Touch Grass and Calm Down

Are we governing for the moment? Or reacting to it?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips break down three political pressure points, and what they reveal about leadership in high-stakes moments.

First: The fallout from the Tumbler Ridge tragedy in B.C. After reporting revealed OpenAI had flagged violent content from the alleged shooter but did not alert authorities, the panel digs into AI regulation, public safety, and the politics of crisis response. How fast can governments realistically move? And when international media drives the story, does that change the pressure on Ottawa?

Then: Alberta’s referendum fight. With multiple groups organizing against separatism, and others pushing citizen initiatives of their own, is decentralized activism a strength or a liability? What does effective organizing actually look like before the writ drops?

Plus: a new segment, The Opinionati. When progressive columnists publicly question Naheed Nenshi’s leadership, what happens inside caucus? Is this a real warning sign — or just the hyper-engaged political class talking to itself? And if there is a pivot coming, what would it look like?

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AI, organizing, narrative control, and a reminder that sometimes the most strategic move is to touch grass and calm down.

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