Western Standard - November 04, 2026


Western Standard News Update ｜ Premier Smith approval falls to 39% after the referendum ｜ 4 Nov 2026

Is Your GST Paying Ottawa's Interest Bill？ Alberta’s campus neutrality legislation needs teeth

Episode Stats


Length

3 minutes

Words per minute

112.68

Word count

352

Sentence count

25


Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
00:00:00.000 From the Western Standard, here's your news update.
00:00:07.580 I'm your host, Western Standard reporter Allison Fraser, and here's what you need to know.
00:00:14.760 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's approval rating has fallen to 39% following October's
00:00:21.920 referendum, with nearly 6 in 10 Albertans now disapproving of her performance, according
00:00:29.380 to a new Think HQ public affairs poll.
00:00:33.480 However, the survey suggests Smith retained strong support
00:00:37.760 among United Conservative Party voters
00:00:40.520 headed into the party's annual general meeting later this month.
00:00:46.320 Suncor Energy is raising its quarterly dividend 10%
00:00:50.080 after stronger oil prices and refining margins
00:00:53.580 pushed third-quarter earnings above analysts' expectations,
00:00:57.960 despite a decline in production. The Calgary-based oil producer and refiner reported Tuesday
00:01:05.180 adjusted operating earnings of $3.97 per share for the quarter ended September 30th.
00:01:14.940 Idaho voters have thrown their support behind a historic Winchester rifle in an unusual midterm
00:01:21.480 election ballot question asking residents to choose their state's official gun. The Winchester
00:01:27.020 Model 1873, famously nicknamed as the gun that won the West, emerged as a frontrunner in Tuesday's
00:01:34.320 election, receiving 32.49% of the vote, according to the unofficial results published by the Idaho
00:01:41.800 Secretary of State Wednesday morning. Three major medical organizations are demanding Alberta
00:01:49.540 reverse its decision to allow optometrists to perform certain laser eye surgeries and other
00:01:55.660 procedures, warning the changes could put patients' eyesight at risk. The Canadian
00:02:02.060 Ophthalmological Society and Alberta's Medical Association's Section of Ophthalmology are
00:02:08.620 calling on the provincial government to re-ascend regulations expanding optometrists' scope of
00:02:13.840 practice. And that's it for now. Join us next time for more Western Standard news updates.
00:02:21.200 You can follow us on Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Podcasts.
00:02:26.300 And don't forget to visit our website at westernstandard.news.
00:02:30.620 Have a great day.
00:02:37.960 You've heard the headlines.
00:02:39.820 You've watched the narrative shift.
00:02:41.760 And you can feel it when the truth is being rewritten in real time.
00:02:46.460 But not here.
00:02:47.320 We don't make the powerful comfortable.
00:02:49.760 we make them answer. No scripts, no gatekeepers, no permission needed. If you're done with polished
00:02:57.100 spin and state-approved storylines, stand with the voice of Western Canada.
00:03:03.200 Join us today. Go to westernstandard.news.