Reuters & Referenda

I welcome Edmonton-based journalist Jeremy Appel, of The Orchard who is based in Edmonton and contributes to numerous news outlets including the National Observer, the Toronto Star, and Ricochet. Appel also has a book forthcoming on Premier Danielle Smith titled “Dark Phoenix: The Rise, Fall and Reemergence of Danielle Smith,” which he describes as a spiritual sequel to his earlier book on Jason Kenney. We then turn to a story Appel covered regarding Reuters, which is owned by Canada’s Thompson family and derives much of its revenue not from journalism but from data and AI services. Specifically, Reuters operates a database called CLEAR that aggregates personal information on Americans, including immigration status and social security numbers, and has contracted with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist with deportation efforts. When Reuters was asked about safeguards, their response amounted to cancelling the contract if misuse were discovered, which Appel found unconvincing.

The discussion then broadens to the role of big tech in serving state interests, including Google Maps renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” at Trump’s informal request and Zuckerberg gutting Meta’s fact-checking apparatus upon Trump’s return to office. Appel connects this to the Alberta referendum, arguing that the immigration questions underpinning it are built on fiction and that the broader separatist movement is fundamentally about liberating the oil and gas industry from federal constraints. He traces this narrative back to Jason Kenney, who amplified Alberta grievance politics around equalization payments and pension contributions, framing federal structures as conspiring against the province despite Alberta being among the wealthiest provinces per capita. Appel argues that Danielle Smith has taken this further, fusing state power with corporate interests in a manner he describes as more authoritarian than the neoliberalism practiced by Kenney.

Our conversation turns to the political landscape ahead of the referendum, with both speakers expressing frustration at the Alberta NDP’s strategic approach of targeting an imagined suburban Calgary swing voter rather than articulating a bold alternative vision. The host shares her own experience running as an independent candidate after Notley refused to discuss a just transition before the election, and argues that the NDP cannot win by trying to out-promise the UCP on oil and gas. Appel notes that Smith is skilled at frami