This week on The Discourse, Erika Barootes and Cheryl unpack the two dominant themes in Alberta politics: scandal and separation—with a healthy side of political theater. We start with a deep dive into the UCP health procurement scandal. Alberta Health Services’ former CEO, Athena Mentzelopoulos, dropped a $1.7M lawsuit accusing the government of shady dealings with private surgical contracts. Now, former Chief of Staff Marshall Smith is punching back with a $12M defamation suit against Mentzelopoulos and the Globe and Mail. Is it a desperate move or a dangerous miscalculation? Then it’s on to Alberta’s separatist movement. Between the Republican Party of Alberta, the Alberta Prosperity Project, and Thomas Lukaszuk’s pro-Canada counter-petition, the province’s political fringes are making noise. But are they making sense? Erika and Cheryl discuss public sentiment, the real economic risks, and whether this movement has any legs beyond Facebook pages and town halls. We wrap with some spicy commentary on upcoming by-elections—especially the one in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, where Republican leader Cam Davies is running—and a questionable “MLA Dashboard” that outs politicians as separatists… according to who, exactly? 🔑 Topics Covered: UCP health procurement scandal: who’s suing whom and why Why Marshall Smith’s lawsuit might have backfired Separation anxiety: the rise of Alberta's independence movement Thomas Lukaszuk's surprising re-entry into the chat Political strategy vs. personal brand-building The most awkward "scorecard" in Alberta politics By-election battles that could change the game