alberta’s upcoming referendum:https://specialballot.elections.ab.ca/Alberta’s Voice sign pickup information:https://albertasvoice.ca/

What happens when politics stops being a conversation and becomes an ambush?This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward dig into the recent political ambush videos in Alberta, the instincts they reveal, and the mistakes politicians make when they forget who is really watching.First: the confrontation. From Naheed Nenshi’s exchange over a photo with the Israeli ambassador to Danielle Smith’s response to questions about appearing on a separatist podcast, Shannon and Leah look at what these moments actually reveal about political character.Then: the camera. When every interaction can become a clip, should politicians engage, walk away, or treat the ambush as an opportunity? And why the person asking the question is rarely the real audience.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: new polling on Alberta separatism, the danger of federalist complacency, the turnout gap, and why the road to the 51st state may be a more powerful political argument than another pipeline announcement.Ambush videos, political instincts, crisis communications, party discipline, separatist polling, and what happens when the unscripted moment becomes the whole story.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/strategistspod

What does it actually take to run for office, and how do you know whether you should?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips offer a practical guide for anyone thinking about putting their name on a ballot, from the first conversation with a riding association to the realities of campaigning, fundraising, vetting, and family life.First: forget the myth of the star candidate. A recognizable name might earn attention, but campaigns are built by people willing to knock doors, raise money, recruit a team, learn from those who came before them, and do the unglamorous work long before election day.Then: candidate, vet thyself. Leah explains what political parties look for when they examine a prospective candidate’s history, why honesty matters more than perfection, and how years of social media posts can become a very expensive problem for a campaign.Plus: why the candidate is not the protagonist, why campaigns are won through money and marks rather than grocery store compliments, and why anyone already imagining themselves in cabinet should probably take a step back.Nominations, door knocking, political ambition, opposition research, lawn signs, campaign strategy, and everything to consider before putting your name on one.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/strategistspod

What happens when conservatives pick a fight with someone who knows exactly how to fight back?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips dig into Calgary’s Stampede noise war, Jeromy Farkas’s escalating feud with Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre, and what happens when conservative messaging gets turned back on the people who invented it.First: the fun police. Why did federal and provincial Conservatives decide to go to war over Cowboys, noise bylaws, and late-night Stampede parties? And did they badly misread both Calgary and the mayor they were attacking?Then: the punch back. Farkas names the antagonist, speaks plainly, moves quickly, and refuses to retreat into process language. Annalise and Shannon break down why his response worked, what the left could learn from it, and why there may be more room to oppose Danielle Smith than many politicians seem to think.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: Annalise and Shannon debate the Governor General’s clothing allowance, the gendered expectations placed on women in public life, and whether politicians should get help paying for the uniforms their jobs demand. Producer Haxim joins the conversation to provide the underrepresented white male perspective, and mansplain what female politicians should be wearing.Stampede politics, culture wars, conservative infighting, noise complaints, political uniforms, and the strategic value of punching back.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:Playboy meets country at the Calgary Stampedehttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/playboy-meets-country-at-the-calgary-stampede/article18268605/Bell: Farkas on fire, Danielle Smith pushes back — the Stampede tent brawlhttps://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/bell-jeromy-farkas-danielle-smith-stampede-tent-noise-brawlFarkas: No, Calgary is not cancelling Stampede. We are standing up for neighbourshttps://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/1ud8j5h/no_calgary_is_not_cancelling_stampede_we_are/

What happens when stepping away from politics creates room to think differently about art, fear, community, and the work still left to do?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips unpack Shannon’s recent trip to Patmos, Greece, where she joined artists, writers, and musicians including Ani DiFranco, Neko Case, Anaïs Mitchell, and Ann Powers for a ten-day creative salon.First: art in dark times. What does it mean to create while authoritarianism is rising, politics feels exhausting, and people are searching for beauty, joy, and respite without simply looking away?Then: finding the side door into a story. Shannon reflects on her own unfinished writing project, the fear that comes with telling political stories, and why image, structure, and metaphor may offer a better path than straightforward journalism.Plus, for Patreon subscribers: fear, cancellation, and the limits of progressive communication. When inclusion becomes a demand to say everything at once, does it make art and politics less effective? The panel digs into plain language, difficult questions, the trans debate, and whether fear of saying the wrong thing is pushing people away instead of bringing them in.Art, politics, rage, religion, long COVID, summer camp for grown-ups, Americans with a lot of feelings, and why sometimes the answer is simply to become a cloud.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, bonus segments, and access to our exclusive Discord:https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod

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 episodeCanadians 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 separatismhttps://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/bell-danielle-smith-400-billion-alberta-separatismFringe to Mainstream: The Movement to Split Alberta From Canada Gets Its Momenthttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/world/canada/canada-alberta-separation-referendum-vote.htmlHave a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.caJoin the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord:https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod