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.

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.

📚 Book Bans or Political Spin?

🗳️ By-Elections Are On: Nenshi, Republicans, and Riding Realities

🤝 First Ministers Meeting: Can Unity Survive the Photo Op?

💸 Travel Budget Blowback

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

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.

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.

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.

The last week of the federal campaign is anything but sleepy—Cheryl and Erika go full tilt on everything from budget bombs to Alberta bombshells.

👀 Danielle Smith is absolutely thinking about an early election. We break down the signs, the strategy, and why a 2026 Alberta vote could be coming faster than anyone’s ready for. 

Also in this episode:

💰 Carney drops a banker’s budget— billions more than Trudeau. Is it bold leadership or the most expensive rebrand in Canadian politics?

✂️ Poilievre’s promises: fiscal fantasy or ruthless efficiency?

🧃 Jagmeet’s debate strategy—was he heckling or auditioning for Question Period?

💔 Alberta separatism gets airtime again—why Danielle won’t kill the idea, and how it’s all tied to her next big political move.

😶‍🌫️ Where is Naheed Nenshi? And is silence a strategy?

It’s federal debate week, so we’re taking you inside the room where it happens — no, not the stage — the prep room.

This week, Cheryl and Erika trade war stories from decades of political debate prep, sharing what really goes into those make-or-break moments on the campaign trail. From binders and body language to one-liners and last-minute nerves, we unpack how leaders get ready, what success actually looks like, and why sometimes it’s not what you say — it’s how you look when someone else is saying it.

🎯 What campaigns really want from a debate

🧠 Debate prep secrets: sparring partners, mantras, and muscle memory

📉 Debate disasters and the iconic “Math is hard” moment

📈 What’s at stake for Carney, Poilievre, and Singh

📸 Why the first 15 minutes matter most — and how “debate face” can make or break you

🧥 Rachel vs. Danielle: was the matching blue suit a coincidence or a psych-out?

Plus: Cheryl admits to rolling her eyes at Danielle Smith’s 2023 closer (only to admit it worked), Erika confesses to smuggling Jameson into the green room, and both hosts reveal the high-pressure coaching strategies that shape how Canada’s political leaders show up on stage.

🎧 Whether you’re a debate junkie or a casual voter, this is your backstage pass to the most-watched hour in any campaign.

Subscribe & follow for new episodes every Thursday (except when we break our own rules).

What do you get when you mix a 15,000-person rally, a Boilermaker endorsement, and Mark Carney forgetting the price of strawberries? A pre-debate episode of The Discourse that does not hold back.

This week, Erika and Cheryl throw down over:

🚨 The actual impact of those massive Conservative rallies—crowd size vs. door-knocking power.

🧠 The battle of brains and branding: Is Carney just Pierre with better cufflinks?

🔄 Spousal optics—are campaign kisses strategy, sincerity, or just Pierre cosplay?

🔥 The rise of strategic voting: Should Jagmeet worry? Should Trudeau be thanking him?

📉 Whether Alberta’s love affair with the CPC is officially on a break (again).

🇨🇦 And of course… the Team Canada unity tour, where everyone gets a participation ribbon—unless you're Danielle Smith or Doug Ford.

The debate is coming. Voters are shifting. Stakes are spiking. And your favourite partisan pals are here to make sense of it all—with shade, sass, and semi-respectful disagreement.

🎧 Listen in and lock in your vote—or at least your talking points.

Liberation Day has come and gone, but we’re still drowning in uncertainty. Every hour brings new twists, and today’s no exception. We break down what President Trump said and what it means for the federal election.

Meanwhile, Danielle Smith’s No F**s Given* Tour takes Florida by storm—she won’t be silenced, but will her trip to see Ben Shapiro shake things up back home?

And speaking of silence… is this the beginning of the end for Jagmeet Singh? Could the NDP vanish from Parliament before April is over?