PolitiCoast

We finally know the results of the 2017 BC election but we still don't know who will be able to win the Green Party's support and form a stable government. Then, we look at the recent dust up between the Vancouver Park's Board and the Vancouver Aquarium. Should we free the whales? Plus our usual quick takes.

There's still lots to talk about in BC politics this week. Who will be Andrew Weaver's dance partner in the coming months? What's the state of the Conservative and NDP leadership races? And what does pollster Mario Canseco think about the state of BC politics?

Because we love you (or at least the sound of our own voices), here's a bonus episode this week! Here we feature some of Scott Gilmore's "New Conservatives" dinner party, thoughts of some of the people there and our hot take after. Then we take a quick look at the Comey firing.

And we thought we wouldn't have a lot to talk about after the election! Here's the first of our special double-header this week. In this part we do our first of what's probably going to become an ongoing series deconstructing what just happened in the BC election. Plus we throw in our quick takes on a number of federal government stories.

The second half of our election night live show! We still didn't know who won as of 11 PM - the Liberals and NDP were tied at 42 with the Greens holding the 3-seat balance of power (exactly Scott's projections) - but we recorded some thoughts and took some listener questions. Thanks to everyone who came out, Our first live show was a huge success and we hope to see you at the next thing! Thanks also to Eli for sponsoring our drinks tonight, any sloppiness in our analysis is due to the alcohol and fine staff at Yagger's.

The first rough cut from our election night live podcast! Minimal editing so forgive any background noise. Thanks to Yagger's Downtown for hosting us!

It's our final pre-election show! We sit down with Bryan Bruguet of www.tooclosetocall.ca to talk polls, election models and predicting the outcome of Tuesday's election. Then we dive further into the election as a whole. Finally, we look at what fundraising data means for the Conservative and NDP leadership races.

Christy Clark, Andrew Weaver and John Horgan squared off in the televised debate. Who won and who lost? The Greens have released their full platform, how much does it cost and how does it compare? Trump launches a trade-war with Canada over softwood lumber, how will we fight back? And finally, Kevin O'Leary surprised everyone by quitting the Conservative leadership race. Is it now smooth sailing for Mad Max?

The first head-to-head-to-head debate of the 2017 BC Election happened yesterday and we're here to break down who won, who lost, who hulked out and who politely raised his hand. Then, we touch on housing policy in Ontario and the surprise call for a UK election. In our last segment, we have an interview with Victoria Beacon-Hill Green Party candidate Kalen Harris that pulls back the curtain on how campaigns operate.

A special midweek election bonus episode for you. Ian & Scott sat down on Sunday evening with the leaders of Your Political Party and the BC Libertarians. Then Ian sat down in Victoria with University of Victoria economist Lindsay Tedds to break down the economics of the platforms that have been released to date.

The BC Liberals and BC NDP have released their platforms but will they hold the weight of their supporters' ambitions? The federal Liberals have released their draft cannabis act but is it more than a lot of hot smoke? And a clip from our interview with BC Greens Communications Coordinator Ryan Clayton. Make sure to check out This is Lotusland for the whole interview.

The BC Ombudsperson released a report into the BC Government's decision to fire eight key Ministry of Health employees in 2012. Will this scandal stick to Teflon Christy Clark? Next, the provinces have finally agreed a free trade agreement with the federal government. Will Canada finally be a free market oasis? Then we take a look at the politics around Trump's decision to launch missiles at Syria this week. Finally, as our special treat, we have about half our our interview with NDP MLA David Eby. Catch the full recording soon on a special crossover episode with This Is Lotusland.

The Vancouver Housing Reset Report, the BC Greens have some policy and a New Conservative Dinner Party.

The Trudeau Liberal's 2017 budget is out. Did they manage to find enough red ink to get it printed in time? Next, the Conservative leadership race is embroiled in another scandal as over 1300 inappropriately signed up members are struck from the party's list. Then a quick dive into Alberta politics as we catch up on how Jason Kenney is making waves in the province.

The Trudeau Liberals are proposing some changes to the way the House of Commons functions. Ian & Scott look at whether these will improve civility or stifle opposition. Then, Christy Clark's bill to solve BC's fundraising scandals is out and it's somewhat underwhelming. What really was the point of this? And we look at the state of the NDP leadership race following their first debate - or, more accurately, group icebreaker. Finally, big news this week as we announce our partnership with TheDarkHorse.Report This new Vancouver-based blog looks to make politics more accessible and already has a nice poll aggregator to keep up with the upcoming BC election. Check it out, where you can find our latest episodes and more great analysis. March is #TryPod month so help spread the word about this and other great podcasts. Make it your goal to get a friend hooked on podcasts before the end of the month.

A massive story this week in The Globe and Mail demonstrates that BC does actually have at least one campaign finance law - and it may have been broken in BC. What will this mean for the BC Liberals and will they fix it next week? Then, we delve into a series of stories about efforts to point the blame and provide patchwork solutions to the Vancouver housing crisis. Will any of them actually work? Finally, a boatload of quick takes in what was a pretty eventful week in Canadian politics. As always, make sure to subscribe, leave a review and tell a friend about us.

And they're off! Three candidates are in and two to three more are expected. We take a look at who's in the race to succeed Tom Mulcair and lead the federal NDP. As part of that discussion, we get into the rules of the race, what Guy Caron's Basic Income idea is all about and whether the Leap Manifesto will come up again. Then we look at Trudeau's recent trip to BC and his latest comments on marijuana legalization and drug policy reform. Finally, we close the show with some quick takes. Make sure to like, subscribe and review us.

Fourteen enter but only one will emerge victorious. Who has what it takes and who's an also ran? Ian and Scott take a deep dive into the Conservative Party of Canada's leadership race and whether it's worth joining the party just to block Kevin O'Leary and Kellie Leitch from becoming leader.

It's an election year so that means the BC Liberals budget is all about tax cuts and spending increases. Who wins and who loses and what will the opposition do? Next, we look at the sad state of the BC Conservative Party and wonder how a party can survive on 45 Twitter followers. And in our quick takes, a BC-federal health deal, Vancouver votes to file a judicial review to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline, 1940s houses gain heritage designations, five federal by-elections are called, the BC Greens introduce a bill to permit ride-sharing and Charlie Angus enters the NDP leadership race. All this and more on PolitiCoast.

The final throne speech before the BC election has come out but we're left wonder, are the BC Liberals just running on cruise control? With nearly every Conservative leadership candidate tripping over themselves to be the most opposed to denouncing Islamophobia, we delve into whether the Conservatives are courting the dark forces by stoking debate over M-103. Then, did Trudeau actually do anything other than shake Donald Trump's hand when he was in Washington? And some quick takes as always.

Why are BC's political parties so incompetent? Christy Clark spent much of the week claiming the NDP hacked her website when really, the BC Liberals probably just didn't update their WordPress plugins. Meanwhile, Micah comes back to discuss the return of the Court Challenges Program (sorry for the audio quality Micah!) and we discuss what the census data mean for federal representation and the Vancouver housing bubble. And quick takes on the TPP, Bombardier bail-outs, more bad arguments against electoral reform, OAS report and a new Campaign Research poll.

Our first segment: Ding dong, electoral reform is dead. We all sort of expected a long, slow process, but Trudeau seems to have given it a compassionate assisted death (which is legal now). Will this egregious promise breaking bite the Liberals? Was there possibly a more unceremonious way they could have killed this? In our second segment we examine the what's in the BC NDP's Climate Plan (or more appropriately, what isn't) and how they sprung a leak. Finally, we offer our new, even quicker takes on how fast the federal government is spending infrastructure money, Vancouver media downsizing, fundraising numbers in the Conservative leadership race, an undignified departure of an undignified strategist and tweaks to the foreign buyers tax. All this and more in the latest episode of PolitiCoast!

What has the first week of Trump's presidency meant for Canada? Did the government's MyDemocracy.ca survey find anything useful? It's time for another edition of PolitiCoast!

Sick of President Trump already? Let’s talk about who everyone’s calling Canada’s Trump instead: Kevin O’Leary! Yes, he’s finally entered the Conservative Party leadership race, but will he get eaten in the shark tank? Next, a real newspaper - The New York Times even - noticed BC politics. Will their expose on BC’s “kafkaesque” fundraising rules swing the election? And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on a storytime tour to connect with real Canadians but seems to only be running from gaffe to gaffe. Will this harm his next term? And in our quick takes, we look at a lawsuit launched by First Nations groups against the Kinder Morgan pipeline, a Mainstreet poll showing Gregor Robertson is the least popular mayor out of 10, a curious shakeup in the military and whatever the hell is going on in Alberta’s Progressive Conservative Party leadership race. All this and more on this week’s PolitiCoast.

Trudeau shuffles his cabinet to to get burned by the Washington dumpster fire. The Prime Minister’s ethics are questioned after revelations of a secret vacation with a family friend, the Aga Khan who also runs a nonprofit receiving government funding. The Prime Minister’s flight to the island on Khan-Air likely broke the Conflict of Interest Act. The BC government gives approval to Kinder Morgan with additional conditions. Department of Finance projects deficits until 2055. Focus groups conducted by the Federal Government hint at possible, Netflix taxes, “moonshots” and air and sea port privatization on the agenda for 2017. Richmond decides to ban Airbnb but doesn’t know how. Finally BC election nominations as “bear rescuer” Bryce Casavant becomes the NDP challenger to Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver and independent Vicki Huntington, decides not running again. All this and more on the latest PolitiCoast. Please make sure to subscribe and rate us.

Ian and Scott share their thoughts on the year that was 2016 and what to look forward to in 2017.

Fundraising scandals continue to plague the Trudeau Liberals, particularly as new controversy surrounds the Trudeau Foundation. Next, Micah calls in to add a legal take on BC NDP leader John Horgan’s claim that the federal government would have to invoke the notwithstanding clause to force the Kinder Morgan Pipeline through. Then we take another look at the state of the Conservative leadership race, Christy Clark’s new home loans program, the City of Vancouver’s decision to use a new property tax levy to tackle the overdose crisis and the federal government’s study into expanding access to assisted dying. Lots to cover in our second-to-last episode for 2016. Join us next week for our year-in-review fall finale!

Alberta premier Rachel Notley comes to BC to win support for the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion. The Trudeau Liberals launch MyDemocracy.ca, yet another tool to consult Canadians on electoral reform, this time to wide ridicule on social media. Then Ian & Scott discuss cash for access controversies and the dark side of Alberta politics.

The honeymoon might be over for Justin Trudeau as his government announces its approval of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline and the wheels come off the electoral reform bus. He's also attracted controversy for a glowing eulogy for Cuban President Fidel Castro. Meanwhile, BC posts a budget surplus while Ontario's Auditor General delivers a scathing indictment on the Kathleen Wynne Liberals. All this and more on the latest PolitiCoast. Please make sure to subscribe and rate us.

Justin Trudeau kills the coal industry. The Globe and Mail exposes how many farms in Agricultural Land Reserve are being used for mansions and hotels. Trudeau bought some new fighter jets, Charlie Angus mulls an NDP leadership bid, Vancouver mayors announce the start of the first phase of transit expansion and the BC government puts money into affordable housing.

Vancouver has introduced its empty home tax, but is it a solution in search of a problem? Former Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge thinks it’s a supply problem and BC NDP leader thinks dumping cash into co-op housing is the solution. Meanwhile, the Trudeau Government seems to be continuing to find ways to walk back from its electoral reform promises, with vague statements by Minister Maryam Monsef and leaked consultation questions. But the federal NDP are signalling they may compromise with the Conservatives. Scott and Ian also take a closer look at what the US Presidential Election might mean for Canada and whether Alberta is headed down a dark path. Finally, the Liberals are repealing the anal sex provision of the Criminal Code and Mulcair is voted Parliamentarian of the Year. As always, Ian and Scott break down what’s happening in BC and across the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Intro music from Abett on Freesound.org

A bonus long weekend episode with a focus just on BC & Canada! Ian and Scott discuss the Conservative Party Leadership Debate, the BCTF vs BC Government Supreme Court of Canada verdict, PEI’s electoral reform vote and the new spill response plan for the west coast.

Scott and Ian share their thoughts on the recent US Election and the implications for BC and Canada. Warning there is a lot of swearing.

The Trudeau government has doubled down on deficits in its latest fiscal update. Ian & Scott look into what’s in the document and what it means. Next, it’s been a year since Trudeau took office. What have they accomplished and what is the state of Canada’s opposition parties? Finally, in the quick takes, we look at Michael Chong’s carbon tax plan, the new Senate appointments and the BC Conservatives are once again eating themselves.

Ian and Scott sit down with Jackie from Lead Now to discuss electoral reform. In the first of our monthly episodes where we examine a single topic in detail we examine the current reform efforts in Canada, the systems under consideration and other tweaks for how Canadians vote. The Liberals promised in their 2015 platform “that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.” We discuss their promise and the progress they have made.

Did the Canada-Europe trade just get torpedoed by an obscure region of Belgium? Wallonia is being blamed by Canada’s Minister on International Trade for making agreement on the CETA deal impossible. With the Conservatives throwing mad shade, what will the Liberals do on the trade file? Also, Michael Chong presents his democratic reform proposals, which look much like his earlier democratic reform proposals. The Liberals face criticism over cash-for-access meetings and young workers literally turn their back on Trudeau. Finally, the Green Party of BC is attracting some talent in New Westminster. If you liked this shorter episode of PolitiCoast, make sure to subscribe on iTunes or wherever you listen and tell a friend what you think. Also, send us suggestions on what you want to hear us cover. Image credit: Flickr/Global 2000

Ian & Scott are joined by Micah to discuss all things politics, both in BC and across the Canada. In this episode they discuss the firing of the Vancouver School Board, reactions to the third US presidential debate, the Supreme Court of Canada appointment, new BC leadership candidates for the federal Conservatives and NDP, Trudeau’s backing away from electoral reform and a bridge to the sunshine coast. Buckle in, this is a long one. And apologies for the lower sound quality on this one, we had to record over Skype and using our b-studio.

Ian & Scott delve into a post second presidential debate review even as the Trump campaign meltdown shows no signs of abating. They also respond to some of the feedback on carbon pricing, the state of the Conservative Party of Canada's leadership race, Uber's lobbying the BC government, Trudeau's Bombardier Bailout, the Tsawwassen Mills chaos, an update on CETA the Canada-EU free trade deal, falling Vancouver house prices and the start of the next election campaigns in Yukon and Sechelt. Make sure to like PolitiCoast on Facebook, follow @PolitiCoastPod on Twitter and subscribe to the podcast.

Ian and Scott delve into the Trudeau government’s announcement that there will be a price on carbon. How did the provinces react and what does it mean for BC? Plus: What can you learn from a nomination meeting? What’s the point in having a politics podcast if the legislature isn’t sitting? What’s going on at the Vancouver School board? Is there any universe where taxing developers will help solve the housing crisis? Fun with flags and more on PolitiCoast. Make sure to like PolitiCoast on Facebook, follow @PolitiCoastPod on Twitter and subscribe to the podcast.

Ian and Scott are joined by Trevor for a special teaser episode of PolitiCoast. Tonight's commentary is focused solely on the first US Presidential Debate. Which Trump showed up? Did Hillary have the stamina? And why are we still talking about NAFTA in 2016? Check back later this week for the first official episode of PolitiCoast.

This is not the PolitiCoast podcast but just a short teaser or test to make sure we're good to go. Come back on Friday for our first official episode.