Balance of Power: The Most Expensive Option

Balance of Power: The Most Expensive Option

From The Strategists by Stephen Carter, Zain Velji

May 20, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Saskatchewan's $26 billion coal gamble and the political implications surrounding energy policy in Prairie politics.

In a moment when Prairie politics feels increasingly untethered from reality, what happens when governments start making generational decisions while chasing internal political pressure? This week on Balance of Power , Leah Ward and Shannon Phillips are joined by Saskatchewan NDP MLA Aleana Young to unpack Saskatchewan’s stunning $26 billion coal gamble, the politics driving it, and why the fight over energy policy is becoming a proxy for something much bigger across Western Canada. First: the coal bombshell. Aleana Young walks through the leaked SaskPower documents showing the true cost of rebuilding and operating Saskatchewan’s coal plants, why the government’s numbers kept changing, and how a plan sold as affordability could end up doubling power bills. Then: governing for the base. From separatism to immigration rhetoric to attacks on institutions, the panel digs into what happens when premiers stop trying to persuade the broader public and start managing internal party pressure instead. Plus, for Patreon Subscribers: Danielle Smith’s looming referendum speech. What arguments will she make, who will she blame, and how do governments chip away at trust in courts, institutions…

People in this episode

Hosts: Leah Ward, Shannon Phillips

Guest: Aleana Young

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SaskPower

Places: Saskatchewan, Western Canada

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