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Weekly podcast detailing the good and the bad (mostly bad) of Alberta politics. A project of Progress Alberta.

Progress Alberta


    • Jun 11, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 150 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Progress Report

    Fasting for Gaza

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2025 48:48


    Jim and Jeremy speak with participants in an ongoing 40-day fast for Gaza about the present situation in Palestine, organizing back here in Edmonton, and the difficult task of grappling with power from a disempowered position.Please consider supporting this pod and/or subscribing to the newsletter at https://www.theprogressreport.ca/

    The end of the Gillenium?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 54:32


    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.

    Fed election 2025 feat. Dave Cournoyer and Blake Desjarlais

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 84:45


    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.

    Drug poisoning polycrisis & U of C crackdown, feat. Euan Thomson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 73:10


    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/

    The battle for the Valleyview Municipal Library

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 36:27


    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

    Analyzing Alberta's 2025 budget with Dr. Wing Li and Chris Gallaway

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 48:43


    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

    The Alberta Worker

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 47:26


    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

    #DEXIT

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 49:19


    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.'

    The Gang Gets Electoral

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2024 45:10


    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.

    Housing crisis + UCP power-grab intersect in weeks-long Calgary zoning hearings

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 37:30


    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.

    Sarah Hoffman makes her pitch

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2024 46:45


    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

    Kenneyism: Reckoning with what Alberta's ultimate political weirdo has done to us

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2024 88:13


    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.

    The desperate crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech in Canada

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 53:32


    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.

    2023's Hottest Superspreader Event (feat. completely unhinged policy proposals)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2023 64:27


    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.

    Losing is the new winning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 49:26


    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.

    Body cams suck, actually

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2023 39:01


    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 in her own words

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2023 56:42


    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.

    No Nazis allowed at story time

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2023 40:41


    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.

    The gigification of Alberta's paramedics

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2023 35:59


    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'

    Academic Frozen Peaches

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023 49:57


    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

    Cuckoo for cryptocurrency

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 47:16


    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.

    The Alberta Model must be destroyed

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2023 49:59


    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.

    All Hail Queen Danielle and her new shadow court

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 50:34


    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.

    Dark yoga money

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2022 39:30


    @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.

    Trash can Dani

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 46:31


    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.

    The push

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2022 51:58


    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.

    Danielle Smith, wannabe tyrant

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 46:27


    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

    Everyone deserves to know what's in their drugs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 42:01


    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. 

    Unarmed mental health crisis response saves lives and money

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 49:29


    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. 

    How Edmonton city council got rolled by the police

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2022 62:39


    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.  

    Meet Sarah Hoyles

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2022 48:52


    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

    Alberta's Invisible Institutions

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2022 59:42


    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 

    invisible institutions linton invisible institutions
    #Kexit

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2022 55:47


    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.

    Police "unions" are master fearmongers and they're scaring us to increase police budgets

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 52:23


    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. 

    Everything you wanted to know about pharmacare but were afraid to ask

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2022 48:32


    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. 

    POD: New research on Edmonton SROs sheds more light on a harmful system

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2022 46:55


    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. 

    POD: How to speedrun a "Managing Unconscious Bias" class

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 59:33


    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. 

    What are charter schools and why is Jason Kenney so hot for them?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2022 39:30


    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.

    Jason Kenney's new radio show is mid

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2022 48:42


    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. 

    Dismissed complaints, "known critics" and secret planes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 46:28


    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  

    Alberta's back! on the resource rollercoaster

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022 37:15


    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.

    Are the police on strike?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2022 52:18


    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. 

    Kenney gave the anti-vaxxers everything they wanted and still lost

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2022 51:49


    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. 

    The Madu Snafu

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2022 44:30


    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.

    edmonton snafu ucp madu is this for real
    Omicron's toll in schools—and WTF is going on in La Crete?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 47:09


    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.

    POD: Canadian conservatives' dirty history as supporters of apartheid

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2022 56:33


    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. 

    POD: I ❤️

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021 54:08


    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.

    Then you shall have corpses

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2021 49:06


    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

    D.A.R.E to resist police propaganda about fentanyl

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2021 51:53


    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.

    Meet the Liberal operative who blew up the Green Party

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2021 45:12


    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.

    Jason Kenney's fossil-fuel based "reconciliaction"

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 49:02


    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. 

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