We received a number of questions over the past while, and we spend this whole episode going through them and answering them one by one.

Some of the question topics include:

- clarification on public sector vs. private sector wages

- Alberta MLA salaries increasing in 2012

- several clarifying questions around the teachers being legislated back to work

- the purpose of Question Period in the Legislature/House of Commons

Thank you everyone for listening and especially those that take time to send in questions and trust us to answer them openly and honestly. We appreciate you all.

As with all things, we look to take a balanced and fair look at any issue in exploring both sides. This episode is no different as we take on the heavy task of analyzing the public sector unrest here in Alberta. Many of the issues in Alberta are also being seen across Canada. We explore also the big issue here in Alberta as just this past week, teachers were ordered back to work after 3 weeks of striking by the Government of Alberta with the use of the Notwithstanding Clause within the constitution.

It was only right that we start with looking at inflation and what causes it, as that is a major factor into why unions are fighting so hard for, among other things, higher wages. We move into the public sector union unrest and then of course discuss in particular the interaction between the Alberta Teachers Association and the Government of Alberta. As part of this we explore a bit about what the Notwithstanding Clause is and what its consequences are in this instance.

We hope you find this informative and enlightening as we dive into this hot topic.

With our first run on Municipal Elections quickly jumping to our 2nd most listened to episode, we decided to add some further discussion to the mix.

In this episode we discuss some of the logistics around running an election as workers and challenges in counting that will be faced this time around in the absence of electronic voting tabulators.

We also look at additional municipal areas of responsibility so you can better understand what you can and cannot expect from not only your local councilor, but also the local school board trustees as well.

In this episode we discuss the upcoming municipal elections here in Alberta and some of the major hot button issues. We also touch on some of the topics that you should discuss with the candidates when they come to your door. We hope you'll join us as we have some spirited debate around bike lanes and discuss what municipal officials have control over.

John and I discuss the Prime Minister's first four months in office as we head into the fall sitting of parliament. There have certainly been some highlights both good and bad.

UPDATE: We recorded this just days before the official announcement on the major nation building projects was officially released. We acknowledge here that a major LNG project was on the list. However, much of our discussion on energy projects and what needs to happen to move more of them forward is still relevant.

Do you know how much Canada spent on climate change initiatives? What did we achieve with it? It could have been so much more.

Join us as we revisit a couple forms of energy that deserve a little more attention - hydrogen and coal, and then we have a more broad look at politics and policy changes that affect the effectiveness of climate policy.

We start a two part discussion around different forms of energy and the slow conversion to greener forms of energy. Why does green energy cost more? What is the hold-up if there is such urgency? As with most things, it's very political.

Join us as we start discussing the several forms of energy that we use here in Canada and the energy options moving forward. We will follow up next week with a more focused discussion around the politics of climate change and the greener energy sources of the future.

With news now coming in that MLAs Pete Guthrie and Scott Sinclair have entered into formal talks to reignite the Alberta Party, we discuss where that could go in the current political climate here in Alberta. What will they need to do, and what can they expect?

We also look at tackling some of the more popular myths regarding Alberta separating from Canada like using the Canadian passport and easier access to tidewater. What are the options?

Join us as we discuss these topics and wrap up our look at the topics of the Alberta Next Panel. Please feel free to leave comments take part in our polls on Spotify. Thanks again for joining us.

As part of our series on the Alberta Next Panel, and largely within that context, we discuss constitutional reform in Canada. Why it is so difficult for changes to be made, especially for changes that Alberta would like to see?

It is a very brief overview given it is within 30 minutes, but we hope you find it insightful.

While Alberta currently collects its own corporate income taxes, personal income tax (PIT) is collected through Revenue Canada. The Alberta Next Panel asks the question of whether Alberta should collect its own PIT. What's involved in this and how much would that cost?

Additionally, how does equalization work in Canada and what are transfer payments? Join us as we discuss these topics in this episode of Real Sensical Politics.

In continuing with our series on the Alberta Next Panel topics, we discuss the age old conversation of whether Alberta should have its own police service.

Where did this conversation start? Why are we still having the conversation if nobody seems to want it? It may surprise you what some of the facts around this conversation are, and where we are actually at with the process.

Join us as we explore this issue and separate the rhetoric from the facts.

We return with our series on the Alberta Next Panel and lead into it with some follow-up conversation around Premier Smith and how she became the leader.

Afterwards, we discuss the Canadian Pension Plan vs an Alberta Pension Plan. We explore what the CPP is and provide a general overview of how it works, as well as what an APP would have to do in order to replace it.

In this episode we discuss the history of conservatism here in Alberta and where it comes from. 

Ever wonder why talk of Alberta seperation is a thing? We dive into where it's roots come from and the Firewall Letter of 2001 that lays out a roadmap for how Alberta can take control of certain things within its constitutional autority and why it should. This topics covered in that letter have been discussed over and over since then, and is even now discussed as part of the newly created Alberta Next Panel, and lay out a roadmap for analyzing the topics covered by this panel as an Alberta Series where we will discuss them in upcoming episodes.

We also discuss the reimergence of the PC Party here in Alberta and what challenged are faced with bringing it back. 

We hope you enjoy listening!

It's our first show!

Thank you for taking an interest in the podcast. In this episode we explore Canadian identity. Where we came from, Truth and Reconciliation, the 2025 Canadian Federal Election, and where Canada is currently headed in becoming an energy superpower and what challenges that brings.

We aim to educate and discuss what matters to you as Canadians in a way that is straightforward. You are welcomed to provide feedback and ask questions for future episodes! Email us at realsensicalpolitics@gmail.com!