Best Edmontonjournal Podcasts (2026)

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BEST OF 2025: Don’t let police take away your right to self-defence 56:34

Play Pause

5d ago56:34

56:34

Over the holidays we’re looking back at some of the best episodes of 2025. Self-defence laws are back in the news, with Alberta’s government recently directing Crown prosecutors to refrain from charging people for using force in “defending themselves and their loved ones.” Yet police suggest that if you face a violent home invasion, you need to giv…

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How some migrant farm workers wind up exploited under the Temporary Foreign Worker program 28:41

1d ago28:41

28:41

Canada’s agriculture industry employs tens of thousands of temporary foreign workers to help pick the produce that winds up on your plate. While many see this as a lifeline, a way to earn money to send to families back home, there are concerns the system is set up to exploit, and in some cases, abuse them. Robert Cribb, founder and director of the …

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BEST OF 2025: How a few rich dairy farmers are sabotaging Canada’s big, beautiful trading future 56:51

12d ago56:51

56:51

Over the holidays, we’re looking back at some of the best episodes of 2025. As in July, Canada’s restricted dairy market was recently raised again by U.S. officials who say it stands in the way of ending disputes and settling trade deals. This summer, Brian spoke with Martha Hall Findlay about how Ottawa’s refusal to liberate our globally detested …

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Carney helps Chinese interference make a comeback 49:33

15d ago49:33

49:33

All the hostage-taking, election meddling and spy rings are being swept aside by a Liberal Prime Minister who, like the last one, seems only too eager to cozy up to China. That’s what Brian discusses with Charles Burton, former diplomat to China, who has a new book: The Beaver and the Dragon: How China Out-Manoeuvred Canada's Diplomacy, Security, a…

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Say hello to pro-pipeline First Nations in B.C. 39:06

25d ago39:06

39:06

Listen to the premier of B.C., or the CBC, or the Association of First Nations and you’d think that Indigenous groups on the West Coast are determined to stop a new oil pipeline from Alberta. As MP Ellis Ross, former chief councillor of the Haisla Nation near Kitimat, tells Brian, a lot of First Nations are open to the opportunity for resource deve…

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No Western country seriously wants Ukraine to win 44:07

24d ago44:07

44:07

The Trump administration has been lambasted for its proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war given its generosity to Moscow — yet Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he’s willing to build from it. As Matthew Bondy discusses with Brian, Kyiv has few options but to encourage America to step in and end the brutal, nearly four-year war, despite the d…

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Liberals are playing silly games with the military again 53:40

1M ago53:40

53:40

Canada’s reputation for politically driven flip-flopping over important military purchases is getting bad, especially given Ottawa’s plans to dramatically beef up our forces. But here we go again: the Liberals, after cancelling the purchase of the F-35 next-generation fighter jet, then reversing years later, are considering cancelling again to spit…

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Conservatives lived through this same party drama before and emerged victorious 51:12

1M ago51:12

51:12

The federal Conservatives were still licking their wounds from the Liberals’ recent minority election victory when they were rocked by a stunning and dispiriting floor-crossing. And they failed to stop the government from passing its budget by a razor-thin margin. That was 20 years ago, as Ian Brodie, former chief of staff to prime minister Stephen…

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Mark Carney shoots blanks, again 47:45

2M ago47:45

47:45

He promised a historic budget. He warned of big sacrifices. He said he had a vision. But what Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered was not much more than a big-spending, big-government Trudeau-style plan, with a bit less hostility to business and some long-overdue military funding, as Tasha Kheiriddin and Stuart Thomson, curators of Postmedia’s Pol…

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Food safety fail: The hidden risks in Alberta restaurants 19:33

2M ago19:33

19:33

Do you really know how safe your restaurant meal is? MacEwan University Associate Professor Steve Lillebuen joins Dave Breakenridge to uncover what an investigation found in Edmonton kitchens and what needs to change in food safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Postmedia

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Cautionary tales from a refugee of NDP and Green party ecopolitics 48:53

2M ago48:53

48:53

From Elizabeth May’s permanent iron grip on the Green party; to Jagmeet Singh’s self-destructive Liberal alliance; and the sabotaging of NDP campaigns by Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s “leap manifesto”: Mark Leiren-Young, a committed environmentalist, saw all of it from a front-row seat. He had worked to help elect the politicians he thought were comm…

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What we know about the alleged ‘deputy’ in the cocaine ring led by a former Vice editor 28:36

2M ago28:36

28:36

A Vice Canada scandal resurfaces — new details about a former staffer accused of helping run an international cocaine ring. Adrian Humphreys joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the “deputy” at the centre of the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Postmedia

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The epic trolling behind Trump’s ad-trashing trade tantrum 51:52

2M ago51:52

51:52

Did Republican icon Ronald Reagan detest tariffs or love them? For President Donald Trump and his fiercely loyal army of acolytes, the answer is whatever the president says. As Brian discusses with Postmedia political columnists Lorne Gunter and Chris Selley, there’s no reason to be surprised that Trump blew up trade talks over an ad being run by O…

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Why Carney is blowing trade talks with Trump 43:19

2M ago43:19

43:19

The elbows are down, the prime minister is backslapping President Donald Trump, but America’s tariffs just keep coming, and hurting Canada more. The ugly truth is that Ottawa’s been foundering in trade talks with the White House, as former diplomat to the U.S., Louise Blaise, and former trade minister Ed Fast discuss with Brian this week from the B…

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How Qatar supports terrorists and still enjoys vast western influence 1:00:30

3M ago1:00:30

1:00:30

It’s a major backer of Hamas. It’s an ally of the United States. It has alienated Arab neighbours and spreads toxic propaganda through Al Jazeera but maintains relations with Israel. Since Oct. 7, 2023, the enigmatic Qatar has been a linchpin in negotiations over the war in Gaza. Brian talks to two guests about how this tiny, gas-rich emirate has t…

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Canada's fentanyl crisis now claiming the lives of babies and toddlers 16:25

3M ago16:25

16:25

By Postmedia

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The many deceptions of the Liberals’ gun ‘buyback’ 56:05

3M ago56:05

56:05

The public safety minister admitted his government’s sweeping plan to confiscate thousands of previously legal gun models with a “buyback” is badly flawed. But as Ian Runkle, a lawyer specializing in firearms law, tells Brian, it’s far more troubling than that. Ottawa plans to recreate a form of the hated gun registry that it abandoned long ago. An…

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Under watch: Iran’s reach into Canada 21:20

3M ago21:20

21:20

The Iranian government is viewed by Canada and others as a human rights violator and sponsor of terrorism. Many in Canada’s Iranian diaspora oppose the regime, but some fear spying and intimidation. Reporter Tom Blackwell joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss these concerns and the federal government's response. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

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The rise of involuntary addiction treatment in B.C. 21:04

3M ago21:04

21:04

Canada’s drug crisis has some policy makers looking away from measures such as harm reduction and toward expansion of treatment beds. And along with that has come discussion of measures to compel addicts into treatment. Vancouver Sun reporter Lori Culbert joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how involuntary treatment works, the legal questions around…

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It’s now thinkable that Carney and co. don’t want Israel to win 1:08:23

3M ago1:08:23

1:08:23

No military in history has been as careful as Israel to minimize civilian casualties in war. And no country has been criticized for it like Israel has — including by Canada. That’s the assessment of guests Richard Kemp and John Spencer, former military men and two of the highest authorities on urban warfare. They explain to Brian the groundbreaking…

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Carney’s high-flying promises come crashing back to earth 1:00:28

3M ago1:00:28

1:00:28

When he was elected, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised a trade deal with President Donald Trump, a blaze of new major infrastructure projects and a return to affordable middle-class home ownership. Today, Canadian and American trade negotiating teams are barely speaking, the only prioritized projects recently announced were already in the works, …

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Can Carney deliver? Liberals' ambitious fall session begins 24:17

3M ago24:17

24:17

MPs returned to Ottawa this week for what’s expected to be a busy legislative session, as Mark Carney’s Liberals look to make headway on its lofty agenda. But with big ideas can come issues around execution, politics, and how to pay for it all. National Post politics writer Simon Tuck joins me to discuss Carney’s priorities for the fall, how the go…

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Think runaway immigration is being fixed? Think again 49:54

3M ago49:54

49:54

The Liberals claim they’ve stopped the flood of temporary workers, foreign students and other immigrants that blew up our housing crisis and devastated the youth job market. Michelle Rempel Garner, the Conservatives’ immigration critic, tells Brian that the reality is nothing close to what they say. Five-million people remain here on temporary visa…

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Why Gen Zs are freezing their eggs and sharing their stories 21:40

4M ago21:40

21:40

Canadian women are changing the conversation around when and how they want to have babies, with many of them opting to freeze their eggs. And more and more, led by Gen Z, they’re having the conversation online. Calgary Herald reporter Devika Desai joins Dave Breakenridge to explore why, and how social media is shaping the conversation. Learn more a…

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Psychosurgery is back — but this isn’t your grandfather’s lobotomy 22:30

4M ago22:30

22:30

Modern brain surgery for mental health, like OCD, is far more precise than past methods like lobotomies—but is it safer or more ethical? Reporter Sharon Kirkey joins Dave Breakenridge to explore the history, new tech, and lingering concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Don’t let police take away your right to self-defence 55:23

4M ago55:23

55:23

What can you do when someone attacks you or your family? After recent high-profile, violent home invasions, police have made it seem like you need to give up and not fight back. That’s wrong, as criminal lawyer Solomon Friedman tells Brian. Friedman explains how the power to defend yourself, your home and others, including killing an assailant if i…

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The rich, populist Republican radical who paved the way for Trump 54:09

4M ago54:09

54:09

The U.S. Republican party today isn’t what it used to be. But the evolution toward President Donald Trump’s MAGA-ism began decades ago when William F. Buckley launched a revolution on the American right. As Buckley’s official biographer Sam Tanenhaus tells Brian, the late conservative icon was a lot like Trump: a media-savvy wealthy elite who rebel…

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They crushed our rights for COVID. We still haven’t won them back 49:05

4M ago49:05

49:05

We all know governments used the pandemic as rationale for stripping away basic Charter rights, even if some think it was justified. John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, remains at the forefront in fighting to get them back. He has a new book out, Corrupted by Fear: How the Charter was betrayed and what Canadian…

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The man who saved Canada’s Conservatives from political irrelevance 51:10

4M ago51:10

51:10

Before Pierre Poilievre, before Brian Mulroney, there was one leader who made federal conservatives an electoral force to be reckoned with. Before John Diefenbaker, Canada had begun to resemble a Liberal one-party state. Bob Plamondon, author of the new book Freedom Fighter: John Diefenbaker's Battle for Canadian Liberties and Independence, talks w…

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Putin is fighting to stave off Russia’s looming collapse 52:29

5M ago52:29

52:29

A lot of people in the West misunderstand the motives of Russian president Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine. As Andrew Natsios, editor of the new book Russia Under Putin, tells Brian, we won’t understand the war unless we understand demographics. Russia’s population is cratering; the largest country by land mass is rapidly depopulating and…

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Mark Carney falls right into a Hamas trap 48:04

5M ago48:04

48:04

For two years, Hamas has used the suffering of Palestinians to manipulate global opinion. As Brian discusses with this week’s guests, it worked: The Hamas-engineered hunger crisis in Gaza has prompted Canada, with France and the U.K., to recognize a Palestinian state based on unenforceable conditions like democratic elections and Hamas relinquishin…

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Canada’s justice system is bringing itself into disrepute 49:43

5M ago49:43

49:43

One-day sentences for aiding and abetting the Islamic State terror group, a few short years for murder, but possibly more if you’re an anti-vaccine trucker: these stories and loads of others from recent Canadian court cases seem to be undermining the public’s faith in our justice system. Brian chats with Postmedia columnists Jamie Sarkonak and Chri…

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How Canadian fentanyl smuggling to the U.S. really works and who’s behind it 45:52

5M ago45:52

45:52

Between President Donald Trump claiming there’s a flood of fentanyl from Canada to the U.S., and people here insisting there’s almost none, the truth is elusive. A new American report gets to the bottom of what’s really going on, and its author, Jonathan Caulkins, talks to Brian about what he found. Specializing in crime systems, the professor from…

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We have no idea what our federal leaders stand for anymore 55:27

5M ago55:27

55:27

We’ve lost sight of where Prime Minister Mark Carney is pointing his elbows as U.S. President Donald Trump keeps smacking Canada with more economic threats. Brian talks this week about Carney’s erratic political shapeshifting with Conservative adviser Ginny Roth and veteran Liberal adviser Warren Kinsella, and asks: Is our new prime minister emergi…

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How a few rich dairy farmers are sabotaging Canada’s big, beautiful trading future 55:43

6M ago55:43

55:43

For a moment it seemed all Canadians understood that, facing President Donald Trump’s tariff war, we had to make our economy as resilient and competitive as possible. As Martha Hall Findlay discusses with Brian, there was finally talk of ending Ottawa’s war on oil and gas, building infrastructure and boosting productivity. The government even yanke…

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Iran’s ‘mafia’ regime won’t be giving up that easily 42:11

6M ago42:11

42:11

Make no mistake: the blows that Israel and America delivered to the Islamic tyrants in Tehran were in many ways crippling. As Kaveh Shahrooz, an Iranian-born Mideast analyst and human rights activist, tells Brian this week, the devastating targeted assassinations of nuclear scientists and military leaders indicate Israel has infiltrated the regime …

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How Canada got on the wrong side in the war against Iran 52:33

6M ago52:33

52:33

As the Islamic Republic’s missiles rain down on the Jewish state, and with massive U.S. attacks against Iran’s nuclear sites ratcheting up the war, Brian talks to two Canadians living under fire as they frantically duck in and out of bomb shelters. Postmedia columnist Adam Zivo has been stuck in Israel, unable to get out, while former Canadian amba…

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What cops ‘covered up’ about the Nova Scotia massacre 51:58

6M ago51:58

51:58

There are many lingering questions about the two-day killing spree by Gabriel Wortman that killed 22 people in 2020 in Nova Scotia, even after a joint federal/provincial commission wrapped up its inquiry. Investigative journalist Paul Palango joins Brian to discuss why he thinks all signs point to RCMP covering up that Wortman was working undercove…

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Canada’s on the brink of trade peace with Trump 41:09

7M ago41:09

41:09

Don’t call it a done deal until it’s done, but America’s ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, tells Brian this week that negotiations between Ottawa and President Donald Trump’s administration are making progress. He explains why he believes things are moving quickly in the right direction to settle the trade war between our two countries. Hoekstra…

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Carney projects calm but he’s facing serious trouble 54:38

7M ago54:38

54:38

With the King opening Parliament, and a disciplined agenda, the prime minister modelled a poised and assured break from his unserious predecessor while sending a message to the world about Canadian sovereignty. That’s the verdict of Postmedia’s politics columnist John Ivison and parliamentary bureau chief Stuart Thomson, who join Brian to discuss t…

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Canada's throne speech had a royal twist 20:46

7M ago20:46

20:46

King Charles delivered Canada’s throne speech, emphasizing sovereignty after U.S. annexation comments. Catherine Levesque breaks down his message, the Carney government’s priorities, and what’s ahead in the short spring session. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Postmedia