The Line: Alberta Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Line: Alberta Podcast

The Line

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/8d. Total Eps: 29

The Line: Alberta Podcast, hosted by veteran broadcaster and columnist Rob Breakenridge, is a weekly show that takes a closer look at stories that matter to Albertans and all Canadians. For more, go to Alberta.ReadTheLine.ca.

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http://alberta.readtheline.ca/
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https://www.readtheline.ca/p/matt-gurney-the-edmonton-police-did
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Score global : 37%

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Why Alberta invoked the notwithstanding clause - and why organized labour is so outraged

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • Duration 43:53

In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the debate around the notwithstanding clause and Alberta’s decision to invoke Section 33 of the Charter as part of their back-to-work legislation to end the teachers’ strike.

First of all, we’ll hear a defence of the notwithstanding clause and Alberta’s decision to apply it in this situation. We’ll hear from Geoffrey Sigalet, director of the UBC Research Group for Constitutional Law, an assistant professor of political science at UBC Okanagan, and senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. He argues that Alberta is on solid legal and constitutional ground with its BIll 2.

On the other side, however, the Alberta Federation of Labour is quite outraged over BIll 2, and the use of the notwithstanding clause specifically. They’re describing it as an attack on organized labour and labour rights in the province. The AFL has even raised the spectre of a general strike in response to the government’s actions. We’ll hear from AFL president Gil McGowan.

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Teachers strike ends, but tensions escalate - What the back-to-work legislation means

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 • Duration 36:06

In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the Alberta government’s decision to introduce back-to-work legislation.

Alberta teachers went on strike over three weeks ago and after virtually no progress was made at the bargaining table, the Alberta government has taken the opportunity with the fall sitting of the Legislature underway to use the metaphorical hammer to end the strike. Bill 2, the Back to School Act, was tabled in the Legislature Monday afternoon. The expectation is that classes will resume on Wednesday (Oct. 29).

In bringing an end to the strike, the government is taking two very controversial steps: they’ll be invoking the notwithstanding clause to shield the back-to-work legislation from a Charter challenge and they’ll also be imposing a four-year contract on teachers - the terms of which are very similar to those contained in the offer that was widely rejected by teachers in late September. Suffice to say, this will not go over well.

In this episode, Rob speaks with Peter MacKay, an Alberta teacher who was previously lead negotiator for the Alberta Teachers Association. We’ll get his thoughts on how things got to this point, what led to the strike in the first place, and the pressures teachers are dealing with amid all of these unresolved issues.

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The economic benefits and pitfalls of Alberta's reliance on energy development

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 • Duration 34:21

In this episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge is joined by Dr. Kent Fellows, assistant professor of economics at the University of Calgary and fellow-in-residence at the C.D. Howe Institute.

Sagging oil prices have once again highlighted the perils of Alberta’s over-reliance on energy revenues, even if the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has helped to provide a revenue boost. This fiscal uncertainty comes at a time when Alberta is hoping Ottawa can deliver on some major new energy infrastructure - including, of course, a new pipeline - and potentially help pave the way for economic and energy corridors that could allow such projects to be fast-tracked in the future.

We’ll get some insight from Prof. Fellows on the economics underlying all of this: the implications of fluctuating oil prices on Alberta’s budget, the challenges of pipeline capacity and infrastructure development, as well as the political factors in the energy debate that often cloud what economic considerations.

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Alberta Provincial Police Force - Meeting Alberta’s policing needs, or serving Alberta’s political agenda?

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 • Duration 37:37

In this episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge delves into the future of policing in Alberta and whether that will - or should - involve the creation of an Alberta Provincial Police Force.

The RCMP contract for community policing ends in 2032, and we may see the RCMP exit community policing altogether in favour of a more focused, national mandate. At the same time, however, the idea of Alberta shedding a federal institution in favour of something Alberta-made and Alberta-branded has taken on added political significance. The UCP government is keen on establishing greater autonomy for Alberta and this change is seen as one way of accomplishing that.

We’ll hear in this episode from Kara Westerlund, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. They’re worried about the impact such a change could have on their communities and their budgets, and they feel like their voices are not being heard in this debate. Plus, we’ll also get some perspective from Mount Royal University criminology professor Dr. Kelly Sundberg who has been following and studying this issue for years - what are the costs and benefits of establishing an Alberta Provincial Police Force?

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All eyes on Battle River - Crowfoot. Why an Alberta byelection has taken on national significance

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 • Duration 35:29

In this episode of The Line: Alberta, Rob Breakenridge and Bonnie Critchley discuss the byelection campaign in the Alberta riding of Battle River - Crowfoot. Bonnie is a resident of the riding and a 22-year veteran of the Canadian Forces. She has stepped forward as an independent candidate in this byelection, and has made quite an impact on the race.

Critchley shares her thoughts on how voters feel about going back to the polls so soon, how they feel about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre landing in the riding after losing his own seat, the antics of the Longest Ballot Committee, and the issues that are dominating the conversation among folks in this sprawling east-central Alberta riding.

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Conversation with a separatist - Why are so many Albertans ready to sever ties with the rest of Canada?

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 • Duration 45:49

In this conversation, Rob Breakenridge and Martin Belanger delve into the complexities surrounding Alberta's push for separation from Canada. They explore the historical context, personal experiences, and the evolving political landscape that has led to a growing sentiment for independence among Albertans. Belanger shares his journey from being an outsider to embracing Alberta's culture, while also discussing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the separatist movement. The conversation touches on the potential for a referendum, the role of leadership, and the economic implications of separation, all framed within the broader narrative of Alberta's identity and future.

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Why the rosy fiscal claims of Alberta separatists don't add up

Wednesday, July 30, 2025 • Duration 30:24

In this conversation, Rob Breakenridge and Trevor Tombe discuss Alberta's current fiscal challenges, including the pressures from fluctuating oil prices and the implications of potential independence from Canada. They explore the motivations behind the independence movement, particularly economic factors, and clarify misconceptions about the equalization system. The discussion also covers the financial responsibilities that would come with separation, the impact
on trade, and the importance of informed decision-making in light of historical precedents like Brexit.

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Welcome to The Line: Alberta Podcast.

Friday, July 25, 2025 • Duration 16:08

Hear Jen Gerson and Rob Breakenridge, the host of The Line: Alberta Podcast, talk about this exciting new expansion for The Line.

Digging into the details of the new report on Alberta’s healthcare procurement scandal

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 • Duration 34:52

In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the controversy surrounding procurement at Alberta Health Services and what we learned last week with the release of a major report into the matter.

Retired Manitoba judge Raymond Wyant was brought in by the province to conduct a third-party investigation into the contract for the 2022 purchase of children’s pain medication, as well as contracts to conduct publicly-funded surgeries at private clinics.

The report concludes that there were conflicts of interest and that policies were not followed, but it also found no evidence of wrongdoing by any elected officials or any political staffers. The premier's former chief of staff, Marshall Smith, has also denied any wrongdoing.

The opposition, though, has pointed to limits in the scope of this investigation and say the report only strengthens the case for a public inquiry.

In this episode, a conversation with Carrie Tait, reporter with the Calgary bureau of The Globe and Mail. She has done some important work on this story and helped bring many aspects of this controversy to light. We’ll get her insight on what this report uncovered, what questions remain unanswered, and where this whole scandal goes from here.

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Public dollars, private schools - does Alberta need to reconsider how it funds education?

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 • Duration 32:07

In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the debate around education funding in Alberta. The province-wide teachers’ strike has helped to illustrate some of the challenges and frustrations that have been building up in the public school system. Alberta’s population has risen rapidly in recent years, and it’s been a challenge for the system to keep up with sufficient space and teacher levels, leading to crowded classrooms and stressed out educators. Along the way, Alberta has seen its per-student education funding fall to the lowest of all the provinces.

Alberta is also unique in the public dollars that support private education. That funding follows the student and represents 70 per of what the per-student public funding. The broader debate around education policy has drawn in this particular aspect of the Alberta system - should Alberta continue to spend public dollars on private education.

In this episode, we’ll hear two different perspectives on that question. Alicia Taylor is a high school chemistry teacher in Calgary and is the organizer of a petition campaign that is hoping to use Alberta’s legislation to force a referendum on ending public funding of private schools. Meanwhile, Catharine Kavanagh is western stakeholder director at the think tank Cardus - they argue that Alberta’s emphasis on choice in education - and the diversity of options outside of the public system - delivers many benefits.

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The Line: Alberta Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Line: Alberta Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other2

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Other2

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities