Power Struggle

In January 2024, temperatures in Alberta dropped to -50°C. The electricity grid sent out alerts. Demand skyrocketed. So what kept homes warm?Stewart Muir is joined by Greg Caldwell, Director of Policy and Advocacy at ATCO Gas, for an inside look at the cold snap that put Canada's energy system to the test.They break down the physics of energy delivery, why batteries can't replace pipelines, and what the rest of the world can learn from this chilling wake-up call.🎧 You’ll learn: • What really happened during Alberta’s January energy crunch • Why natural gas played a critical role — and what that means for climate goals • The global consequences of Canada saying “no” to LNG🔔 Subscribe to Power Struggle for more fact-based, human-scaled conversations about modern energy.Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Canada desperately wants to diversify its export economy. Many believe expanding to other markets is critical to dealing with the new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. But renowned journalist Terry Glavin cautions this shouldn’t mean we integrate with China. The more Canada associates economically with China, the more vulnerable and subservient we become to the whims of the world’s most successful torture state. In the latest episode of the Power Struggle podcast special election series, Glavin tells host Stewart Muir that Canada must carefully weigh the new geo-political global reality. During the federal election, Prime Minister and Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre insisted the country needs to move away from US economic dependence. They called for accelerated energy projects and more pipelines. Now that the election is over, it’s time for sober second thought about what this strategy means. Take the Trans Mountain Pipeline. A huge percentage of its oil already flows to China. Is an expansive, overbearing totalitarian regime the trading partner we want? Forging greater commercial alliances with China could have the opposite effect of the independence Canada wishes to safeguard. We would be sacrificing political sovereignty for the false security of economic independence.Canada rightly worries about Trump’s calls for annexation. But Trump will be gone within four years. China isn’t going anywhere and is much more dangerous. Gavin discusses the multitude of threats posed by China’s desire for global economic dominance. It can only get worse. What should Canada be doing instead of submitting to China? Listen to find out.🔔 Subscribe now and join us each week as we follow Canada’s election!Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Donald Trump didn’t start the problem. But Jack Mintz knows how to fix it. In the latest episode of the Power Struggle special election series, Mintz tells host Stewart Muir that Canada’s declining productivity started long before the US President’s new tariff war. The solution isn’t slapping the United States with counter-tariffs. The solution is eliminating tariffs and non-trading barriers with as many other trading partners as possible.Especially in the natural resource sector. That’s how we snub our noses at Trump. Canada needs to move forward on liberalizing trade with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand to name a few. Mintz explains his strategy while citing his recent Financial Post article that argues for streamlined regulations, liberal trade policies, and a simpler tax system.And in the Trump era, building stronger trade relations with other countries is how Canada fixes its trade relationship with the United States. North America remains one of the strongest trade regions in the world. Even with trade diversification, our best market is still the United States. It may even be after Trump leaves that the trade relationship gets repaired.In case anyone missed it, Mintz reminds the Power Struggle audience that Canada depends on a natural resource export economy. This isn’t lost on our political leaders. Both Liberal Leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are pushing for the acceleration of energy projects. Mintz argues that neither may be prepared to go far enough. Find out why in this episode.🔔 Subscribe now and join us each week as we follow Canada’s election!Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Monica Gattinger wants to know how. How will the federal Liberal and Conservative leaders fast-track the approval of energy projects? The projects that will reduce Canada’s reliance on US markets. Are Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre moving too fast and furiously in trying to respond to the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump? All to get votes in the current federal election.Gattinger wants to know if they understand the obstacles. What about the climate, Indigenous rights, and the current approval processes? The latest episode of the Power Struggle special election series digs into these challenges. Host Stewart Muir’s guest says Canada cannot afford to get this wrong. But how fast can we get it right? Gattinger explains that this means energy projects that achieve a durable balance and stand the test of time.Professor Gattinger knows her stuff. She heads up The Positive Energy program at the University of Ottawa. The program looks at ways to build public confidence in energy decision-making. This means knowing if our political leaders can do what they say they will do. Gattinger recently co-authored a report on how Canada can get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It calls for much of the realignment the next Prime Minister will need to consider for the sector at large. It won’t be easy. Regulatory reform is only part of the answer. Another huge part is viable Indigenous involvement. Yet another is figuring out how to make the process predictable and clear for investors. Gattinger explores the big changes needed if Canada wants to get serious about transforming the energy system.🔔 Subscribe now and join us each week as we follow Canada’s election!Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

In this episode of Power Struggle – Campaign Edition, former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark joins Stewart Muir to discuss how Canada can reclaim economic leadership in the world — and what the next Prime Minister must prioritize to get us there.From stalled LNG projects to the need for meaningful Indigenous partnerships and long-term regulatory certainty, Clark makes a clear call: Canada must get serious about energy, investment, and growth.Key topics:•⁠  ⁠Why Canada's LNG sector lags behind•⁠  ⁠Creating 100,000 jobs through energy investment•⁠  ⁠Indigenous reconciliation through economic inclusion•⁠  ⁠Advice for Canada’s next Prime Minister•⁠  ⁠How to “get to yes” on nation-building projectsDon’t miss this powerful conversation on leadership, energy, and the future of Canada.Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

In this episode of Power Struggle: Election Special, former Alberta Premier and federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney joins Stewart Muir to discuss Canada’s most pressing challenges — from addiction policy to energy infrastructure and national defense.Kenney contrasts Alberta’s recovery-focused approach to addiction with Vancouver’s harm reduction model, while also tackling issues like Bill C-69, Indigenous equity partnerships, and Canada’s need to invest in energy security and military readiness.Key topics:- Alberta’s alternative addiction strategy- Federal legislation and energy investment- Indigenous ownership in resource development- Arctic sovereignty and defense spending- Economic resilience and national securitySend us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Can Canada and the US together become the dominant global energy power?Economist Brian Lee Crowley thinks so. He explains how in the latest episode of Power Struggle. Brian says Canada has no choice but to deepen our economic relationship with the US. And despite what Donald Trump says, the Americans are just as dependent on Canada for many products, like aluminum, and will be for some time.That’s not what we hear our political leaders saying during the current federal election campaign. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre are both promising to build the infrastructure needed to reduce Canada’s reliance on the US in response to President Donald Trump’s tariff war. They want to speed up energy exports to global markets.Brian doesn’t think his Canada-US strategy is at odds with these plans. Building transmission lines, railways, and pipelines are all needed no matter what. But that will take time. What about the short term? Brian also tells host Stewart Muir what Canada should be doing immediately. It won’t be easy. But Brian is convinced it’s time for Canadians to stop thinking the world owes them prosperity. Nothing will be handed to us on “a silver platter” anymore. But if we play our cards right, says Brian, there’s no reason we can’t make a deal with this President.Canada is at a crossroads. Some tough lessons and challenging times are ahead. 🔔 Subscribe now and join us each week as we follow Canada’s election!Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Trump looms large over Canada’s 2024 federal election.With recent polling showing a dramatic surge for Mark Carney’s Liberal Party, Canadian voters face a critical decision: who can best navigate the existential economic threat posed by a potential second Trump presidency?Political journalist John Ivison joins Stewart Muir to offer sharp insights into the rapidly shifting dynamics between Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal challenger Mark Carney. What began as a seemingly insurmountable Conservative advantage has quickly evolved into a neck-and-neck contest.Carbon taxes. Emissions caps. Energy exports. These are the defining issues of the upcoming 2025 federal election. Ivison and Muir break down how President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade war is reshaping Canada’s energy debate—especially in Alberta and Quebec—in unprecedented ways.The stakes are high. Canada is at a crossroads.🔔 Subscribe now and join us each week as we follow Canada’s election!Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Malcolm Macpherson shares his two-decade journey championing Indigenous economic sovereignty through energy law and explains how First Nations are redefining their role as "Resource Rulers" with constitutional rights that fundamentally shape Canada's resource development landscape.Follow us and our guest on social media:Stewart Muir on LinkedinMalcolm Macpherson on LinkedinSend us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod

Shannon Joseph once dreamed of being an astronaut, but ultimately chose to tackle humanity's most pressing challenges right here on Earth.With over 15 years of experience in energy, sustainability, and Indigenous relations, Shannon has shaped major federal policies like the Impact Assessment Act and the UNDRIP Act. As Chair of Energy for a Secure Future, she is leading a critical conversation about how Canada can balance energy development, environmental responsibility, and economic growth."In Canada, we assume energy will always be affordable and reliable. But we should not assume. We need to be cold-blooded about the numbers and whether this will actually work." – Shannon JosephRecorded 12/12/2024Subscribe for fact-based, expert-led conversations!Follow us and our guest on social media:Stewart Muir on LinkedinShannon Joseph on Twitter/ X Send us Fan MailThe energy conversation is polarizing. But the reality is multidimensional. Get the full story with host Stewart Muir.Reach out to us with thoughts, questions, or ideas at info@powerstruggle.caLinkedinInstagramFacebookTwitter🎧 For audio versions of our podcast visit powerstruggle.ca and listen on the go in your favourite podcast app!Video available on Power Struggle’s YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@PowerStrugglePod