Why Alberta invoked the notwithstanding clause - and why organized labour is so outraged
The Line: Alberta PodcastShow Notes
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 assist...
More from The Line: Alberta Podcast
In this episode of The Line: Alberta podcast, a closer look at Alberta's Year of the Referendum. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has set October 19th as referendum day, and she has nine questions to put to Albertans on issues related to immigration and the constitution. That ballot will also include a question on separation, the premier says, if separatists are successful in their petition campaign. The premier has also indicated there could be another question added if a separate petition su...
It's been three months since the Alberta government controversially legislated an end to a bitter teachers' strike, but have conditions in the classroom - which were key issues in the labour dispute - improved at all? The Alberta Teachers Association has released a comprehensive new survey of its members, showing widespread frustration and pessimism about the state of the province's classrooms. This comes as the Alberta government has announced its plans to try and address issues around clas...
Between the Alberta-Ottawa pipeline MOU and the growing push to diversify Canada's export markets, 2026 could prove to be a key year for the oil and gas industry. Still, though, there remains some uncertainty on the policy front and questions linger about whether there's enough political will and determination to make progress and really capitalize on this moment. In this episode of the Line Alberta podcast, Rob Breakenridge speaks with Tristan Goodman, president of the Explorers and Produce...
The topic of Alberta separation has been thrust into the national spotlight, amid the ongoing petition campaign by separatists to force a referendum, and reports about possible U.S. involvement. We've heard provocative comments from Trump's treasury secretary and other Republican and MAGA figures. We've also had new reports about Alberta separatist delegations to Washington, D.C. to seek out meeting with Trump administration officials The group Forever Canadian was launched last year to eith...
In this episode of The Line Alberta podcast, host Rob Breakenridge explores two big topics of interest right now in Alberta: why the U.S. is suddenly so interested in a possible Alberta independence referendum, and what it's going to take to meaningfully diversify the export markets for Alberta oil so that we're less reliant on the Americans. First, a conversation with National Observer columnist Max Fawcett on the current state of debate over Alberta separatism and to what extent we should ...