About the Episode

Max Fawcett from the National Observer joins Charles Adler to talk about where the latest battles are being fought in Alberta against perceived woke policies: Schoolboards. Also a deep dive into two of Max’s latest opinion pieces including:

Daycare poisonings show high cost of red tape reduction

Homeowners are the true gatekeepers of our housing debate

In this episode you’ll hear how Right-wing activists targeting school boards in Canada, the vulnerabilities in school boards across Canada, affecting social safety net.

How Conservatives view education as a key battlefield in their cultural or conservative politics, particularly around issues like LGBTQ acceptance and trans rights, along with education and political ideologies in Alberta. Max and Charles both warn progressives in Alberta of a potential conservative takeover of school boards. Also Max acknowledges that schools do promote inclusivity and diversity, but recognizes that some parents find this shift threatening.

They also discuss David Parker’s views on schools teaching gender identity and Marxism are criticized as fear-mongering and a rejection of the modern world; along with discussion about the idea of “woke mind virus” and its supposed spread in schools, with Adler sharing a personal anecdote about a hypothetical 7-year-old daughter using the girls’ washroom despite gender identity.

Later in the show, Max highlights the lack of resources for English as a second language (ESL) education is a systemic issue, impacting the advancement of both individual students and the entire education system as a whole. You will also hear about the importance of providing adequate support for immigrants, including healthcare, housing, and English as a second language training, to ensure a successful transition to life in Canada. They argue that simply having a positive attitude towards immigration is not enough, and that the government needs to take a more proactive approach to supporting newcomers.

Adler and Fawcett discuss housing affordability in Canada, with a focus on the role of government intervention and immigration. Housing affordability and supply in Canada, the extreme housing market in Canada, particularly in desirable cities like Vancouver and Toronto, where housing is expensive everywhere, not just in prime locations. Fawcett emphasizes the urgent need for the federal government to address the rental market, which is experiencing near-zero vacancy rates and skyrocketing prices due to a lack of supply; and notes that the voices of single-family homeowners in certain neighborhoods used to be powerful in the city, but are now starting to lose influence as the need for more housing options becomes more urgent.