The Broadcast is a show about women and politics in Alberta. Hosted by journalists Trisha Estabrooks and Alex Zabjek, the podcast is a place for women to tell their stories about life in and around politics. These women are legislators, candidates, activists, grassroots campaigners, and academics. They are smart, passionate, and opinionated. We believe their…
Hello podcast listeners! We made this episode over a couple of glasses of wine, a bunch of smiles, and maybe a tear, or two. It’s time for us to park The Broadcast. We’re not saying forever but, for now, we need to take a break. We’ve been working on this podcast for almost two years…
This is the second part of our interview with MLA Stephanie McLean, and we dive into what it really meant to be the first sitting MLA to have a baby in Alberta. We talk about whether the birth of her son Patrick came to overshadow her political accomplishments — and what it means in the…
Stephanie McLean was the first woman in Alberta to give birth while sitting as an MLA — in 2016. That alone is a tremendous comment on women in politics in Alberta. In this wide-ranging interview, McLean talks about why she decided to accept a position as a cabinet minister, shortly after giving birth to her…
In January, Kristin Raworth wrote on Twitter that MP Kent Hehr — a former Alberta MLA — used sexually inappropriate comments to colleagues and made women in his workplace feel unsafe. Her statements came as Canadian politics was starting to face its own #metoo moments. Allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct were emerging in virtually…
In this week’s episode, we step outside the binary, thanks to the help of our intern Danielle. She talks to two members of Edmonton’s trans community, about how to make space for people like them in politics. Francis Nievera is an open trans Grade 11 student at Blessed Oscar Romero High School. He was previously…
This week’s episode comes to you live from the Broadbent Institute’s Progress Summit in Edmonton, where leaders from across the country gathered to discuss the future of Alberta politics. The Broadcast hosted a panel with four amazing female politicians about the barriers they’ve faced in their careers. Listen to hear their stories, their insights,…
Bill 9 caused a stir in the Alberta Legislature last week after members of the UCP walked out of the debate on whether to create abortion clinic safe zones. The bill would enforce a 50 metre buffer zone where pro-life protesters would not be allowed in. UCP members said the heckling was so bad, they…
Hansa Thaleshvar is an immigrant from India who became mayor of the old town of Cold Lake in 1992. It was a small community back then, dominated by the oil-and-gas industry and the military base. When Hansa first ran for school board trustee in the 1980s, her husband said it would be hard to get…
The federal Liberal government presented an “Equality and Growth” budget last week. What does that mean, exactly? Does it do anything to promote equal economic opportunities – or outcomes – for women in this country? How might we view this budget in the context of the Liberal government and its past actions to advance the…
Hundreds of women packed a downtown hotel in Edmonton earlier this month for the 2018 Edmonton Women’s Symposium. The top-notch list of sessions included a panel of prominent Edmonton women who discussed their experiences in politics. How do they deal with social media — and the inevitable trolling it invites? What advice do they offer…
It has been an explosive few weeks in Canadian politics; stories of sexual harassment and misconduct have blown open conversations about systemic problems in the halls of power in Ottawa and beyond. In this episode, we welcomed Martha Hall Findlay, former MP and leadership contender for the federal Liberals, to discuss the stories and the…
We’ve all observed instances of how media portrayals of female politicians are different than that of their male counterparts. Linda Trimble goes beyond the anecdotes and conducts rigorous, in-depth research on the press coverage of these women. Trimble is a political science professor at the U of A and she talks to us about her…
It’s only the first month of the year but Alberta is already in election mode for 2019. To help us predict the pulse of Alberta politics over the coming months, the Broadcast was pleased to host a round-table of women from the province’s biggest political parties. It didn’t take long for the discussion to turn…
It’s been five years since the Idle No More movement swept across the country, an impossible-to-ignore call for reflection on issues such as treaties, upcoming legal changes, and the on-going, problematic living conditions of too many Indigenous people in Canada. Tanya Kappo, an Edmonton resident from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, was right in the…
The Rt. Honourable Kim Campbell joined us for a wide-ranging and frank chat on The Broadcast. We were thrilled the former PM opened up about what gave her the confidence to run for the 1993 PC leadership — a decision that would ultimately see her sit as the first female prime minister of Canada. We…
Calgary City Councillor Druh Farrell just finished “the nastiest” political campaign of her career. In this episode, Farrell talks about the divisive Calgary municipal election and the anonymously-funded group that led a campaign to see her booted from office. Farrell says women in politics “are going backwards in many ways.” But she also tells us…
Pantsuits. Pearls. Pocket squares. Like it or not, you’ve probably noticed all of these fashion choices on a politician. For women in politics, the scrutiny is intense. In this episode, we look at why image matters — both in terms of how women present their ideas and themselves. We talk about how women can control…
Forty-three women put their names on the ballot in Edmonton’s municipal election – some were veterans in civic politics and others were first-time candidates. In this episode, we talk to four female candidates to get their tales from the campaign trails. From naked men who answered the door while they were door-knocking; to comments about…
The spotlight has been on Edmonton’s city council for its gender inequity since 2013. That’s when just one woman — Bev Esslinger — was elected to the 13-person council. Are the numbers just a coincidence? A blip in civic history? In this episode, we look at the gender breakdown for candidates in the next civic…
It can be hard to recruit women to run for office, but the odds against immigrant women making a run for the halls of power are even higher. What obstacles do they face? What support do they need? How can we — the great, big collective “we” — do to help more female newcomers get…
Listen in as we chat about some of the summer-time stories about women and politics that have been making headlines, both locally and nationally. First, is a profile of Katie Telford…as chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, she’s a huge political force in Canada. We talk about how the 38-year-old political strategist/superstar earned…
In this special summer episode, The Broadcast is pleased to welcome political commentator Mariam Ibrahim and Metro columnist Danielle Paradis as guest hosts. Mariam and Danielle bring their sharp political observations to a grab-bag of topics that people who care about women and politics will be paying attention to. We start local, looking at Alberta’s…
It’s been 28 years since Jan Reimer was elected Edmonton’s mayor. In this feature interview Reimer reflects on her tenure as a three term city councillor and two term mayor beginning with the story of how sleeping city councillors inspired her to run. During her time on Edmonton City Council Reimer pitched a number of…
Gender quotas — in some form or another — exist in the political structures of countries from Rwanda to Sweden. But the word alone seems to make many Canadians wince — why? There’s a prevailing notion that “good” candidates shouldn’t need a quota to get elected. In this episode, University of Calgary political scientist Melanee…
Lisa Holmes is a political veteran at an age when most men haven’t even started their political careers. The outgoing mayor of Morinville was first elected to the town’s council in 2010, at the age of 30 — in the seven years since, she has become a prominent supporter of women in politics across the…
Male feminists in politics. How does a man best support women in politics? How can men help propel the feminist movement forward by learning when to step back? Edmonton City Councillor Andrew Knack and activist Reakash Walters join us on The Broadcast to discuss this important topic. Knack talks about his “Ah-ha!” moment, when he…
In this episode, The Broadcast comes to you from the Needle Vinyl Tavern where Trish and Alex spoke at Northwestfest about why they started a podcast about women and politics. If you’re interested in women and politics, and the media, and how the media COVERS women and politics, you’ll want to listen to this conversation. How do…
Why the Alberta government has talked to 2,000 public servants about gender Could a gender-based snow plowing policy work in Alberta? Serious question. Sweden adopted a snow-clearing policy that explicitly considered the needs of women, who are more likely to be pushing baby strollers on snowy sidewalks. It’s part of an approach called gender-based analysis,…
In this week’s episode, we ask former PC President, Katherine O’Neill, about what really happened inside the PC party after it was nearly wiped off Alberta’s political map in 2015, and why she decided to step down from the party executive, just three weeks after the election of party leader Jason Kenney. For two years,…
The Wildrose has introduced Bill 202, legislation that would essentially make it easier for women — and men — to sue for damages if their intimate images are shared online without their permission. The Broadcast sat down with the party’s two female MLAs — Leela Aheer and Angela Pitt — to discuss this bill on…
In this episode, we head to the Metro Cinema where Trish hosted a panel discussion with four female politicians as part of the Edmonton International Women’s Film Festival. There were some familiar faces – NDP MLA Sandra Jansen and former Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman. And some new faces – including Ward 5 city council candidate…
On March 18, the PC Party will elect a new leader. With pundits and party insiders predicting a Jason Kenney victory, we ask: what will a united conservative party mean for women in Alberta? Both in terms of their role in a potentially new party and in terms of the policies this new party might…
In this episode, we talk about what it will take for more women to run in Alberta municipal elections this fall. Women hold about 26 per cent of elected municipal positions in the province right now — the situation is even more bleak in Edmonton and Calgary, which have one and two female councillors respectively.…
Russia’s parliament passed legislation decriminalizing domestic abuse. In this episode we discuss the ramifications of the legislation. Closer to home, The Broadcast welcomes city council candidate Miranda Jimmy and NDP MLA Heather Sweet to discuss identity in politics as it relates to Indigenous female politicians. Start listening at about the 7 minute mark if you’re interested in this…
NDP MLA Sandra Jansen talks about her disaffection with the PC party and her decision to talk openly in the Legislature about being called a “bitch” in politics and being told to “stay in the kitchen.” She tells her story about who approached who before she officially left the PC party for the NDP. Jansen…
Historian and author Charlotte Gray joined the Broadcast to talk more about her book, The Promise of Canada: 150 Years — People and Ideas That Have Shaped Our Country. In this interview Gray defends her portrayal of Nellie McClung as a note-worthy suffragette, despite some attitudes that would not be considered strongly feminist today. “You…
From both sides of the microphone Listen in as two former journalists turned politicians talk about the issues that defined them as female candidates. A frank conversation with the former leader of the Opposition, Danielle Smith and current president of PC Alberta, Katherine O’Neill.
