Power Lines

Award-winning author Chris Turner, whose book How to Be a Climate Optimist makes the case for hope in the face of the climate crisis, joins Max today. They discuss why clean technologies are spreading faster than many expected, even in places where climate policy isn't driving the change. They also examine what Canada's carbon tax debate has taught us about climate politics, whether Mark Carney can deliver on climate action and why selling people on the immediate benefits of clean technology may be more effective than warning them about the future. What did you think of this conversation? Let us know in the comments. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout , via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Power Lines today, Sandy Garossino, former Crown prosecutor and columnist for Canada's National Observer, unpacks the B.C. election and the defeat of David Eby's NDP government. She and Max discuss how the Conservatives found success by moving toward the political centre and what the election means for Indigenous rights and resource development in the province. They also examine Alberta's referendum, the future of Western alienation and how Mark Carney's approach to pipelines and clean energy could reshape Canada's economic future. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the people who helped put you in power turn against you? Max Fawcett sits down with Dr. Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, to unpack the fallout from Alberta's referendum and what it means for Smith's political future. They discuss whether Smith can hold her party together, what the referendum results reveal about support for separatism, and how Alberta's political and business elites have helped fuel Western alienation. Lisa also explains what her research into populism reveals about Alberta voters, including some surprising findings about democracy. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett and former Alberta NDP MLA and environment minister Shannon Phillips unpack the fallout from the referendum and what comes next for the province. They discuss why Phillips believes Smith is facing pressure from within her own party, whether the province’s NDP missed an opportunity during the referendum campaign, and the serious concerns about proposed changes to Alberta's electoral boundaries. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max reunites with Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute and his former co-panellist on a CBC show a decade ago, to unpack a pivotal moment in Canadian politics. With Albertans heading to the polls in a referendum, the two discuss what the results could mean for Danielle Smith and whether separatism has created divisions within her conservative base. Plus, Shachi explains the shifting political landscape in British Columbia, why climate change has slipped down voters' priority lists and the competing factions within Carney's Liberal coalition. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett speaks with journalist Ali Amad, author of the Maclean's feature The Great Generational Rip-Off, to discuss why homeownership, starting a family and saving for retirement have become increasingly difficult for younger Canadians. They also explore potential solutions, including reforms to Old Age Security, taxing wealth and finding a fairer way to share Canada's resources across generations. Read Ali's Maclean's story, The Great Generational Rip-Off: https://macleans.ca/longforms/the-great-generational-rip-off/ Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is Danielle Smith, really? And how did she make one of the most remarkable political comebacks in Alberta history? Max Fawcett sits down with Alberta journalist Jeremy Appel, author of the new book Dark Phoenix: The Rise, Fall, and Re-emergence of Danielle Smith, to unpack the political career of Alberta's premier. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corey Hogan is a Liberal MP for Calgary Confederation and a former senior Alberta government official who has worked under both the NDP and UCP. He and Max discuss Alberta’s upcoming referendum -- including Danielle Smith’s approach to separatism and why conservative politicians have been “playing with the separatist live wires.” The two also dig into Western alienation and Hogan’s argument that Western Canada has too often been treated as an afterthought. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett sits down with Phil De Luna, co-founder and CTO of Alberta-based climate technology startup CURA, to discuss why he believes Canada's push to attract investment could also accelerate the country's clean energy transition. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout, via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max and economist Trevor Tombe dig into the financial realities of Alberta separation. They dig into what an independent Alberta could mean for the province’s debt, taxes, pensions, public services, and borrowing costs—and why the fiscal benefits separatists promise may not be as straightforward as they seem. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout , via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max talks to Anthony Koch, managing principal of AK Strategies and a longtime Conservative strategist, about what’s happening inside Canadian conservatism. They cover why Conservatives are struggling to adjust to PM Mark Carney while digging into Donald Trump and MAGA’s influence on Canadian conservative politics. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout , via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max sits down with the University of Calgary's Sara Hastings-Simon to take stock of the global energy transition and what it means for Canada. They talk about the rapid growth of renewables and the future of oil demand, whether the oil sands’ Pathways carbon capture project still makes economic sense and how Prime Minister Mark Carney is handling the climate file. And of course, they dig into Alberta’s data centre boom. Do you agree with Max and Sara? Where do you think they’re wrong? Let us know. Music credit: Energy Rock Bundle by Basspartout , via Envato Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this latest episode of Powerlines, Max speaks with former national security investigator Patrick Lennox about foreign interference, disinformation and why he believes Canadians are "sleepwalking" into a dangerous moment. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max and Heather Exner-Pirot of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute talk Canada's energy strategy. They get into whether global demand for fossil fuels will continue to grow, if renewables are advancing faster than the industry expects and whether new pipelines still make economic sense. Buckle in. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett sits down with Margareta Dovgal, managing director of Resource Works, for a debate on Canada's energy future. They discuss whether federal climate policies are driving away investment, the future of pipelines and Canada's regulatory system, and much more. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are younger Canadians paying the price for decades of political short-term thinking? Max Fawcett talks with Dr. Paul Kershaw of Generation Squeeze about housing, healthcare, retirement spending, climate policy and the growing generational divide in Canada. They ask a difficult question: can Canada become fair again for young people? Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett is joined by Dr. Kathryn Harrison, a political science professor at UBC and expert on climate and energy policy, to unpack how Canadian climate politics have shifted from the Trudeau era to the current rollback of key policies. They talk about why public concern about climate is so cyclical, how federal-provincial tensions and global energy trends are reshaping Canada’s fossil fuel future and what it would actually take for climate to matter to voters again. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the election of Avi Lewis as leader of the federal NDP, cracks are forming between the federal party and its provincial counterparts. Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi came out swinging following Lewis' election, as did Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck — both raising concerns with Lewis' hopes for a fossil fuel-free future. David Moscrop joins Max Fawcett to talk about how the NDP can mend fences, and what a reinvigorated party will mean for the political landscape currently dominated by two parties. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett is joined by pollster Dan Arnold to talk through the Alberta independence referendum and why Canadians shouldn’t be complacent about its potential to tear Canada apart. Also: Dan bets the over/under on the “yes” vote. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Fawcett is joined by Rory Johnston, the founder of Commodity Context and one of Canada’s best oil analysts. They talk about what the war in Iran means for oil supplies, Canada’s future, and the prospects of a new West Coast pipeline. Prefer watching? Full video episodes are available on Canada's National Observer YouTube channel . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.