Western Standard - Western Standard News Update

00:00:00.000 From the Western Standard, here's your news update.

00:00:08.140 I'm your host, Western Standard Chief Editor Dave Naylor, and here's what you need to know.

00:00:14.360 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has nothing to worry about in the face of Independence

00:00:19.720 Leader Jeffrey Rath's comments that so many constituency associations are upset over Bill

00:00:25.680 14, they could call a special general meeting. Smith expressed frustration Wednesday at the

00:00:33.180 growing number of recall petitions in Alberta. The number now sits at 21, including Smith herself.

00:00:40.380 Well, you have to look at the ways in which the left have weaponized various democratic processes.

00:00:46.700 I think we've seen it over the last year with the longest ballot. We never saw that before either.

00:00:50.400 People putting 200 names on a ballot with the same CFO and the same signatures applying and many of

00:00:57.400 them not even getting a single vote. So they didn't even vote for themselves. That's part of the reason

00:01:02.500 why we knew that we had to make some changes because there's, I think, a new group of folks who are

00:01:10.240 trying to undermine the democratic process and are abusing the process and not just me saying so.

00:01:15.340 It was Jean-Pierre Kingsley, who was the chief electoral officer federally. So I think that

00:01:20.760 this weaponization of recall is very much along the same lines. It's very easy to take out a petition.

00:01:25.960 All you have to do is pay 500 bucks and write a paragraph and get a CFO and you can launch a campaign.

00:01:31.720 Many parts of the lower mainland are being evacuated after an atmospheric river hit,

00:01:37.220 or what I called as a kid, heavy rain. Abbotsford seems to be ground zero of all the troubles.

00:01:43.700 CBC is being slammed for using an AI image of Prime Minister Mark Carney and disgraced financier

00:01:51.100 Jeffrey Epstein. And opinion editor Chris Oldcorn looks at the Liberal cabinet minister who was sworn

00:01:58.160 in with his hand on the Koran. And that's it for now. Join us the next time for more Western Standard

00:02:05.680 news updates. You can follow us on Spotify, YouTube music, and Apple podcasts. And don't forget to visit

00:02:13.560 our website at westernstandard.news. Have a great day.

Western Standard - December 11, 2025