The Discourse

Teachers, Tariffs & Turf Wars

This week on The Discourse, Cheryl Oates and Erika Barootes tackle three of the biggest political stories in Alberta, Canada — and beyond.
🎓 Segment 1: Teachers on the EdgeThe Alberta Teachers' Association delivers a stunning 99% strike vote. Cheryl defends their demands for classroom caps and support funding, while Erika goes off on unions and PD days. It’s heated, it's personal, and it’s the debate Alberta parents are already having.
🌍 Segment 2: G7 Summit BreakdownKananaskis gets the world stage. From Mark Carney’s statesmanlike debut to Danielle Smith's pro-oil charm offensive, we break down who won the global optics game. 
📊 Segment 3: By-Election PredictionsWith three Alberta ridings up for grabs, we make bold predictions on whether the UCP can gain ground in Edmonton — and whether the Republican Party of Alberta is a punchline or a potential spoiler. Spoiler alert: Erika promises to shotgun a beer if they break 20%.

How To Actually Build A Pipeline

Four major pipelines. Billions in lost investment. A decade of political fights. And still, Canada can’t seem to build energy infrastructure.
On this episode of The Discourse, Cheryl and Erika unpack why Canada keeps losing the pipeline wars and whether the political landscape may finally be shifting. With premiers suddenly talking about "economic corridors" and Mark Carney promising to fast-track projects, is there a narrow window for national energy projects to succeed?
Joining the show is Gitane De Silva — former Deputy Minister in the Alberta government, former CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator, and someone who’s been inside the rooms where these make-or-break decisions happen. She pulls back the curtain on:
Why so many projects (like Northern Gateway and Energy East) failed
How First Nations consultation has (and hasn't) evolved
What it would take to truly approve a major project in just two years
The "chicken-and-egg" problem stopping private sector proponents from stepping up
Plus:
The political evolution of Wab Kinew, David Eby, and Danielle Smith on energy
Cheryl and Erika debate who really "got a pipeline built"
Why Alberta keeps demanding pipelines — and why the rest of Canada often tunes them out
The famous bitumen bubble that still lives rent-free in Erika's head
Advice to premiers ahead of the G7 summit — and how Trump’s temper still looms large

Who Owns the Missing 12%? Carrie Tait Finally Answers the Big Question

This week, we delve into the scandal that has rocked Alberta politics for more than a year — and we bring in the reporter who broke the story. The Globe and Mail's Carrie Tait joins us to break down: How the AHS scandal first came to light Why new delays in the government's investigation are raising eyebrows What journalists actually do behind the scenes to get these stories published Why this story still matters, and how far it could still go PLUS: We break down this week's First Ministers meeting in Saskatoon, where Mark Carney continues to rewrite the script on federal-provincial relations. Danielle Smith has pivoted — and looks surprisingly comfortable playing national stateswoman. Can she keep it up? AND: A rare stumble for the Carney Liberals: the government loses a House vote — but does it matter? If you want to understand where Alberta politics is heading — and how Ottawa and Edmonton are suddenly getting along — you won’t want to miss this one.

Ballsy Throne Speeches and Banned Books

This week on The Discourse, Cheryl and Erika take you inside one of the most politically packed weeks in Canada—from royal pageantry to banned books to the high-stakes First Ministers' Meeting.
🫅 The King Reads the Script. Carney Steals the Show.For the first time since 1977, the monarch delivers Canada's Speech from the Throne. Cheryl and Erika break down the symbolism, the strategy, and whether Carney’s curtain-raising moment can carry him through a budget delay.
📚 Book Bans or Political Spin?Alberta’s government announces it's pulling “sexually explicit” books from schools. Erika says it's about protecting kids. Cheryl says it’s a smokescreen for censorship. Things get spicy.
🗳️ By-Elections Are On: Nenshi, Republicans, and Riding RealitiesThree Alberta by-elections are set. The NDP’s new leader is running. A separatist party is gaining steam. And conservatives are quietly eyeing gains in Edmonton. We name the ridings, the players, and the stakes.
🤝 First Ministers Meeting: Can Unity Survive the Photo Op?Western premiers show surprising alignment on economic corridors—but can that consensus hold in front of the cameras in Ottawa? Cheryl reflects on what’s real, what’s spin, and who’s most likely to break ranks for a soundbite.
💸 Travel Budget BlowbackA million-dollar increase in government travel—Erika wants to see ROI. Cheryl wants accountability. Both agree: this is one story that could snowball if the receipts aren’t tight.

Separation, Scandal & Sabotage

This week on The Discourse, Erika Barootes and Cheryl unpack the two dominant themes in Alberta politics: scandal and separation—with a healthy side of political theater.
We start with a deep dive into the UCP health procurement scandal. Alberta Health Services’ former CEO, Athena Mentzelopoulos, dropped a $1.7M lawsuit accusing the government of shady dealings with private surgical contracts. Now, former Chief of Staff Marshall Smith is punching back with a $12M defamation suit against Mentzelopoulos and the Globe and Mail. Is it a desperate move or a dangerous miscalculation?
Then it’s on to Alberta’s separatist movement. Between the Republican Party of Alberta, the Alberta Prosperity Project, and Thomas Lukaszuk’s pro-Canada counter-petition, the province’s political fringes are making noise. But are they making sense? Erika and Cheryl discuss public sentiment, the real economic risks, and whether this movement has any legs beyond Facebook pages and town halls.
We wrap with some spicy commentary on upcoming by-elections—especially the one in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, where Republican leader Cam Davies is running—and a questionable “MLA Dashboard” that outs politicians as separatists… according to who, exactly?
🔑 Topics Covered:
UCP health procurement scandal: who’s suing whom and why
Why Marshall Smith’s lawsuit might have backfired
Separation anxiety: the rise of Alberta's independence movement
Thomas Lukaszuk's surprising re-entry into the chat
Political strategy vs. personal brand-building
The most awkward "scorecard" in Alberta politics
By-election battles that could change the game

Danielle Smith’s Tightrope: Can She Keep Alberta and the UCP United?

This week on The Discourse, Cheryl and Erika go deeper into the wildfire of Western alienation that's setting inboxes, headlines, and political panels ablaze. With new separatist parties gaining steam and Danielle Smith refusing to pick a side, the Premier may be running out of room to maneuver—and that could be big trouble for the UCP come election time.
The hosts break down:
Why Alberta’s political culture is uniquely flammable—and why Danielle Smith keeps adding fuel.
How a new federal cabinet and a looming by-election are turning up the heat on Premier Smith to finally pick a side.
What the Saskatchewan NDP is doing right by reframing the separation debate—and why Alberta’s NDP should take notes.
How government chaos inside the Alberta legislature is being buried by chaos outside it, and what consequential bills are slipping through the cracks.
Plus: deputy minister shuffles, federal cabinet reactions, and a very honest trip down memory lane on the 10-year anniversary of Alberta’s NDP win.
If you’re trying to keep up with the current pace of Alberta politics… good luck. But start here.

Albertastan - Danielle Smith's Dangerous Dance with Separatism

This week on The Discourse, Cheryl and Erika wade into the political firestorm Premier Danielle Smith kicked off with her live address on Alberta’s sovereignty. Cheryl opens with a scathing monologue on why Smith’s refusal to outright reject separation has real consequences — politically, economically, and reputationally. Erika counters that Smith’s move is about getting ahead of grassroots frustration, not fuelling separatism. Sparks fly as they unpack what it means to lower the referendum threshold, who’s really behind the push for independence, and whether Smith is preserving democracy or playing footsie with Take Back Alberta.
From there, your hosts tackle:
Whether Alberta’s “Fair Deal 2.0” will be an actual educational tool — or just more grievance theatre.
Naheed Nenshi’s fiery “just do it” dare to Smith, and why Cheryl thinks it’s playing with fire.
The Carney-Trump Oval Office meeting: why both hosts were (cautiously) impressed.
Smith vs. Ford: two premiers, two very different tones on working with Prime Minister Carney.
What the Alberta NDP’s new federal opt-out means — and whether 89% is really a strong number for Nenshi.
And a preview of three coming by-elections in Alberta: what each party’s strategy might be, and whether the UCP will continue to drag out the timeline for Nenshi’s seat.
Listen now for a fiery debate on democracy, discontent, and the future of Alberta.

The Election That Everyone Lost

Canada has spoken… kind of. The Liberals are back with a minority, the Conservatives won the West but lost the race, and the NDP? Well, Jagmeet Singh lost his seat and resigned.
This week, Cheryl and Erika are unfiltered, exhausted, and deeply in their feels. They dig into:
Why this was an election where every party lost something
Poilievre’s future: is he safe from the Conservative firing squad?
How the NDP holds the balance of power despite a devastating loss
The East-West divide: is Canada more fractured than ever?
What Danielle Smith’s post-election statement reveals about her strategy
Why separatist talk in Alberta is growing louder—and riskier
Plus: the subtle power moves behind leadership speculation, the role of advance votes, and what Mark Carney must do in his first 90 days to calm the country down.
This is the episode where no one gets spared—except maybe Donald Trump, who might be the only person grinning at the results.