The Strategists

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.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

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips take the stage live in Edmonton for Carter’s accountability episode on the Edmonton Accelerants, the million-dollar mayoral campaign that wasn’t, and what actually went wrong. Then they dig into Alberta’s coming referendum fights, the scramble to build campaigns against separatism and anti-immigration questions, and whether progressives are overthinking themselves into paralysis. What happens when nobody can reach an audience anymore? Is “just go do things” actually the strategy? And how many times can Carter publicly step on his own dick before it gets pitched as a political strategy?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod

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/

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips talk about the Alberta Liberal Party rejecting Carter’s referendum campaign plan, and what that means for the fight against Alberta’s separatist and immigration questions. They also dig into the alleged leak and misuse of Alberta’s electors list, why voter data is so valuable, and why the story is about much more than a spreadsheet. What happens when a clever political workaround runs into a wall? How serious is it when the machinery of campaigns gets handed to people who were never supposed to have it? And can Zain get enough protein before Christ returns at the Edmonton live show?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Get your Live Show tickets at: http://www.strategistslive.com/Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod

The Strategists are live in Edmonton on Saturday, May 9, and this is your reminder to get tickets before they’re gone.Stephen Carter, Zain Velji, and Shannon Phillips will be at St. Andrews United Church for a two-act podcasting extravaganza.Act One: The Strategists Live, with no special guests because apparently we like Calgary better.Act Two: the accountability episode for Stephen Carter and Better Edmonton.Doors open at 7:00Get your tickets at strategistslive.com, strategistslive.ca, or thestrategistslive.com.And if you need to book a flight, why not use thestrategistslive.ca to book through our non-consensual partner, Flair Airlines.It’s not like you have playoff hockey to watch.

Stephen Carter, Shannon Phillips, and Producer Haxim talk about what happens when a weekend joke turns into a national political story. After Producer Haxim launches his satirical Alberta referendum site and “becomes a podcaster,” the crew breaks down why the government’s referendum campaign feels more like a persuasion machine than public education. They also dig into Carter’s Alberta Liberal Party referendum plan, and whether the rules were quietly changed to shut it down. Shannon Phillips discusses her article for Forward Weekly on how the Alberta NDP lost its advantage and how it might win it back. Is Alberta’s referendum fight really about the questions on the ballot? Can a political party raise money around an idea instead of a candidate? And how many headlines before Haxim starts asking for his own comms team?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Get your tickets for the May 9th live show at https://strategistslive.ca/Mentioned in this episode:Producer Haxim's Referendumb Sitehttps://albertareferendumb2026.caShannon's Forward Weekly Articlehttps://archive.forwardweekly.ca/?issue=05Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod

If the problems keep getting worse, are we even solving the right one?This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Leah Ward take on a set of decisions that feel increasingly out of step with how people actually live. From time changes to family planning to public consultation, they walk through what happens when policy targets miss the mark.First: daylight saving time. Alberta is moving toward making it permanent—but what does that actually mean for winter mornings, daily routines, and how people function? Is this about convenience, or are we ignoring what the research says?Then: fertility in Alberta. A new report lays out the cost, access, and emotional toll of treatment, raising bigger questions about population growth, affordability, and what actually drives people’s decisions to have kids.And finally: the Alberta Next survey. After a long fight to release the data, what do the responses actually show? And what’s the point of consultation if the outcome is already decided?Policy, incentives, and what happens when we keep solving the wrong problem.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

Stephen Carter and Zain Velji try to figure out who is actually going to do something as Alberta’s political fights pile up. From referendum questions to separatism to electoral boundaries, they break down what’s happening, why it matters, and why the same small group of people seems to be carrying all of it. Is this a coordination problem or an activation problem? What role should the NDP actually play in the boundaries fight? And are we spending as much time fighting each other as the actual fight?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.You can email The Strategists at suggestionSbox@balanceofpowerpod.caJoin our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod

Shannon Phillips is joined by producer Haxim to finally answer a critical question: what the hell is going on in the Strategists Discord? From “bread fridge” memes to full-on policy fights, they unpack how the community actually works and why it’s worth checking out.Then Shannon and Zain turn to Alberta’s electoral boundary shakeup and the unprecedented move to hand map-drawing power to politicians themselves. What’s actually happening with this new process, and what game is being played underneath it? Does this change the outcome before a vote is even cast? And how long before Discord daddy Zain logs off for cigarettes and never comes back?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod