The Press Gallery: Inside Alberta politics

Which candidate did the United Conservative Party parachute into the Edmonton-Meadows riding for the spring provincial election?

What government bills prompted the NDP to mount filibusters, and how many hours did the longest marathon debate take?

Who bragged about laying pipe during the televised leaders' debate?

Join legislature columnist Keith Gerein, managing editor Dave Breakenridge and National Post Alberta correspondent Tyler Dawson as host Janet French tests their knowledge of the wacky year in provincial politics that was 2019.

Good stuff from the Gallery

Keith recommends Paul Wells’ take on the end of Andrew Scheer’s tenure as leader of the federal Conservatives, the tensions within the party and where the movement goes from here.

Dave recommends a New York times interactive piece about how the opioid crisis affected people who came of age at the turn of the millennium.

Janet wants you to listen to an emotional episode of the NPR podcast Hidden Brain, which explores choices about end-of-life care through the eyes of one family.

Tyler enjoyed a ProPublica investigation into a lifelong con artist whose jailhouse snitching could lead to a man's execution.

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Thank goodness that’s over. Hansard scribes, security guards, clerks, press gallery members and, likely, many others are in for some relief after an intense fall sitting of the 30th legislature ended at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

Join reporter Lisa Johnson, managing editor Dave Breakenridge, legislature columnist Keith Gerein and host Janet French as they review a jammed eight-week sitting, stuffed with 16 pieces of government legislation, one private members' bill, and a bunch of motions and government announcements.

The crew also discuss the tension between parties inside and outside the legislative chamber and some strained relationships between the provincial government and local governments, like city councils and school boards.

Good stuff from the gallery Lisa was captivated by the recently published story, "Why some Muslim women take off the hijab," by Haneen Al-Hassoun. It's a "taboo and sensitive topic in the Muslim community — but it's a reality that can't be ignored," Al-Hassoun tweeted about the story.

Dave recommends everyone watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which turns 30 this year, and have a read about why it’s an enduring Christmas classic.

Janet, who misses interviewing non-politicians, recommends the first part of a Financial Post series by Geoffrey Morgan about the effects on small town Alberta of changes in the energy industry.

Keith recommends a feature on how the federal government has been failing Afghan-Canadians who played a dangerous and vital role during our 10-year war against the Taliban.

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Cupcake, anyone? We're celebrating an unbelievable 300th episode of the Press Gallery today, which adds up to at least 6,000 hours of Alberta politics analysis since this podcast began in 2013. Profuse thanks to all the listeners who have stuck with us through these whiplash-inducing six years in the legislature and beyond. This week, join legislature columnist Keith Gerein, business columnist David Staples, managing editor Dave Breakenridge and host Janet French as they chat about the continuing fallout from government's firing of election commissioner Lorne Gibson and what that means for future investigations into people who break election law. They also tackle a newly announced freeze on new photo radar equipment and locations in Alberta while the province requests cities to conduct a standardized study to collect safety data. Finally, the panelists look at a few potentially awkward moves this week from the Opposition NDP. Then they stuff their faces with carrot cake cupcakes and some cookies thoughtfully sent along by recently departed host Emma Graney. The Press Gallery podcast was the brainchild of our brilliant former colleague, Sarah O'Donnell, who came up with the idea before podcasts were A Big Thing. Talented and delightful photojournalist Ryan Jackson initially set us up with the equipment to record the podcast back in 2013.

Since then, our weekly gabfest had also been hosted by the formidable Mariam Ibrahim, then unforgettable Australian, Emma Graney. Our oft-suffering producer is Carson Jerema. Thank you to everyone who has appeared on, filmed or edited The Press Gallery over the years.

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It had a benign-sounding name: the Reform of Agencies, Boards and Commissions and Government Enterprises Act.

But Bill 22 caused a real ruckus this week, including allegations of government corruption and orations about threats to democracy.

Among the reforms in this omnibus bill of administrative changes meant to save the government money was the termination of Alberta’s election commissioner.

Regular podcast listeners will know that since his position was created in July 2018, election commissioner Lorne Gibson has-been investigating and penalizing dozens of election financing violations, many of them connected to the 2017 United Conservative Party leadership race.

Join legislature columnist Keith Gerein, managing editor Dave Breakenridge, reporter Lisa Johnson and host Janet French as they review the fallout.

The crew also also follows the latest developments on Bill 207, a controversial private members’ bill about health care workers’ conscience rights that could have implications for patient access to medical care.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also appointed his federal cabinet this week, and the panel reviews what his choices mean for Alberta.

Good stuff from the gallery Lisa is excited after watching this trailer for the Mr. Rogers movie, Won't You Be My Neighbor (American spelling alert!), which is streaming on Netflix in Canada. Along with this great New York Times long read about Fred Rogers, it ought to restore a little bit of your faith in humanity — and get you primed for the Tom Hanks feature film A Beautiful Day.

Dave recommends the HBO series Watchmen, which is a sort-of sequel to the original 1986 graphic novel. It's available on Crave in Canada, and the Journal's Fish Griwkowsky offered a write-up about what makes the series so good.

One of the questions raised in Alberta politics this week was, can the lieutenant-governor refuse to grant a bill royal assent? Is it a thing that's done? National Post columnist Colby Cosh says, pffft — no. Janet wants you to read his column, A letter that should not exist: On Notley's obnoxious viceregal fantasy.

Keith recommends a Washington Post feature on how the United States is attempting to combat a rural physician shortage using digital and video technology in a way that seems somewhat extreme.

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It may have been constituency week at the legislature, but things didn’t slow down for a moment in politics.

Join legislature columnist Keith Gerein, National Post Alberta correspondent Tyler Dawson, managing editor Dave Breakenridge and host Janet French as they dissect Premier Jason Kenney’s announcement of a panel that will test Albertans’ appetites for more autonomy, including ideas like an Alberta pension plan or independent provincial police force.

The gang will also assess the fallout from another revelation of travel expenses by one of the premier’s senior advisers and dig into why Jason Kenney is trading barbs with the leader of the Bloc Quebecois.

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It was another breakneck week in Alberta provincial politics, and Premier Jason Kenney hit some turbulence on Thursday when the opposition revealed Albertans had paid more than $16,000 to fly him, three other "like-minded premiers," and some of their wives and staff on a charter plane from a Calgary meeting to the Council of the Federation gathering in Saskatoon last July.

Join legislature columnist Keith Gerein, reporter Lisa Johnson, managing editor Dave Breakenridge and host Janet French as they discuss the flight fallout, as well as more revelations trickling out from the provincial budget and a controversial new private members' bill that examines doctors' conscience rights.

Good stuff from the gallery Lisa may have described this book, Trick Mirror, as being "about the internet," but it only uses social media as a jumping-off point for some engaging and ingenious essays. Maybe it's about how we see ourselves in the middle of a tornado of terrifying and distorted information bouncing and refracting all around us? Anyway, it's been touted as "an instant classic of the worst decade yet."

Dave recommends a piece by Jen Gerson in Macleans magazine on why some Albertans are fed up with Canada.

For this week's finest political theatre, Janet insists you watch the Thursday committee meeting in which Opposition leader Rachel Notley grills Premier Jason Kenney on the aforementioned flights and other executive council hires and expenses, and Kenney deftly lobs back some zingers.

For the parents, Janet also recommends the Chicken Squad books by Doreen Cronin. They are short, yellow, fuzzy, and sharply humorous for the delight of both adults and kids.

Keith is recommending two informative articles speculating on the political and economic implications of a radical idea gaining more traction in Alberta: pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan and establishing our own.

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It's been a trying week for Alberta's public sector unions. The United Conservative Party government wants to make changes to their pension plans, amend the law to allow replacement workers, and cut 7.7 per cent of the public service by 2023.

Then on Tuesday, Finance Minister Travis said public sector employers like Alberta Health Services and the government would be seeking wage cuts of two-to-five per cent when heading into arbitration hearings.

Join reporter Lisa Johnson, managing editor Dave Breakenridge, legislature columnist Keith Gerein and host Janet French as they dive into the tension between unions and government, two omnibus bills that were tabled on Monday containing a laundry list of proposed tweaks and the government's new plan for Alberta's carbon tax on heavy industrial emitters.

Good stuff from the gallery Season 5 of sitcom Schitt's Creek was recently released on Netflix, and Lisa has been watching it "with the vigour of a wartime radio operator" — to use a turn-of-phrase from the show's Moira Rose, played by the inimitable Catherine O'Hara. Good clean CanCon fun.

Dave recommends Season 3 of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast, which focuses on the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

Janet recommends a masterful work of literary journalism from the 1990s she recently finished reading: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt. It explores the zany characters of Savannah, Georgia, and high-profile murder of an unsavoury chap.

Keith is recommending an unusual whodunnit that also serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who books short-term accommodation rentals online. The Vice story tracks one woman’s investigation to discover how she was scammed on a trip to Chicago.

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There was practically no news in Alberta this week: A little federal election here, a long-awaited provincial budget there.

Join legislature columnist Keith Gerein, reporter Moira Wyton, managing editor Dave Breakenridge and host Janet French as they catch their breath from a week of sprinting between political news events.

They'll talk about what Edmonton and Alberta voters chose in Monday's federal election, touch on highlights of the United Conservative Party government's first provincial budget and look more closely at some of the changes coming to Alberta post-secondary education as a result of that budget.

As always, they've got Good Stuff from the Gallery recommendations:

-Dave says people should check out the trailer for Postmedia's new true crime podcast, The Dark North, which launches Nov. 4, and focuses on the gangs of Montreal. Dave interviewed host and reporter Paul Cherry about the podcast and the most recent killing in Montreal's simmering mob war.

-Keith recommends an eye-opening piece about how climate change, paired with political dysfunction, has the Indonesian capital of Jakarta in serious peril from rising sea levels.

-Janet enjoyed a podcast from BBC Radio 4 called You're Dead to Me, described as "the history podcast for people who don't like history ... and those who do." A comedian and a historian pair up to deliver a crash course in a historical character or topic in a funny and engaging way.

-Moira points to an urgent piece in the Star by Omar Mosleh about the atrocities and ongoing harm caused by one of the most deadly residential schools in Canada, right here in Alberta.

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A packed week in Alberta politics culminated with a huge climate protest at the Alberta legislature as international figure and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg came to speak about the science of climate change.

Join reporters Anna Junker and Jason Herring, managing editor Dave Breakenridge and host Janet French as they discuss the politics behind the climate protest, the latest local twist in the federal election campaign. They also look at a difficult day at the legislature when grieving families of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team pushed for an end to truck driver training exemptions.

This week’s good stuff from the gallery should delight many of your senses.

Jason recommends Two Hands, a new album by Brooklyn folk rock band, Big Thief. You can watch their first single, “Not,” on YouTube. 

In the world of playlists and shuffled tracks, Dave makes a heartfelt pitch for the resurgence of the album, sparked by this blog post on A Journey of Musical Things.

Janet recommends Jason Markusoff’s piece, Scrubbing the Oilsands Record, in Maclean’s magazine, which challenges the narrative that Alberta’s oil and gas are the cleanest in the world. 

Anna thinks politics watchers will love The Politician, a Netflix comedy-drama satirical show starring Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

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The Alberta legislature grounds had a back-to-school feel this week as MLAs returned to the capital for the fall sitting of the government’s first session.

As colourful leaves fluttered down, so did a few new pieces of legislation, with House Leader Jason Nixon pledging to introduce between 14 and 17 bills during the next nine weeks.

Join reporter Moira Wyton, managing editor Dave Breakenridge, National Post reporter Tyler Dawson and host Janet French as they break down some political highlights from the week, including an unexpected piece of legislation to fire the board of Alberta’s real estate regulator. 

We’ll also dive into the federal election's televised leadership debates — in English and French — to suss out if any of the contenders spared a thought Alberta’s way. 

Finally, the UCP government now has a name for its promised war room, which is meant to combat what they say are unfair characterizations of Alberta’s oil and gas industry. We’ll talk about how the Canadian Energy Centre has been set up, who’s at the helm and what the government says it will do.

Good Stuff from the Gallery.

-Moira brings the ear candy with Pitchfork’s list of the 200 best songs of the 2010s 

-Dave: The new season of Broken Record is out. 

-If climate change is a major issue for you as you mull your federal election vote, Janet recommends this Maclean’s piece by energy economist Andrew Leach and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, who rated the major parties’ climate plans for ambition and feasibility.

-If you're a fan of fantasy, you'll want to check out the latest in the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials canon. The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass came out ages ago. Last year, a new novel came out. Last week, The Secret Commonwealth came out. It's set after The Amber Spyglass.

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