For those that missed this on the weekend. My latest on how libertarians need to stand up to populists bent on eroding rights and freedoms. drjaredwesley.substack.com/p/taco-meet-...

1) The notwithstanding clause is not antithetical to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is an integral part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 2) The Charter doesn't merely convey liberties. It obliges all Canadians to stand up against the erosion of rights and freedoms.

Why do populists backtrack? I look at the role of libertarians in thwarting some of their most egregious acts of overreach. open.substack.com/pub/drjaredw...

At #PPSA today, @galapalavicini.bsky.social shared new results from our party defection study. Building on No I in Team (with Alex Marland & Mireille Lalancette): most defections are about conviction, not ambition—they feel unheard and seek better ways to serve constituents. More: partyloyalty.ca

Why do populists backtrack? I look at the role of libertarians in thwarting some of their most egregious acts of overreach. open.substack.com/pub/drjaredw...

Dropping on my Substack tomorrow morning.

A lot of folks assume that populism and libertarianism go hand in hand. On the surface, both appear to be anti-establishment. With the rise of populists like Trump and Smith to positions of power, though... ...and the backlash from libertarians in their base, rifts are developing in RW parties.+

The Republicans' definition of the FCC's role -- as dictating what's in "the public interest" -- is instructive of the difference between populist and pluralist approaches to governance. Let me explain.+

Alberta governments have mused about using the notwithstanding clause before. Albertans have stood up for human rights, forcing the government to back down. Now is that time once again.

Earlier today, Premier Smith brushed aside criticism of her plan to establish citizenship markers on Alberta driver’s licenses by stating that Ontario and Manitoba had similar info on their licenses. That's a half-truth, at best.

Earlier today, Premier Smith brushed aside criticism of her plan to establish citizenship markers on Alberta driver’s licenses by stating that Ontario and Manitoba had similar info on their licenses. That's a half-truth, at best.

Premier Smith touts new citizenship markers on driver’s licenses and provincial IDs as means of preserving “election integrity” and “streamlining services.” Those justifications aren't borne out by evidence, leading critics to conclude there's an ulterior motive. @jaredwesley.ca writes. #abpoli

My latest. "This plan looks less like streamlining and more like risk stacking: more data on more cards shown to more people, with unclear guardrails and unfunded administrative burdens. "...The citizenship marker project will likely be scuttled on the shores of logic, logistics or law."

Here's what the Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod said today in response to Premier Danielle Smith's announcement yesterday that she's making citizenship markers mandatory for driver's licenses. Statement from McLeod in full: #ableg

I sat down this afternoon with @ctheriault.bsky.social to discuss the UCP's plans to place citizenship markers on driver's licenses. Have a listen to the interview: dcs-spotify.megaphone.fm/CORU90213470...

Even if this attempt to suppress votes & deny immigrants access to government services goes ahead in 2026... ...which is a big if.... ...there will still be no way to distinguish a citizen from a non-citizen until 2036 (when old licenses are fully phased out). open.substack.com/pub/drjaredw...

Fun with circular logic: ⚪️Obtaining a birth certificate in Alberta requires photo ID, such as a driver’s licence or passport. 🔵Under this new law, obtaining a driver's license will require a passport or birth certificate. 🔴And getting a passport requires a driver's license or birth certificate.

Fun with circular logic: ⚪️Obtaining a birth certificate in Alberta requires photo ID, such as a driver’s licence or passport. 🔵Under this new law, obtaining a driver's license will require a passport or driver's license. 🔴And getting a passport requires a driver's license or birth certificate.

My thoughts on Alberta's push to add citizenship markers to driver's licenses. It's not about election integrity or convenience. It's about a culture war and discriminating against immigrants. open.substack.com/pub/drjaredw...

Time for a Convoy?

Our Common Ground team has been hearing a lot about Average Joe Albertan over the past 5 years. But how many of us have actually met Joe? Want to? Join us for a unique series of focus groups in Edmonton October 4 and 5. open.substack.com/pub/drjaredw...

📖 New Etched in Marble: Mark Blyth on Why AI Won’t Save Your Writing The Brown University political economist talks irritation, PowerPoint & why the page is still the only place where real thinking happens. Read → catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/etched-in-... 🧵

Our Common Ground team is finding new ways to bring Albertans together to discuss difficult issues. If you're in Edmonton October 4 and 5, consider joining us for a focus group. For info and to register, visit: www.commongroundpolitics.ca Please help spread the word by sharing.

Leaders who say they’re 100% sure no one will cross the floor usually believe it. But floor crossers don’t show their cards. Read more in "No I in Team" (out in October): partyloyalty.ca

Re: the UCP book ban backtrack, it appears the whole thing boils down to a single word: "graphic." Let me explain...

📣In our latest article, we explore the contours of public opinion in Alberta over the past 5 years. #abpoli #ableg www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Our annual statisical publication, The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada is out today. The book is very pretty: the state of postsecondary education in Canada isn't.

Guys, I know it's not the point, but I gotta know: When it comes to porn, what does the premier consider "classic"?

As I was saying.

Sneak peek at the cover of our latest edition of Inside Canadian Politics (3e)! Due out next year, Alex (@alexmarland.bsky.social) and I have fully revamped the content to keep up with the changing dynamics of Canadian politics and global affairs. Excited to see it hit shelves soon!

Far right folks are fuming over the UCP's book ban. Not over the party's abandonment of libertarian principles. But over the Edmonton Public School Board's choice to follow the new law. If you have friends in those circles, just ask: Which of the 200 EPSB books should stay on shelves?

The UCP's response to school boards interpreting their book ban regulation should sound familiar. Throughout her tenure as premier, Smith's defenders have told us to take her seriously, just not *literally.* Populists across North America have said the same thing when called out for bad laws. +

2012 Danielle Smith must be so conflicted. On one hand, she's days away from realizing her dream of locking out all public school teachers in the province. On the other, she's having to fight to keep Atlas Shrugged on high school library shelves after people took her book ban literally.

'What did you do at work today?' 'Found a text file of Atlas Shrugged and searched for key words as if I was 8'

"If they need us to hold their hand through the process to identify what kind of materials are appropriate … so we can be super clear about what it is we're trying to do," Smith said. Ok, but only if it stops at hand holding, and the pair are opposite sex. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

1984, too. The irony. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Earworm? There's no way a photo can give you an earw......

Said it for years: the UCP wants their government to pick its voters, not the other way around. First voter ID laws. Now open attempts at gerrymandering. edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...

The UCP is upset at the City of Edmonton for *checks notes* not consulting before making decisions. Their lack of knowledge on bike lane engagement is surpassed only by their lack of self-awareness. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

That hockey analogy from Carney is the soundbite of the year.

Liberal PM Carney's polling over 50% in Alberta and voters the province's most Conservative riding just elected a man from Ottawa as their MP. Western alienation?

🧵Doug Ford and major Canadian employers have been busy implementing blanket return-to-office policies that unions oppose. In the @theconversation.com , @mmaroto.bsky.social @amykaler.bsky.social and I show how these policies harm workers and contribute to our multiple ongoing public health crises.

A lot of smart people are declaring Poilievre will win the by-election. I gave up on predictions a while ago. Voters are weird and we shouldn't take them for granted.

The premier could do this tomorrow. She doesn't need a panel. She doesn't need her own tax collection agency. She would (likely) need to call a referendum or campaign on it in the next provincial election. So why doesn't she? 🤔

Wasn't me, but I share the sentiment.

I mean we're rehashing the Fair Deal panel and O'Brien Commission, so why not redo Harper's Senate abolition gambit while we're at it? If the premier and her staff want to muse about this stuff without doing any homework, they should go back to running a podcast and stop wasting our time and $.

If you preface your question by telling people the public service has grown significantly in size and cost, it's entirely unsurprising that a majority of respondents are going to say those things should be reduced. nationalnewswatch.com/2025/08/11/m...

There's a lot of good multiple Nero Wolfe books (3 or 4 novellas in one) I know of one omnibus - "The Nero Wolfe Collection" which has several short story books as part of it: Over My Dead Body, Trouble in Triplicate, Curtains for Three, And Four to Go.

I will believe that an AI has PhD-level knowledge when the only answer it gives me is “well, it depends”