Rob Breakenridge Show

In the aftermath of the referendum on Alberta’s future in Canada, Premier Danielle Smith has urged her party to unite and focus on winning next year’s election. But to what extent are the UCP hoping that a more favourable electoral map can help them in their quest for victory? In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll take a closer look at the controversy around the province’s new electo...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show: the latest on whether the American midterm elections could bring Canada and the U.S. closer to a trade deal - and why it’s so crucial to find a resolution. We’ll re-cap what both Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump had to say this week, amid reports of some potential progress on the trade front. We’re joined this week by Joseph S...

After months of debate, Albertans have delivered a decisive verdict on the province’s future, with just over three-quarters of voters rejecting separation and choosing to remain a part of Canada. It’s a resounding defeat for the Alberta separatist movement, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the movement is finished. In this episode of The Rob Breakenridge Show, we take a closer look at the resu...

The referendum on Alberta’s future is just days away - what should we expect on October 19th, and what comes after? In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’re joined by political columnist Lorne Gunter for an in-depth discussion on how the question of separation made its way to the ballot box and the potential political fallout once those ballots are counted. Gunter argues that even if se...

The separatist Parti Québécois are back in power in Quebec — just as Albertans are set to vote on their own province’s future within Canada. In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’re joined by Globe & Mail columnist Andrew Coyne for a closer look at the results in Quebec, the upcoming Alberta referendum, and what it all means for Canada. We start with a conversation about what happened i...

In this episode, a closer look at this week’s announcement regarding the proposed new west coast pipeline (now known as Pacific Link) - the potential impact this project could have, and whether it symbolizes a shift in Canada’s approach to building major projects and attracting investment. Up first, a conversation with Deborah Yedlin, President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. We’ll get...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show: The loss of a supposedly safe UCP riding is a warning sign for Alberta’s governing party, and an indicator of how the government’s referendum strategy is casting a huge shadow on Alberta politics. With just over a month to go before the vote on Alberta’s future in Canada, the Alberta NDP pulled off a significant upset by prevailing in Monday’s byelecti...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at the two very consequential issues that loom large over both Alberta and the rest of Canada. First up, we’re joined by Adam Legge, president of the Business Council of Alberta, as we discuss their new “Choose Canada” campaign ahead of the pivotal October 19 referendum. While conceding that Alberta has legitimate grievances with Ottawa,...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at the debate around Alberta’s future with now less than two months to go before a very consequential October 19th referendum. We’re joined by Monte Solberg, one of the founders of the group Vote to Stay - Monte, of course, was a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a long time Conservatives / Canadian Alliance / Refor...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll take a closer look at how we went from an apparent Canada-US trade deal last week to now what’s being described as a “trade war.” It’s an ideal opportunity for a conversation with veteran Ottawa political journalist Paul Wells - who, by the way, will be in Calgary on September 28th for the Paul Wells Road Show , featuring - among other guests - A...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll dive into the controversy that unfolded in Edmonton this week around an Edmonton Police Service anti-hate campaign. That campaign included a video posted on social media, urging citizens to report instances of hate - even those that are non-criminal in nature. We’ll speak with Josh Dehaas, litigation director for the Canadian Constitution Foundat...

In this week’s episode of The Rob Breakenridge Show: what air travellers need to know about the potential for huge disruptions, two big takeaways from the latest Danielle Smith-Mark Carney get together, plus - reflections on an emotionally draining two weeks in Calgary and the tragic end to the search for a missing boy. Up first, a conversation with Dr. Gabor Lukacs, founder and president of Air P...

Here we go again. Canada finds itself plunged back into trade drama with the United States, as President Donald Trump has announced his intention to place large new tariffs on a number of Canadian goods. The prime minister hasn’t yet tipped his hand as to Canada’s response, but says his government “will do whatever it takes” and that “everything is on the table.” In this episode of the Rob Breaken...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a look back on a very busy week in Alberta. We start with a re-cap of the string of major announcements from the premier, including more pipeline projects and a major data centre investment in the province. What does this all mean for the economic and political climate in Alberta? Also, we check back in with Alberta country music artist Corb Lund to ge...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show: a closer look at Thursday’s big pipeline announcement and whether a new west coast pipeline has truly taken a major step toward becoming reality. Following announcements and agreements with the premiers of both B.C. and Alberta, Prime Minister Mark Carney looks to have laid the groundwork for a west coast pipeline to be approved and fast-tracked under...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a conversation with Alberta country musician and Water Not Coal petition organizer Corb Lund. The goal of the petition campaign was to force a referendum on banning coal mining projects in the eastern slopes of the Rockies. After months of hard work, the petitions have been submitted to Elections Alberta. Based on their count, Lund says they cleared mo...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, veteran political columnist Lorne Gunter joins Rob to break down another fascinating political week in Alberta. We start with the announcement this week from Premier Danielle Smith that the province is forsaking a mandate gas tax cut and instead opting to send $100 rebates to over three million Albertans. While affordability remains a top concern in th...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at Ottawa’s new Bill C-34, also known as the Safe Social Media Act. The bill including a new ban on social media for children under 16 (with some exceptions), and also creates the new Digital Safety Commission to over see the newly created ‘duty to act responsibly” “duty to protect children” that the bill imposes on social media companies...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, the latest on the state of the Canadian economy and the debate sparked this week over whether Canada has fallen into recession. We’ll hear from Charles St-Arnaud, Chief Economist with Servus Credit Union, who notes that while the last two quarters show a small contraction, the overall trend has been stagnant, dragged down by reduced population growth,...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, the debate around Alberta’s future is heating up amid the official announcement of the October 19th referendum. We’ll be joined by Ken Boessenkool , who’s one of the founders of a new group called Lead Not Leave , which also includes former Alberta finance ministers Jim Dinning and Travis Toews. Their goal is to make the case for keeping the province i...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll focus on the major development that occurred this week in Alberta: the announcemengt from Premier Danielle Smith of an October referendum on Alberta’s future. The question itself is controversial though: it's not one where the outcome means Alberta separates from Canada, but it’s not a meaningless question, either. It’s muddled enough that neithe...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at two major stories from this week: the new pipeline agreement between Alberta and Ottawa as the court decision that, for now, has quashed the separatist campaign to force a referendum. We’re joined in this episode by Andrew Leach, who’s an energy and environmental economist at the University of Alberta, and holds join appointments in bo...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we hear from Martha Hall Findlay, director of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary Amid shifting global circumstances and economic pressures here at home, Hall Findlay is calling for a strategic rethink of Canada’s energy priorities - specifically as it applies to the Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding (MOU). One of the pill...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at the movement and debate that is dominating Alberta politics at the moment: Alberta separatism. Our guest this week is Tyler Dawson, he’s a journalist at the Globe & Mail and author of the new book “The Republic of Alberta: An Idea That Won’t Go Away.” The book dives into the historical roots of the Alberta’s separatist movement and see...

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at some key debates raging in Alberta as we speak with Peter Guthrie, former UCP MLA and cabinet minister who is now leader of the upstart Alberta Progressive Tory Party. We’ll delve into the debate around Alberta’s electoral boundaries and whether the government’s rejection of the report from the Electoral Boundaries Commission is part o...