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Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta was among the provinces that seemed ready to face the challenge head on, and in many ways, that’s what happened at first. But, as summer turned to fall, Alberta followed many provinces, and countries with mounting case counts in the pandemic’s second wave. And cries have grown louder for the government to do more. The National Post’s Alberta reporter Tyler Dawson joins Dave to talk about when things started to turn for Alberta, how the government is trying to get a handle on things, and why that may not be enough.

With three major pharmaceutical companies showing success with COVID-19 vaccines in phase 3 trials, a lot of people are getting their hopes up about the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But while other countries could see rollouts in the coming weeks, it could be months before Canadians get their turn. Parliamentary Bureau Chief and National post columnist John Ivison joins Dave to talk about why Canada has to wait, whether the government can do anything to speed that up, and why it could become a political vulnerability for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Canada, the lingering question that’s on a lot of peoples minds is “When the heck are we gonna get a vaccine for this thing?” Well, some promising signs on this front as a pair of pharmaceutical companies say they have vaccines almost ready to go. Dave is joined by National Post health reporter Sharon Kirkey to talk about why cases are on the rise in Canada, the promise shown by these vaccine developments, and the challenge of getting them distributed once they’re approved.

Erin O’Toole could well be Canada’s next prime minister. He just needs to do something that has happened just once in the last 30 years, win a Conservative majority. And to do that, he’s looking for voters you don’t typically see right-wing parties courting. Union members. Dave is joined by National Post politics reporter Brian Platt to talk about why O’Toole is looking at this voter base as a way to grow support, what the pitch he’s making is, and whether this could actually pave the way to a Conservative win. Background reading: Why Erin O'Toole is gambling on building a new, union-friendly Conservative voting coalition

The Republicans may have lost the White House, but it doesn’t mean their party is battered and bruised. With a conservative majority on the supreme court, and potentially retaining the Senate, the Republicans are in a good place to keep president-elect Joe Biden in check over the next four years. But what does a Republican Party look like without Donald Trump? Nicholas Lemann, a staff writer at The New Yorker, joins Dave to talk about what the mentality is behind Trump’s challenge of the results, how party leaders may be looking to move past this election and position themselves for the midterms in two years.  Background reading: The Republican Identity Crisis After Trump

As a candidate for U.S. president, Joe Biden talked about wanting to get the country off its dependency on oil. But how things will actually play out under President Biden — and what this means for Canada’s energy sector — is still up in the air. Will that stance mean less U.S. oil production, which means an opportunity for Canadian companies? Could Alberta’s oil be hit with a cross-border carbon tax? And where does a green new deal fit in? Geoffrey Morgan, who covers energy and power for The Financial Post, joins Dave by phone to talk about the ramifications of a Biden presidency for Alberta oil, the Keystone XL pipeline and how it could force Justin Trudeau and Jason Kenney to work together for the sake of the energy sector.

The Canadian Forces is looking to set up a new propaganda arm to try to influence the behaviour of people in this country. The proposal, revealed in documents uncovered by Postmedia, are an extension of a plan from the Chief of Defence Staff to ‘weaponize’ the military’s public affairs branch Dave is joined by Ottawa Citizen military affairs reporter David Pugliese, who uncovered the story, to walk through what this organization would do, why they’re trying to influence Canadians’ behaviour, and what this could mean for the public perception of the forces. Background reading: Canadian military wants to establish new organization to use propaganda, other techniques to influence Canadians

It has been 11 years since an Ottawa teen vanished without a trace. Initially thought to be a runaway, there appears to be no indication of what happened to Justin Rutter. Dave Breakenridge is joined by Ottawa Citizen reporter Taylor Blewett about the circumstances around Rutter’s disappearance, why his family has concerns about the investigation, and whether his mother feels she’ll ever get closure. Background reading: 'What happened to Justin Rutter?': The Ottawa teen vanished 11 years ago. His disappearance remains a mystery

B.C. Premier John Horgan shocked many, including his governing partners in the Green Party, when he called a snap election last month. And while many felt voters would punish Horgan and the NDP for heading to the polls during a pandemic, breaking an agreement with the Greens in the process, the NDP now has a majority government. Dave is joined by Vancouver Sun legislative columnist Rob Shaw to talk about the motivation behind calling an election, why the NDP didn’t take a hit politically, and what it means now that Horgan has a majority government.

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals survived a confidence vote over a Conservative push to dig deeper into the WE Charity affair. Canadians may be spared a fall election, but the political games are far from over. Dave is joined by National Post political reporter Chris Nardi to discuss why the Liberals seemed keen to push us close to a pandemic election, why this move poses a problem for the NDP, and whether this hampers the Conservative efforts to hold the government to account.

The 1984 death of Christine Jessop and wrongful conviction of Guy Paul Morin rocked the country. In a surprise announcement this month, police announced they had identified Christine’s Killer. Dave is joined by Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington by phone to talk about the historic case, who it’s believed the killer is, and how police solved this mystery.

The story of Barry and Honey Sherman, whose murder nearly three years ago remains unsolved, has taken another twist. The fight over the couple’s estate files has hit the Supreme Court this week. National Post crime reporter Adrian Humphreys joins Dave to talk about how an inheritance proceeding wound up at Canada's highest court, why the family is fighting to have these records kept private and what the legal implications of this case could be.

The viral video showing a dying Indigenous woman screaming while she is subjected to verbal abuse by staff at a Quebec hospital has reignited the debate over racism in the health-care system. The recording, made by Joyce Echaquan herself from her hospital bed, has led to the firing of two hospital staff members, and has sparked a coroner’s investigation. But there are many saying that this is a deeper problem than one woman’s death. Dave is joined by Nazila Bettache, an internist and assistant professor of medicine at the Univeristy de Montreal, who co-authored an op-ed on racism in the health care sector.

Already battered by a price roller-coaster in 2020, big players in Canada’s oilpatch have announced plans for cost-cutting or layoffs. Oilsands giant Suncor was the latest to announce changes, with a planned 10-15 per cent cut to its workforce. Dave is joined by Calgary Herald business columnist Chris Varcoe to discuss what’s driving these moves, how deep the industry’s problems go, and what it means for Alberta’s economy.

One of the hardest hit provinces in COVID-19’s first wave, Quebec’s rising case numbers suggest it is into a second wave of the pandemic. The spike in cases in September has meant that premier Francois Legault has had to announce stricter lockdown restrictions in some areas. Dave is joined by Montreal Gazette Assistant City Editor Monique Beaudin to discuss where the spike in cases is coming from, who is affected by the new lockdown, and what measures are being taken.

After proroguing parliament in August, the Liberals delivered just their second throne speech since being elected in 2015.  And with the support of Jagmeet Singh and the NDP, the Justin Trudeau’s team avoids having to fight an election battle a year into their second mandate.  I’m Dave Breakenridge and this is 10/3.  I’m joined by Parliamentary bureau chief and National post columnist John Ivison to discuss whether the throne speech was the big agenda reset Trudeau suggested it would be, and why the NDP decided to back the Liberals. 

For more than 200 years, science has had a sure-fire way of dealing with many deadly, debilitating viruses. The vaccine. And as we move through theCOVID-19 pandemic, a vaccine is what we’re hinging our hopes on if we want to get back to normal. Dave is joined by National post health reporter Sharon Kirkey to discuss how important a vaccine is to beating the pandemic, how officials could decide who receives it first, and what concerns people may have about it.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many sectors in our economy, the federal government has been doling out cash to Canadians. The CERB, or Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, was meant to help people through a very unexpected bumpy ride. But the CERB has sparked renewed discussions about a universal basic income in Canada. Dave Breakenridge is joined by national post political reporter Stuart Thomson about what a basic income would look like, who is pushing this idea, and what some of the potential pitfalls are.

A dark chapter in B.C. criminal history has come to a close.  Jamie Bacon, the last person convicted in the Surrey Six massacre, has been sentenced to an additional five years on top of time served, for his role in the slayings.  Vancouver Sun Crime reporter Kim Bolan joins Dave to look back at the Surrey six killings, discuss what Bacon ultimately pleaded guilty to, and why the case was so complicated in getting to sentencing. 

When it comes to gun crime in Canada, one question that often gets asked is “where are these guns coming from?”  Some of them are ill-gotten Canadian firearms, but many of them are smuggled across the border from the United States, where guns are plentiful.  But just how do they get here?  Dave is joined by National Post reporter Adrian Humphreys to talk about recent case in the U.S. that breaks down the journey from an Ohio gun show to the streets of Toronto.