You Can’t Half-Win This

What does it mean to win a referendum if the result still leaves the separatist movement alive and kicking?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips look ahead to Alberta’s referendum and ask what a decisive federalist victory would actually have to look like.

First: turnout. More than 200,000 Albertans have already requested special ballots, but does that tell us anything about who is motivated, which side has the advantage, or how ugly election day could get with ten separate questions on the ballot?

Then: Shannon argues that simply winning is not enough: if separatists come out of the referendum with 30 or 35 per cent support, does Alberta really get to move on, or does the issue dominate provincial politics for years to come? Plus, what AOC’s social media series says about reproductive health, political communication and reaching audiences far beyond the usual political conversation.

Plus, for everyone: the long-awaited return of the Balance of Power Quarterly Report, with what Annalise, Leah and Shannon have been reading, watching and obsessing over lately. And a reminder that Patreon subscribers get extended episodes and no ads.

Turnout, separatism, healthcare, affordability, AOC, books, and why sometimes winning isn’t enough.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

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