Pull the Fire Alarm

What happens when the agency responsible for running Alberta’s referendum is already warning that it is stretched too thin?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips look at growing concerns around Elections Alberta, the referendum process, and what happens when public confidence starts to erode before voting day even arrives.

First: referendum watch. With hundreds of thousands of special ballots already requested, confusing paperwork in the mail, and Elections Alberta itself warning about chronic understaffing, does the agency have the resources it needs to administer one of the biggest votes in Canadian history?

Then: the trade war enters a new phase as Canadian counter-tariffs take effect. Mark Carney is leaning into a new style of direct-to-camera political communication, while Leah and Shannon argue that Ottawa still has much more work to do to protect workers if the economic pain deepens.

Plus, for Patreon subscribers: Calgary city hall erupts over a confidential budget leak, Jeremy Farkas calls bullshit, and the panel asks what happens when politicians decide the rules no longer apply to them.

Elections Alberta, special ballots, public trust, tariffs, EI reform, and whether it’s time to pull the fire alarm.

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