PODCAST: Byelection Upset Shakes Up Alberta Politics - Is the Referendum Becoming a Liability for Danielle Smith?

In this episode of the Rob Breakenridge Show: The loss of a supposedly safe UCP riding is a warning sign for Alberta’s governing party, and an indicator of how the government’s referendum strategy is casting a huge shadow on Alberta politics.

With just over a month to go before the vote on Alberta’s future in Canada, the Alberta NDP pulled off a significant upset by prevailing in Monday’s byelection in the riding of Calgary-Shaw.

We’re joined this week by longtime conservative strategist and Lead Not Leave co-founder Ken Boessenkool for a closer look at how the UCP managed to blow this byelection and what it tells us about the state of Alberta’s conservative movement and the political volatility of the upcoming referendum.

Boessenkool argues that Danielle Smith has created a difficult position for herself by allowing separatist politics to dominate Alberta’s political agenda. Instead, Boessenkool makes the case that a conservative government should be focused on taxes, investment, economic growth and making Alberta more competitive — not on possibly leaving Canada. Now, though, the focus must be on winning that referendum.

We’ll also have more details on the new report just released by the Alberta government that examines the significant costs of of separation.

Plus, former prime minister Stephen Harper is emerging as an important voice in the Canada’s economic future and the debate over Alberta’s place in Confederation. We’ll hear what he had to say this week.