In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’re joined by Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

Now that Mark Carney and the Liberals now have their majority government, we’ll look at the important decisions they now must make at what has become a pivotal moment for Canada in being able to move forward on major projects and strengthening our economic position.

We’ll talk about the wake-up call contained in a new report from RBC, which looks at how Canada missed out on a trillion dollars worth of investment over the last decade - and how we win that back in the decade ahead and become a destination for major investment.

We’ll also look at the status of the MOU between Alberta and Ottawa and why there’s growing concern around the attached conditions, including higher carbon pricing and an expensive carbon capture system. Has the difficulty in building a pipeline to the west coast made the idea of building a new pipeline to the U.S. more attractive? Is it now just about the path of least resistance, as opposed to the most significant impact?

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll break down the latest floor crossing in Canadian politics: the shocking defection of Marilyn Gladu from the Conservatives to the Liberals. How does an ardent social conservative and harsh critic of the Liberal government - not to mention, a critic of previous floor-crossers - suddenly find herself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Prime Minister Mark Carney?

We’ll hear from political writer and commentator Spencer Fernando and get his analysis of what this means for the Liberals’ quest for a majority government ahead of three key by-elections on Monday. Plus, what is the potential fallout now for embattled Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre?

Plus, we’re joined in this episode by writer, journalist, and academic John Fraser to discuss his new book, “The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada’s Highest Office.” We’ll get Fraser’s thoughts on why the role remains so crucial to Canada’s system of government and why it’s so often misunderstood and underappreciated by Canadians. We’ll also delve into the many fascinating personalities who have held this office - and who Fraser sees as having elevated the position (such as Massey, Vanier, and even Clarkson) to those who have tarnished the office (Julie Payette’s “catastrophic” tenure stands out).

In this episode of Rob Breakenridge Show, we’re joined by Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi. We’ll get his reaction to the victory of Avi Lewis in the Federal NDP Leadership race, and what the hard-left turn of the federal New Democrats means for the Alberta version of the party. Is it time to sever ties (I argue ‘yes’ in my latest column)? Plus, a closer look at how the NDP is trying to hold the UCP’s feet to the fire on several major issues here at home.

Plus, a major new report from the Business Council of Alberta urging government action to speed up approval times for major projects and boost Canada’s ability to attract investment and grow the economy in a meaningful way. We’ll be joined by BCA president Adam Legge to discuss “From Barriers to Breakthroughs”

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at the link between oil & pipelines and our trading relationship with the United States. Recent headlines would suggest that a new pipeline to the U.S. may be back on the table and that this could play a key role in CUSMA re-negotiations.

We’re joined in this episode by Adam Waterous, CEO of Waterous Energy Fund and Executive Chairman at Strathcona Resources. He’s urging government, industry, and Canadians to pay close attention to what’s happening here and to understand the tremendous leverage Canada has right now with regard to American energy needs and energy security. Reviving Keystone XL - or a similar project - could be a win-win for Canada and the U.S. and could help us secure a beneficial trade deal with our most important trading partner.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at two major challenges affecting Canada right now: the political challenges around national unity and the potential return of high inflation, driven by surging oil prices,.

We’ll hear from Mark Milke, founder and president of the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy - they’ve released new polling and a new analysis of how Canadians perceive unfair and unbalanced representation in this country and what steps need to be taken to reduce tensions around national unity. Mark makes the case that it’s western alienation that deserves the most attention right now.

Plus, the Bank of Canada has decided to hold the line on interest rates amid an expectation that the sharp increase in oil prices could once again unleash higher inflation rates. But is there much that monetary policy can do in the face of that sort of supply side shock? We’ll hear from Steve Ambler, he’s David Dodge Chair in Monetary Policy at the CD Howe Institute.

Plus, some thoughts on Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a deep dive on the conflict that is dominating global headlines and rattling global markets - how does this all end for Iran’s regime and the Iranian people?

We’ll speak with Kaveh Shahrooz - he’s a lawyer and human rights activist and also a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

We’ll hear his case for why this military intervention was moral and justifiable and why he’s been frustrated with Canada’s shifting position. We’ll also look at where things stand now with an isolated and degraded regime, but a regime that remains in place for now.

Plus, we’ll take a closer look at why the Iranian people have been rising up in protest against the regime and also why Iran’s rulers have been so hell-bent on acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, a closer look at the of the recent surge in oil prices driven by the conflict in Iran and what it all means for Canada and Alberta in particular.

The US-Israeli attack has dealt quite a blow to the Iranian regime, much uncertainty remains in terms of what happens next and how long this conflict could drag on for. One thing is for sure: it’s all certainly having an impact on global markets, particularly when it comes to the price of oil.

We’ll hear from Rory Johnston, oil market researcher and founder of Commodity Context. We’ll get his insight on the impact this conflict is having on global oil prices and how the price of oil could surge even higher in the days and weeks ahead.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’ll look at the bleak state of Alberta’s finances in the aftermath of a new budget awash in red ink.

The new budget forecasts a deficit of $9.37-billion followed by subsequent deficits for the foreseeable future - all of which violates the government’s own fiscal framework. Spending has reached a record level of almost $84-billion and the budget has become even more reliant on resource revenues. Approximately $24-billion in resource revenue would be needed by next year just to balance the budget.

Debt is set to surpass $100-billion, leaving a mounting annual cost of servicing that debt - now over $3-billion.

So what’s become of the government’s commitment to fiscal conservatism and responsible fiscal management? What’s it going to take to bridge this huge gap between what the government believes it needs to spend versus what’s its prepared to raise in revenue?

We’ll speak with Kris Sims, Alberta Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and get her assessment of this budget and where things are headed fiscally in Alberta.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, we’re joined by Edmonton-based Postmedia columnist Lorne Gunter to take a closer look at some major political developments this week.

We start with some reaction and analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down many of Donald Trump’s tariffs. How excited or relieved should Canadians be and what next for the Canada-U.S. relationship and the prospect of saving the CUSMA trade deal.

We’ll also delve into the televised address from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, which warned about a difficult upcoming budget, but also laid out plans for a number of referendum questions - specifically around immigration policy and constitutional reform - to be put to Albertans on October 19th? Is this smart strategy? A distraction or scapegoat? And could this take the wind out of the sails of separatists?

Plus, as Canada seeks closer trade ties with China, a new report from the Montreal Institute for Global Security warns Canada not to be “naïve” about the threat posed by China. This report examines the phenomenon of transnational repression and the threat it represents to security and democracy in Canada. We’ll be joined by Phil Gurski, one of the report’s co-authors. He spent over 30 years in Canada’s intelligence community and is now a fellow at MIGS.

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show, the latest on the Canada-U.S. relationship amid new threats from Donald Trump and a hopeful sign in the U.S. Congress as the House of Representatives voted to end tariffs on Canada.

Of course, this doesn’t end all of this trade drama and it may not even end these specific tariffs. There is still a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the legality and constitutionality of many of Trump’s tariffs and there is also still the CUSMA/USMCA renegotiations. Trump’s sudden focus on the new Gordie Howe International Bridge shows the degree to which all of this is still very volatile and unpredictable.

We’re joined in this episode by Bryan Riley, director of the Free Trade Initiative at the Washington, DC-based National Taxpayers Union. We’ll get his thoughts on the significance of this week’s developments, and also take a broader look at the negative impact of tariffs and trade barriers, why free trade is worth preserving, and whether it’s possible to rebuild a pro-trade consensus.