The Strategists

Shannon Phillips and Conspiracy Zain dive into the Alberta NDP’s surprise Calgary-Shaw victory, what it says about the UCP’s vulnerability in Calgary, and whether the result changes the political calculus heading into the referendum. Is there really no such thing as a safe Conservative seat in Calgary anymore? Does this win give Naheed Nenshi a new opening, or just tempt the NDP to learn the wrong lessons? And is Conspiracy Zain onto something about what the UCP might do next, or has the tinfoil hat fully cut off the circulation? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Join us live in Edmonton and Calgary: https://strategistsliveshow.ca/calgary (Edmonton Tickets) https://strategistsliveshow.ca/edmonton (Calgary Tickets) Read Forward Weekly: https://forwardweekly.ca Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord. https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down Alberta’s new $4 million referendum advertising campaign, what the government’s creative says about its polling, and whether a massive spending advantage can actually overcome a muddled message. Does the government’s softer language on immigration reveal a strategic vulnerability? Can the opposition turn a David-versus-Goliath funding gap into an advantage? And has the live-show ticketing system become too confusing even for the people who created it? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. The Strategists Live: Edmonton — October 13, 2026 strategistsliveshow.ca/calgary Calgary — October 27, 2026 strategistsliveshow.ca/edmonton Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord. https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward dive into Elections Alberta’s referendum headaches, the growing pressure around the province’s special-ballot process, and whether the agency is actually resourced to pull off one of the biggest votes in Canadian history. Is Elections Alberta undermining confidence in the referendum by mishandling basic details? At what point does an election agency have to pull the fire alarm and say it cannot guarantee the process without more resources? And has Shannon finally found the one thing more frustrating than Alberta politics: her printer? Annalise Klingbeil, 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips rank the people, politicians, and campaigners on Alberta’s stay-in-Canada side. Who is actually moving votes? Are the BC Conservatives about to split themselves into two parties? And has Carter replaced AFL tipping with referendum power rankings? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod LIVE SHOWS: October 13 in Edmonton at the Horowitz Events Centre, and October 27 in Calgary at the Bella Concert Hall. One before the referendum. One after. Tickets coming soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down Mark Carney’s response after Canada walks away from a trade deal with the United States, and what comes next when the relationship shifts from negotiation to trade war. Was this the exact moment Carney was hired for? How does Canada fight back? And can a great view really make up for the worst VRBO laundry room in Squamish? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Phillips and Zain Velji talk about what the Alberta NDP should actually be doing this summer, from candidate recruitment and Calgary-Shaw to the referendum and rural opposition to AI data centres. Should the NDP run directly against separatism in Calgary-Shaw? Can listening to angry rural voters turn a local issue into an electoral opportunity? And how does Stephen Carter have time for an hour-long phone call but not enough time to record the podcast? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips talk about what happens when the strategist becomes the spokesperson, whether the political backroom still exists, and why Carter is discovering that dealing with the public may be the hardest part of running a campaign. Then they dig into the strange out-of-province donations flowing to the Alberta Republican Party and the loopholes that could allow even more money to move through Alberta politics without anyone knowing where it came from. How much money would it actually take to seriously disrupt the referendum? Is voter suppression a bigger risk than anyone wants to admit? And is Jason Kenney becoming a Conservative elder statesman, or quietly auditioning for Pierre Poilievre’s job? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the increasingly crowded campaign to keep Alberta in Canada and ask whether anyone has the money or the nerve to run the air war the referendum may require. Then they strategize what the federal government, the NDP, organized labour and the various pro-Canada campaigns should actually be doing with just weeks left to reach voters. Can Canadian flags become a national unity organizing tool? Will No to the Nine hold together once voters start reading the individual questions? And has Carter finally escaped the same 2,000 people, or just ordered 4,000 signs for them? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Be it resolved that the Minister of Podcasts, Stephen Carter, together with the Chair of Oral Questions, Zain Velji, do hereby call this sitting of The Ministry of Podcasts to order, notwithstanding an abandoned first recording, an unexplained middle finger, and Zain Velji arriving without sufficient battery life or advance knowledge of his own schedule. Be it further resolved that the House shall receive testimony from the duly elected Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation on matters including but not limited to: The rapidly escalating scandal over who may receive a Canadian flag, how many flags constitute a reasonable request, and whether declining an order for one hundred of them amounts to a betrayal of the country, The strange campaign to keep Alberta in Canada, the patchwork of parties, MPs and third-party advertisers attempting to fill the space where an actual referendum campaign ought to be, The daily reality of serving as a constituency MP, parliamentary secretary and the closest government representative to roughly two million people while navigating what an MP can promise, influence and actually deliver, And the Calgary Stampede as a ten-day exercise in political endurance, including 71 events, 40 visiting Liberal MPs and one Prime Minister turning the city into the country’s largest informal caucus meeting. Therefore be it finally resolved that this episode shall be entered into the record as a defence of Canadian unity, an account of the work that happens between the speeches and the cameras, and a reminder that public service requires equal measures of stamina, candour and access to a reliable supply of Canadian flags. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the ways Mark Carney’s extended political honeymoon could finally come to an end, from a weakening economy and progressive defections to Liberal insider culture and the arrival of a shinier opponent. What happens if voters stop believing there is no deal to be made with Donald Trump and start blaming Carney for failing to make one? Can economic progressivism keep urban voters from drifting back to the NDP? And is Stephen Carter’s national basic income plan the bold political masterstroke nobody asked him to invent? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Support The Strategists Legal Defence Fund. https://donate.thestrategists.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the emerging fight between moneyed interests and economic populists in the Democratic Party, and ask whether progressive candidates need broader coalitions, better slogans or simply better abs. Then they turn to Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats, Mark Carney’s restrained response and the premiers volunteering to play attack dog. Can economic populism work in Canada? Should Carney start treating Trump like the political villain Canadians already believe he is? And is Carter now pro-slogan, or just anti-admitting he was wrong? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Zain Velji break down the politics of being seen, from Naheed Nenshi’s controversial Stampede photo with the Israeli ambassador to the staffers whose job is to keep politicians out of pictures they will later regret. Can a good body person save a leader from a bad photo op? Is Mark Carney’s new PMO structure a real change or just corporate jargon? And how much of an episode can be turned into an RBC Wealth Management ad before the sponsor asks for its money 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the latest referendum fundraising numbers and ask why conservative federalists seem to be getting out-organized by the separatists. Then they strategize what Corb Lund’s Water Not Coal campaign should do after its petition failed validation by Elections Alberta. Can the stay-in-Canada side turn scattered efforts into a real coalition? Should Water Not Coal fight the ruling in court, or in the court of public opinion? And with the Ground Games underway, who are the odds really favouring? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down Alberta’s increasingly murky referendum campaign, from the rules governing signs and fundraising to the power of writing questions designed to produce a preferred answer. What happens when everyone seems to be playing by a different set of rules? Can ordinary Albertans turn Stampede into amateur lobbying hour? And will Stephen Carter remember his best line long enough to use it at Stampede? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into Alberta’s referendum campaigns, the NDP’s struggle to turn a pro-Canada message into partisan advantage, and the growing conservative pile-on against Calgary Mayor Jeremy Farkas over Stampede concert noise. Should party money ever be spent without asking people to vote for the party? Has Farkas become one of Alberta’s most effective opposition voices? And when the province decides fun is mandatory, how loud is loud enough? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Websites mentioned in this episode https://coach.albertasvoice.ca https://albertareferendumb2026.ca/ https://suddenlycanadian.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Zain Velji continue their live reaction to Carter’s appearance at The Walrus debate at the Canadian Vote Summit. As the conversation turns from democratic engagement to political reality, they unpack whether candidate debates still matter, why Question Period might be little more than political theatre, and what politicians actually learn from the process. Are democratic reforms solving real problems or chasing idealized outcomes? Is civility a moral virtue or a strategic choice? And can Stephen Carter make it through an entire democracy summit without calling someone the worst politician in Canadian history? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Zain Velji dive into Elections Alberta’s plan to recruit 60,000 workers and count 45 million ballots, and what that could mean for how referendum results are reported on election night. Could Alberta be headed for a separatist mirage where early returns tell the wrong story? Is Pierre Poilievre walking a tightrope that Stephen Harper never would have touched? And does Shannon Phillips have her flippy-floppies with her on a boat? Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Listen to all the Strategists Podcast Network shows at https://network.thestrategists.ca/ Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord. https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into the rapidly escalating Alberta separatism fight, the growing fractures inside the UCP, and whether Danielle Smith has finally pushed things too far. Are groups actually trying to stop separatism, or just positioning themselves to claim credit afterward? Have Alberta’s mayors become some of the most effective pro-Canada voices in the province? And why is it so hard to just get a normal Canadian flag lawn sign? 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/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a moment when Prairie politics feels increasingly untethered from reality, what happens when governments start making generational decisions while chasing internal political pressure? This week on Balance of Power , Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips are joined by Saskatchewan NDP MLA Aleana Young to unpack Saskatchewan’s stunning $26 billion coal gamble, the politics driving it, and why the fight over energy policy is becoming a proxy for something much bigger across Western Canada. First: the coal bombshell. Aleana Young walks through the leaked SaskPower documents showing the true cost of rebuilding and operating Saskatchewan’s coal plants, why the government’s numbers kept changing, and how a plan sold as affordability could end up doubling power bills. Then: governing for the base. From separatism to immigration rhetoric to attacks on institutions, the panel digs into what happens when premiers stop trying to persuade the broader public and start managing internal party pressure instead. Plus, for Patreon Subscribers: Danielle Smith’s looming referendum speech. What arguments will she make, who will she blame, and how do governments chip away at trust in courts, institutions, and democratic norms while claiming to defend democracy itself? Coal, courts, separatism, healthcare collapse, Prairie politics, and the risks of governments that seem increasingly adrift. Welcome to Balance of Power . Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for extended ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord: https://patreon.com/strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips remain at St. Andrew’s United Church for the second coming of their Edmonton live show, joined by Senator Paula Simons and a crowd that absolutely refuses to go home. They dig into the Alberta voter list leak, foreign interference, AI slopaganda, separatism, constitutional fights, and whether the province is sleepwalking into something much bigger than a referendum campaign. Zain Velji, as always, lets YOU pick the questions and keeps everybody in line during the audience Q&A. Originally recorded on May 9th, 2026 Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord. https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspod You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.