The Pipeline

Cory talks about how the work from the Alberta Prosperity Project and Thomas Luksaszuk makes it clear Albertan's want to put independence to a vote.

Expectations are grim for next week's budget, the Carney government's first — and indeed, the first Canada has seen in more than 18 months: a record deficit, limited room to manoeuvre, and what the prime minister himself has warned will require “sacrifice” (from Canadians, of course...) But according to political strategist Yaroslav Baran, this week's guest on The Hannaford Show, Canadians should prepare for something stranger than mere belt-tightening.

Tony Keller, columnist for The Globe and Mail and author of Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right and Then Wrong, joins Western Standard's Derek Fildebrandt to dissect how Canada's once-admired immigration model went off course. Keller explains how temporary migration exploded under the Trudeau government, the economic and social fallout that followed, and why restoring border control and public confidence is key to avoiding the U.S.-style chaos now reshaping Western politics.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to dissect Ford's costly U.S. ad blunder, the Alberta teachers' strike, and how a group of die-hard federalists may have accidentally sparked an independence vote.

Cory talks about how unions are out of control and it's time to facilitate worker choice.

Political advisor Patrick Poilievre tells Hannaford that Calgarians want reform – but apathy, bureaucratic bloat and city hall's unresponsive culture stand in the way.

Derek Fildebrandt and Nigel Hannaford are joined by Alise Mills, and Lindsay Wilson, filling in for Cory Morgan on this week's episode of The Pipeline. The panel breaks down the results of Alberta's recent municipal elections and dives into the chaos surrounding the BC Conservatives.

Lindsay Wilson of Link Strategies fills in for Cory Morgan this week, unpacking the recent municipal elections and asking the big question: should Bill 20 stay or go?

Ottawa claims power when they want to stop projects — but none when it's time to lead.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to tear into Canada's immigration chaos and the judges protecting criminals from deportation. They expose Ottawa's new hate speech bill as another attempt to silence dissent and examine the uneasy ceasefire in Gaza as freedom comes under fire both in Canada and abroad.

Cory talks about how the Alberta government must not just hold its ground against the teachers union, but must push back.

Ian Brodie warns that the Alberta Teachers' Association could copy Take Back Alberta's playbook to seize influence at the UCP's November convention.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to dive into Alberta's teacher strike and Derek's proposal to turn union schools into charter schools. They discuss the harsh sentences handed to Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, examine Danielle Smith's showdown with Mark Carney over new pipeline approvals, and react to the cancellation of comedian Ben Bankas's Calgary show for being “offensive.”

Cory talks about how Premier Smith has been a great Alberta advocate, but Ottawa isn't taking her seriously.

Tonight on Hannaford, constitutional lawyer Allison Pejovic warns about Ottawa's quiet surrender to the World Health Organization.

Cory Morgan, Nigel Hannaford, and Dave Naylor are joined by Alise Mills to talk about the Smith government's push to develop pipelines to the West Coast, the imminent strike of Alberta teachers, to dig on the narrative shift on Truth and Reconciliation, and to examine whether new powers could let officials cut off your internet access.

Cory talks about how revisionist history is condemning the government for doing the right thing.

Safe space” rules are strangling free speech in universities, that should be bastions of open debate. Thus, constitutional lawyer Glenn Blackett, tonight's guest on this week's edition of Hannaford. It's an outrage that the courts won't deal with, that university administrations use as a convenient escape hatch from academic accountability, and that leaves to take action only the governments that created these ‘safe space' laws in the first place — ironically not to foster academic freedom, but to suppress workplace harassment.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to break down the Liberal gun grab and its ties to Quebec politics, explore the chaos within the BC Conservative leadership, and cover the bizarre case of ostrich culling in British Columbia.

Cory talks about the directionless mess the Carney government has turned into.

Mark Carney's first budget, to be tabled Nov 4, will not be a happy document. In fact says economist Dr. Tim Sargent, Director of Domestic Policy at Ottawa's prestigious Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Canadians should brace for the worst. Speaking on tonight's Hannaford show, he foresees inflation as policy, shrinking purchasing power, and little in the way of protection for ordinary people.

Cory Morgan, Nigel Hannaford, and Dave Naylor are joined by Alise Mills to break down the reopening of Parliament, the backlash and grave dancing over Charlie Kirk's death, and the role of mainstream media in driving national polarization.

Cory talks about the creeping reach of big government into the housing market.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois, discusses Quebec's push for independence, the failures of federalism, and the financial myths around equalization while drawing comparisons with Alberta's own sovereignty movement in this exclusive interview with Western Standard's Derek Fildebrandt.

Western Standard's Derek Fildebrandt sits down with Jamil Jivani, Conservative MP for Bowmanville—Oshawa North, at the Canada Strong and Free Network Conference in Calgary to discuss the growing crisis facing young Canadian men, critique liberal policies, and and where conservatives should take it next.

Forget Oshawa and Oakville — Dan McTeague warns Canadians will be clinging to their last gas-powered cars while Chinese EVs flood the market under a Trudeau-Carney mandate.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, its political fallout across North America, and what it reveals about the escalating tensions in public discourse.

Cory talks about the bleak outlook for Canada's economy due to Carney's net-zero plans.

As Parliament prepares to resume on September 15 after a three-month recess, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Mark Carney over immigration levels, the cost of living, and ballooning deficits — issues he argues the Liberal government has mishandled since day one.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to examine Alberta's battle to keep pornographic materials out of school libraries, discuss the dismissal of a volunteer coach over his personal views on trans ideology, and look at the growing dispute over race-based land use.

Cory talks about how the left has used the preservation of porn in children's libraries as a hill to die on in fighting against Danielle Smith.

Speaking on Hannaford tonight, constitutional and criminal lawyer Hatem Kheir says the answer is simple; unlike in the U.S., there is no right to self defence in Canada. You're on your own. Whether or not you face prosecution for defending your home is then a decision made by police, on the spot.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford and Cory Morgan discuss the cancellation of Ottawa Pride amid pro-Palestinian protests, the light sentencing for migrant offenders, and the apparent absence of Naheed Nenshi's NDP.

Cory talks about how mass immigration is crushing Canada.

How Mark Carney could fix Canada, in two sentences… “Give up the net-zero scams. Give up the ESG and DEI programs — they're luxury beliefs that don't mix with manufacturing.” Thus Andrew Hale, tonight's guest on The Hannaford Show. Hale is a senior trade-policy analyst at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation. And while he speaks for a conservatively inclined organization, plenty of Canadian Liberals would tell Carney the same thing.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford and Cory Morgan discuss why defending a home can be treated as a crime in Canada, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's return to the House of Commons, and new claims of mass graves making headlines in the mainstream media.

Cory talks about how the hoax of mass graves at residential schools is spreading while causing social and economic damage.

The Liberal government will face 'intense' U.S. pressure to push Bill C-2 — the Strong Borders Act — through Parliament, according to political strategist Yaroslav Baran, tonight's guest on Hannaford.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan talk about the federal government's migration issues, the controversy over Nova Scotia's wildfire activity ban on non-Indigenous residents, and the People's Party of Canada's apparent support for Alberta independence.

Cory talks about how new generations don't understand where communism leads.

Is it an exaggeration to say Canada's Liberal government uses newspaper subsidies and internet regulation to control what Canadians read and say? Host Nigel Hannaford puts the question to former CRTC commissioner and one-time Calgary Herald publisher Peter Menzies: “I don't think you're overstating the situation at all,” says Menzies. 

Derek Fildebrandt, Cory Morgan, and Nigel Hannaford are joined by Erika Barootes to discuss Prime Minister Mark Carney's move to recognize a Palestinian state, debates pipeline involving First Nations consultation, and a federalist supporter's action on the removal of the Alberta flag.

Cory talks about how Carney's Canada won't let Alberta stay prosperous for much longer.

Trudeau-era law lets male convicts who identify as women enter female prisons — crusading lawyer says inmates are paying the price in fear and trauma.

Derek Fildebrandt, Nigel Hannaford, and Cory Morgan are joined by Alise Mills to weigh in on issues regarding Jessica Yaniv, free speech controversies sparked by Sean Feucht's Canadian tour, and the latest ruling in the Tamara Lich case.

Cory talks about how a refusal to speak openly on tough issues is putting people at risk.

It's not unheard of for banks to fire clients. However, when somebody like high-profile lawyer Eva Chipiuk gets unbanked, it should catch your attention. The details are somewhat opaque and protected by client confidentiality. According to the correspondence from the Royal Bank of Canada that Ms. Chipiuk released, the situation was triggered by a Bitcoin transaction. And if transactions appear suspicious, banks are actually required by law to take action. On the other hand, lots of people buy and sell Bitcoin. So, that was all it was? And it was nothing to do with Ms. Chipiuk's public support for the Freedom Convoy, and her counter-establishment political views? Well, nobody's saying that. So, perhaps we shouldn't say it, either.

Nigel Hannaford, Cory Morgan, and Erika Barootes ask: 'Could Alberta pull out of dairy supply management?' They also discuss Parks Canada's cancellation of a Christian concert, the latest in the Tamara Lich trial, and opposition from BC Coastal First Nations to northern pipelines.

Cory talks about how Alberta's exit from supply management could bring down the national system.

With today's $2.8 billion contribution announced earlier today by a clearly elated Premier Danielle Smith, Alberta's Heritage Fund reached $30 billion — almost double what it was five years ago. For the premier, this is an old goal — she was writing 25 years ago that instead of spending resource revenues as they are received, Alberta should build up a fund to make up for when those resources, and the funds they generate, are exhausted.

“Be careful what you wish for.” If you are one of those Albertans who say, “Let's vote for independence and then see what sort of a better deal we can get out of Ottawa,” you're playing a dangerous game, says Erika Barootes, tonight's guest on Hannaford.