The Referendum Prequel ⏪

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Alberta is holding a referendum on having a referendum. Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement Thursday evening, sharing that a question will be added to a provincewide referendum in October (largely centred on immigration), asking whether the Alberta gov should commence the legal process necessary to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada. The convoluted question — which Premier Smith says was designed to appease both sides of the debate — follows a court ruling she called antidemocratic, in which a judge struck down the petition that could have triggered a separatist referendum because the gov failed in its duty to consult with First Nations. Smith’s latest referendum plan is drawing criticism from basically every direction. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Alberta is essential to making Canada better, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says all Conservative MPs will campaign for Canadian unity in Alberta. For now, the national group chat remains deeply stressed.

PM Mark Carney’s climate policies — or lack thereof — are causing concern within his own party. Fourteen Liberal MPs from across the country sent a letter to the PM at the end of April, before Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a pipeline agreement, according to Radio-Canada. The letter included recommendations and expressed unease with the situation, though the MPs who signed it don’t want to be publicly identified. Meanwhile, while speaking to a business audience in B.C. recently, PM Carney said the world is in the middle of an energy crisis, and Canada must do its part to supply the natural resources the world needs. He added that as Ottawa moves quickly to supply those resources, if B.C. stands opposed, his gov will “be spending more time elsewhere in the country.” For more on all this, listen to this pod exploring whether Carney is undoing the Liberal’s climate legacy.

Big Bills: Canada is expected to spend more than $1 billion on hosting the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. That’s according to a new report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, aka the federal budget watchdog. The estimated cost of government support per game? $82 million! Plus, head here for the Globe and Mail’s detailed look at what Vancouver and Toronto are spending to host one of the world’s richest sporting organizations. The World Cup: beautiful game, terrifying cost.

Cash Splash: The jets flown by Canada’s Snowbirds are grounded after more than 50 years in the skies. The federal gov says the Canadian Forces’ aerobatic team will fly its last season with its long-serving jets, which will eventually be replaced by the early 2030s. Following the announcement, CBC reported the federal gov spent $29.3 million upgrading planes flown by the Snowbirds, even though the aging jets are about to be retired.

Invoice Incoming: Remember the Online Streaming Act? It passed in 2023 under the former Trudeau gov, and enabled the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to require large streaming companies with Canadian revenue to direct a portion of that toward supporting Canadian content creation. Now providers like Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video are expected to contribute more, with the previous five percent contribution increasing to 15. Your next binge-watch may now come with extra nationalism.

Twelve Canadians were recently detained by Israel after Israel’s navy intercepted a flotilla heading to Gaza, called the Global Sumud Flotilla. Video showed Israel’s National Security Minister taunting the activists from around the world, leading PM Carney to call Israel’s treatment abominable and say Israel’s ambassador will be summoned to Ottawa. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand called the video deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable, adding that the Canadians who were detained were safe. The flotilla involved about 420 activists and 41 boats, all attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid into the region. Listen to this pod for more on the politics and history of the Gaza flotillas, from someone who travelled alongside an earlier flotilla.

And now it’s time for dessert...your weekly crossword! A little hint for you: make sure you review last week’s edition to complete the crossword:

YOUR CROSSWORD

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