The Progress Report

The 20-year president of the Alberta Federation of Labour is up for re-election this Sunday. Jim and Jeremy take a look at the present situation, check out some Gil McGowan campaign literature, and speak to the AFL leadership candidate who didn't ignore our interview request.

2025's federal election is set to up-end politics in Western Canada and yet at the same time the campaign period has been both short and uneventful. So we tapped a couple of smart guys to un-boring it: first Dave Cournoyer, one of Alberta's most knowledgeable political commentators. Then we talk to Blake Desjarlais, one of the rare electeds worthy of our rascal respect. More of Dave's work is available at www.daveberta.ca.

Through projects including the national business coalition Each+Every and his publication Drug Data Decoded (www.drugdatadecoded.ca), Euan Thomson has put his heart and soul into combatting the ongoing drug poisoning crisis, and he joins us on this episode of the Progress Report to bring everyone up to date with the crisis's current status.But Euan of late has also been an ally to the Palestinian solidarity movement and it's in that capacity that he took a beating from police during last year's violent crackdown on demonstrators at the University of Calgary. In this episode Euan and Jeremy also discuss the crackdown, and why one Calgary Liberal candidate in particular is implicated in the story in a bad way.Full show notes and our other content is available at www.theprogressreport.ca.Jeremy's article for The Maple on the U of C situation, mentioned in the episode:https://www.readthemaple.com/liberal-star-candidate-helped-shut-down-pro-palestine-encampment/

Journalist Susan Thompson joins us on the pod with the latest from Valleyview, where the local library is under political siege from a batch of odd characters including a UCP VP of comms and a white nationalist who worked for the local MLA.Full show notes at https://www.theprogressreport.ca/pod_the_battle_for_the_valleyview_librarySupport the Progress Report by donation at https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patronsRead Susan Thompson on Medium: https://medium.com/@susanvhthompson/valleyview-library-board-rocked-by-controversy-cuts-weekly-staff-budget-c2baab48fde2

Dr. Wing Li from Support our Students and Chris Gallaway from Friends of Medicare join us to analyze Alberta's weird, complicated, anti-worker 2025 budget.Full show notes at https://www.theprogressreport.ca/pod-analyzing-the-2025-budgetWe are grateful for any support you would like to provide to this independent media project. To become a Progress Report patron, head to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons

Labour journalist Kim Siever (The Alberta Worker) joins Jim and Jeremy on the pod today to chat about the AHS procurement scandal, the province's ongoing education strike, and his experience working the labour beat here in Alberta.Links and full show notes for this episode available at https://www.theprogressreport.ca/kim-siever-alberta-worker

After nine years as Progress Alberta's executive director and the editor of the Progress Report, Duncan Kinney is moving on to stabler, more raise-a-family-able things. Join us as we reminisce about some of our greatest hits during Duncan's tenure and talk frankly about the issue of 'activist journalism.'

Jeremy and Duncan review the state of the ANDP leadership race, offer their predictions, and tell you how they'd fill out their ballots today.

Joel Laforest, policy advisor to Calgary councillor Courtney Walcott, joins us on the pod to go over the politicking around the city's efforts to fix its zoning laws, the housing crisis, and how it all relates to the UCP's Bill 18 and Bill 20.

In the first of our interviews with Alberta NDP leadership candidates, Duncan chats with Sarah Hoffman. Then, some analysis with Jim.Show notes and more content, including our ANDP leadership tracker, can be found at our website, The Progress Report

Jeremy Appel joins the pod to talk about his newly published book, Kenneyism: Jason Kenney's Pursuit of Power. We discuss how Jason Kenney's ghost continues to haunt us still and the effects his time in politics have wrought at the federal and provincial level.

Law professor Joshua Sealy-Harrington joins host Duncan Kinney to discuss how universities and police forces across Canada are cracking down on pro-Palestinian speech and the serious effects these actions are having on Canada's very broken and barely functioning democracy.

The Progress Report podcast is back and fellow Progress Reporters Jeremy Appel and Jim Storrie are around to break down the resolutions and the vibes heading into this weekend's UCP AGM. This is the first AGM with Danielle Smith at the helm and we'll see where her loosey-goosey leadership style plays with an increasingly bug-eyed UCP grassroots.

After a long hiatus due to moving offices the Progress Report pod is back. Jeremy Appel joins host Duncan Kinney to sift through the wreckage of the Alberta election. They discuss the Alberta NDP's spin on their catastrophic loss as well as what is to be done about the coming UCP cruelty.

Police body cameras are sold as a solution that will increase trust, transparency, and accountability with police. Daniella Barreto of Rights Back at You joins host Duncan Kinney to debunk every one of these claims and make the case that police body cameras actually suck ass.

Ophelia Black is not just a young woman who lives in Calgary who likes to read fantasy romance novels and cross-stitch, she's also proof that safe supply programs can work. When the UCP tried to take away her treatment plan she took the government to court, and won. Black joins Duncan Kinney to talk about her case, the life she's built for herself thanks to her treatment and why the UCP are trying to kill her and other intravenous drug users.

Canadian Anti-Hate Network writer and research Peter Smith joins host Duncan Kinney to talk about the recent spate of far right protests at all-ages drag reading events and other queer events in Alberta—and the counter-protests that resist them.

Freelance investigative journalist and former paramedic Brett McKay joins Duncan Kinney to discuss his recent piece in the Breach which makes the convincing case that the increased use precarious paramedics in Alberta is a part of a deliberate strategy to make it easier for the UCP to privatize ambulance service in Alberta.If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Make a one-time donation here. Or e-transfer a donation to info@progressalberta.caLinks: Rise in Alberta's precarious paramedics a UCP ‘privatization strategy'

Shama Rangwala joins Duncan Kinney to discuss the students of Uleth owning Frances Widdowson, the UCP reaction and the historical context of academic free speech and how it's been weaponized by the right.If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Make a one-time donation here. Or e-transfer a donation to info@progressalberta.caLinks: Pronouncing un-freedom Free Speech and the University: A Closer Look at the Chicago Principles Controversial academic meets noisy resistance at U of L after school halts planned lecture

Paris Marx of the Tech Won't Save Us podcast joins Duncan Kinney to explore Danielle Smith's obsession with cryptocurrency and taking Alberta out of the Canada Pension Plan.

Euan Thompson of Each + Every joins Duncan Kinney to discuss the incredibly evil "Alberta Model" of addressing the drug poisoning crisis and why it must be destroyed.

University of Calgary law professor Martin Olszysnki joins Duncan Kinney to discuss the recently passed Alberta Sovereignty Act and its corrosive effects on democracy, the rule of law and the treaties.

@garthmullins joins @duncankinney to discuss what it means for the rest of Canada that a coalition of cops and capitalists have seized control of Vancouver's city council through a campaign of fear.

Freelance journalist Jeremy Appel joins Duncan Kinney to discuss the assent of Danielle Smith, the origin of the Trash Can Dani nickname and Jason Kenney's legacy.

Danielle Paradis of APTN joins host Duncan Kinney to discuss politics and policing, body cams and the context and fallout of the violent push that was caught on camera in Chinatown last week.

Law professor Martin Olszynski joins Duncan Kinney to talk about the unique danger Danielle Smith and her proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act poses to democracy.   If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Make a one-time donation here. Or e-transfer a donation to info@progressalberta.ca Links: Martin Olszynski's Twitter thread on Danielle Smith, wannabe tyrant

The podcast is back from its summer break with an extended conversation with Angus Quinton with Get Your Drugs Tested. This Vancouver based organization has done the most testing of the illicit drug supply of anyone in the world and it's a model that has huge public health implications in dealing with the drug poisoning crisis. 

Host Duncan Kinney sits down with Dr. Jamie Livingstone of Saint Mary's University to discuss why UCP's wrongheaded approach to centering police in mental health care and addictions and why we need well-funded, community led, civilian-led, unarmed mental health crisis response programs yesterday. 

Rob Houle joins host Duncan Kinney to discuss a month of police politics that saw the police and their business and UCP allies get everything they wanted with the police budget even if it took the likely withholding of vital facts about the Chinatown murder to get it.  

Journalist Sarah Hoyles joins Duncan Kinney to talk about how Kenney just won't go away, her dramatic departure from Ryan Jespersen's show and the state of independent media in Alberta.  If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Make a one-time donation here. Or e-transfer a donation to info@progressalberta.ca Links: @SarahHoyles SarahHoyles.com

Megan Linton, the creator and host of the stunning and incredibly well done podcast Invisible Institutions, joins host Duncan Kinney to discuss Alberta's past and present when it comes to eugenics, the Michener Centre and institutionalizing and confining people labelled as having intellectual disabilities. After a short interview with Linton that puts the podcast in context for Alberta listeners the final part of the podcast is a replay of episode five of the first season of Invisible Institutions: Let's Talk About Sex & Reproductive Justice. If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Make a one-time donation here. Or e-transfer a donation to info@progressalberta.ca Links: Invisible Institutions MeganMQLinton.com 

Stephen Magusiak of Press Progress and Shama Rangwala, assistant professor at York University, join host Duncan Kinney to discuss Jason Kenney's exit* from Alberta politics.

Writer James Wilt joins host Duncan Kinney to discuss how cop "unions" use fear and a permanent war posture to get what they want—increased police budgets. 

Chris Parsons of the Nova Scotia Health Coalition (formerly of the Dog Island podcast) joins host Duncan Kinney to walk him through Canada's currently terrible pharmacare system, what is in the works between the Liberals and the NDP and why the struggle for pharmacare is not only winnable but absolutely key to the left staying relevant. 

Bashir Mohamed and Alex Da Costa join host Duncan Kinney to discuss their work on the Edmonton SRO Research Project. Their research shows hows the school resource officer (SRO) program in Edmonton public schools criminalized students, got them expelled and suspended and got them started on the school to prison pipeline. 

Rob Houle joins us to discuss how it's one year out from the release of a landmark report on how to actually fix the Edmonton Police and not much has happened. Instead Chief Dale McFee has introduced a host of reforms—including a mandatory "Managing Unconscious Bias" class that both Rob and I took. Listen to learn more. 

POD: What are charter schools and why is Jason Kenney so hot for them? @wingkarli from @SOSAlberta joins us to discuss how charter school advocates in Alberta are copying a playbook developed in the US to destroy public education.

Rory Gillies of the Alberta Advantage joins host Duncan Kinney to break down Jason Kenney's painfully boring new radio show and how modern Canadian conservatism is built on the Back to the Bible Radio Hour with 'Bible' Bill Aberhart and his protege, Ernest Manning. 

Councillor Michael Janz joins host Duncan Kinney for a frank and wide-ranging discussion on the subject of policing in Edmonton. They discuss the recently dismissed complaint levelled against Janz by the president of the police association, this business around "known critics" of police, the $4.3 new secret plane replacing the old secret plane and much more.  If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Links: MichaelJanz.ca/SaferforAll Integrity Commissioner's report regarding the code of conduct complaint filed by Michael Elliott The photo of the EPS officers at the scene where two people were shot dead Every single tweet that was a part of Michael Elliott's complaint  

David Climenhaga joins host Duncan Kinney to break down what you need to know about the just released Alberta budget. They discuss creeping privatization, alleged labour shortages and most importantly for Kenney's re-election hopes—the massive windfall this government is getting from oil and gas.

Luke Lebrun, the editor of Press Progress and Ottawa resident, joins the pod to talk about what he's seen first-hand during the Ottawa occupation, plus the incurious Ontarian learns about the Edmonton Police Service's refusal to enforce a court-ordered injunction. 

Lorian Hardcastle, University of Calgary law professor with a specialization in health law and health policy, joins us to discuss Jason Kenney dropping the the COVID-19 health protections to appease an illegal anti-vax blockade at the American border. 

Oumar Salifou of the Is This For Real podcast joins us to discuss one of the most ridiculous scandals to have hit the UCP during their time in office—Justice Minister Kaycee Madu personally calling up Edmonton's chief of police after getting a $300 ticket for talking on his cell phone in a school zone.

Bridget Stirling rejoins us to break down the toll Omicron is taking on our schools and to figure out what exactly is going in the least vaccinated, most anti-public health measure part of Alberta, La Crete.

The recent deaths of both Ted Byfield and Desmond Tutu has brought to light some historical amnesia on just who exactly supported apartheid South Africa and who fought against it. Michael Bueckert joins us to discuss the the many conservative journalists, politicians and activists who supported apartheid. 

For all the time and effort Jason Kenney, Postmedia and the oil and gas industry have put in to convincing people that evil foreign funded environmentalists have ulterior motives it turns out that the Canadian oil and gas industry is majority foreign owned. This fact has been discovered by Gordon Laxer and published in a new report titled, Posing as Canadian: How Big Foreign Oil captures Canadian energy and climate policy. Host Duncan Kinney sits down with Laxer to discuss his groundbreaking report.

Petra Schulz of Moms Stop the Harm joins us to talk about the ongoing disaster that is the opioid poisoning crisis, how the UCP is making it worse and what we can do to stop it. If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron. Links: Lethbridge drug overdose deaths up 67 per cent over last year Concerns raised about Alberta overdose response app GoFundMe: Stop Kenney's attack on supervised consumption sites

Drug policy researcher Hilary Agro joins us to dissect the Edmonton Police's reaction to the revelation that a huge portion of their officers never carry Narcan, how the EPS spreads misinformation about fentanyl and the move by Toronto to decriminalize drug possession.

Duncan Kinney sits down with Noah Zatzman, former advisor to former Green Party of Canada leader Annamie Paul, for a feature interview. Zatzman blew up the Green Party of Canada by posting about how he wanted to unseat two-thirds of the party's sitting MPs for their criticism of Israel. If you like this podcast please support it! Go to https://www.theprogressreport.ca/patrons and become a monthly patron.

Molly Swain joins us as we dive into the details of Jason Kenney's fossil fuel based "reconciliaction" via the Indigenous Litigation Fund and the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation. Also child porn defender Tom Flanagan appeared on CBC Kids to argue against land back for some reason. 

A detective and 11-year veteran of the Edmonton Police Service has all but ended his policing career after alleging that there is corruption within the Edmonton Police Service that is protecting one of Edmonton's most well-known criminals. Detective Dan Behiels investigated Abdullah Shah for three years but no charges ended up being laid. After exhausting his options Behiels turned whistleblower on his fellow cops and turned over his entire investigation to CBC reporter Janice Johnston. In the second part of this two-part podcast Oumar Salifou of the Is This For Real podcast joins us as we dive into the details of Johnston's excellent reporting.