Poll: UCP and NDP Neck and Neck

Real Talker Michael deploys more f-bombs per minute than anybody in Flamethrower history with his message to the White House, Brendon lays out the real world cost of Alberta separation talk, Gerald's torn on the "leaked classroom audio" story, and Watty's got a proposal for a PST in Alberta. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected] WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Alberta's two main parties - the UCP and NDP - are polling neck and neck. We dig into the new numbers with Liaison Strategies pollster David Valentin (3:00), before taking a look at updated federal numbers and a shocking reality around hospital emergency rooms across Canada. Feature interviews on Real Talk are presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY HANSEN DISTILLERY -- EDMONTON'S ORIGINAL DISTILLERY -- ROOTED IN PRAIRIE GRIT AND A REBELLIOUS SPIRIT. PROUDLY LOCAL, ALWAYS ORIGINAL. HANSEN DISTILLERY IS MADE RIGHT, RIGHT HERE. https://hansendistillery.com/ LIAISON STRATEGIES: https://www.liaison.ca/ MBEW: https://www.mercedes-benz-edmontonwest.ca/ 42:00 | Jespo and Johnny dip into the Real Talk Live Chat powered by Park Power to see what you have to say about Liaison's polling numbers. We get into high-profile responses to PM Mark Carney's Davos speech (1:09:30) and President Donald Trump's inaccurate and offensive statement about NATO member nations. (Make sure you stick around for Jespo's poop analogy.) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected] SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/ 2:05:00 | Real Talker Michael deploys more f-bombs per minute than anybody in Flamethrower history with his message to the White House, Brendon lays out the real world cost of Alberta separation talk, Gerald's torn on the "leaked classroom audio" story, and Watty's got a proposal for a PST in Alberta. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!  FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected]  WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU!  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Alberta emergency rooms are described as "death zones" in a shocking report leaked to Real Talk. Six deaths and a few dozen "critical near-misses" over a two week period are front and centre in our extended conversation with Dr. Paul Parks (4:00), a southern Alberta ER doc and past-president of the Alberta Medical Association. Feature interviews on Real Talk are presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/. MBEW: https://www.mercedes-benz-edmontonwest.ca/ SHARE YOUR HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE: [email protected]  1:12:40 | Did you know Alberta's U18 boys AND girls football teams won national championships in overtime this past season? This incredible achievement is shared by Real Talker Johnny K for Alberta Wins presented by Play Alberta.  THERE'S A MAJOR CASINO WINNER EVERY HOUR WITH PLAY ALBERTA, AND ALL REVENUE STAYS RIGHT HERE IN THE PROVINCE. DOWNLOAD THE PLAY ALBERTA APP TODAY TO GET STARTED WITH CASINO, SPORTS, AND LOTTERY ALL IN ONE APP. MUST BE 18+ TO PLAY. IF YOU GAMBLE, PLEASE USE YOUR GAMESENSE. https://playalberta.ca/ 1:15:50 | What are your early money memories? What are your family values around finances? Cary Williams from North Road Investment Counsel joins Ryan in our historic Mercer Warehouse studio with great insights for a new year. Let us know what you think about his comments on tightwads and spendthrifts - leave a reply below!  SNOWBIRDS! CHECK OUT NORTH ROAD INVESTMENT COUNSEL's MEXICO WORKSHOPS: https://www.northroadic.com/mxevents We've got room for ONE more team at the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, January 31 in St. Albert!  SIGN UP TODAY: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/pond-hockey FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

More than two dozen Alberta MLAs are facing recall petitions. Is this really the best way to hold politicians accountable? We ask AB Resistance founder Marg Tokar - a "lifelong Conservative" - why she's helping organize campaigns across the province (4:45) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/. CHECK OUT AB RESISTANCE: https://abresistance.ca/ 1:10:00 | We dip into our Live Chat presented by Park Power to see what Real Talkers think about the recall process. (Not everybody agrees.) SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/ 1:26:30 | Did you hear what U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said about Canada's North? Or Greenlandic politician Tillie Martinussen's comment about American greed? How about Beijing's response to the "China threat" Trump's using to justify his position on Greenland? And then there's California Governor Gavin Newsom's rant at WEF meetings in Davos, Switzerland. We've got you covered.  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected]  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

More than two dozen Alberta MLAs are facing recall petitions. Is this really the best way to hold politicians accountable? We ask AB Resistance founder Marg Tokar - a "lifelong Conservative" - why she's helping organize campaigns across the province (4:45) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/. CHECK OUT AB RESISTANCE: https://abresistance.ca/ 1:10:00 | We dip into our Live Chat presented by Park Power to see what Real Talkers think about the recall process. (Not everybody agrees.) SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/ 1:26:30 | Did you hear what U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said about Canada's North? Or Greenlandic politician Tillie Martinussen's comment about American greed? How about Beijing's response to the "China threat" Trump's using to justify his position on Greenland? And then there's California Governor Gavin Newsom's rant at WEF meetings in Davos, Switzerland. We've got you covered.  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected]  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Did PM Mark Carney's "Canola for EVs" deal with China really split Canadians? Auto workers in Ontario may not love lifting tariffs on Chinese EVs, but that doesn't make it the wrong move, argues Supriya Dwivedi (3:00). We talk Trump's Board of Peace proposal (43:00), Steve Bannon's inflammatory comments about Canada (51:20), Iran (1:00:30), and the Federal Court of Appeal's ruling on the Emergencies Act ending the Freedom Convoy Ottawa Occupation (1:04:00) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/. 1:13:20 | Jespo and Johnny debrief and dip into the Real Talk Live Chat powered by Park Power.  SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/ 1:33:10 | Did you catch that remarkable moment in the Jacksonville Jags' news conference following the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills? Real Talker Justin submits reporter Lynn Jones-Turpin's comments to coach Liam Coen for this week's Positive Reflections presented by Solar by Kuby.   SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: [email protected]  GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Real Talkers Erin and AJ have thoughts on the Canada-China trade deal; Laura, Lisa, Natasha, and Gerald are fired up over the "defund private schools" debate; Josef is "terrified" of civil war in the USA, Travis has heard enough excuses about Edmonton's snow clearing debacle, the "thesco" has a direct question for Jespo. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected] WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Audio leaked from an Alberta classroom is causing a stir, as a high school teacher parodies Conservative stereotypes including references to the oil and gas industry. Premier Danielle Smith uses her X account to amplify the 90-second clip originally shared by a right wing content creator, stating she's "deeply disappointed" by "profanity, partisan attacks, or insults toward Alberta’s ethical energy workers and their families." What do you think about it? We hit the story out of the gates (3:30) and later (1:19:30) in this episode of Real Talk.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected]  27:30 | Are you comfortable using public transit? Transit safety is a key concern for riders, operators, and city officials across Canada. We talk solutions with experts and advocates David Cooper, Denis Agar, and Daniel Witte to our Real Talk Round Table presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  LEADING MOBILITY: https://www.leadingmobility.com/ MOVEMENT - METRO VANCOUVER TRANSIT RIDERS: https://movementyvr.ca/ EDMONTON TRANSIT RIDERS: https://edmontontransitriders.org/ MICHAEL JANZ EVENT DETAILS: https://www.michaeljanz.ca/movementAMA "ON THE FRONT LINE" DOCUMENTARY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e63FFFZdHg 1:56:15 | Real Talkers Erin and AJ have thoughts on the Canada-China trade deal; Laura, Lisa, Natasha, and Gerald are fired up over the "defund private schools" debate; Josef is "terrified" of civil war in the USA, Travis has heard enough excuses about Edmonton's snow clearing debacle, the "thesco" has a direct question for Jespo. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!  FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected]  WHEN YOU VISIT THE DQs IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, or BASELINE ROAD, BE SURE TO TELL 'EM REAL TALK SENT YOU!  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Alberta funds private and independent schools at a higher level than any other province, but spends less per public school student than anywhere else in the country. Alicia Taylor, a Calgary high school teacher, is trying to change that. She tells us about her citizen initiative petition Alberta Funds Public Schools (3:00) in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY HANSEN DISTILLERY -- EDMONTON'S ORIGINAL DISTILLERY -- ROOTED IN PRAIRIE GRIT AND A REBELLIOUS SPIRIT. PROUDLY LOCAL, ALWAYS ORIGINAL. HANSEN DISTILLERY IS MADE RIGHT, RIGHT HERE. https://hansendistillery.com/ LEARN MORE: https://abfundspublicschools.ca/ CHECK OUT OUR OCT. 22 INTERVIEW WITH AISCA: https://rtrj.info/102225AISCA 32:30 | Our Live Chat powered by Park Power is HUMMING with a ton of different takes on education funding in Alberta (and across the country). If you've got something to add but you missed watching this episode live, send us an email to [email protected].  SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk 1:12:00 | Did you know Alberta is home to Canada's only companion bird rescue, rehab, and rehoming organization? We had no idea until Real Talker "Cloud9117" told us about Meika's Safehouse. We're proud to shine a light on this super cool organization in this edition of Alberta Wins presented by Play Alberta.  MEIKA'S SAFEHOUSE: https://www.meikasbirdhouse.com/safehouse#available-for-adoption THERE'S A MAJOR CASINO WINNER EVERY HOUR WITH PLAY ALBERTA, AND ALL REVENUE STAYS RIGHT HERE IN THE PROVINCE. DOWNLOAD THE PLAY ALBERTA APP TODAY TO GET STARTED WITH CASINO, SPORTS, AND LOTTERY ALL IN ONE APP. MUST BE 18+ TO PLAY. IF YOU GAMBLE, PLEASE USE YOUR GAMESENSE. https://playalberta.ca/ 1:17:00 | Jespo and Johnny dip back into the Live Chat for more takes on education funding.  1:27:00 | It's absolute mayhem in Minnesota, with another civilian shot by ICE agents.  Registration is open for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, January 31 in St. Albert!  SIGN UP TODAY: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/pond-hockey FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

RCMP arrested award-winning photojournalist Amber Bracken in 2021 while she was covering the Wet’suwet’en pipeline standoff in Northern B.C. for The Narwhal. Now, both Bracken and The Narwhal are suing the RCMP for what they say was a concerted campaign to limit press freedom. We connect with Amber Bracken and Narwhal co-founder Carol Linnitt (35:00) just moments before they head to court in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West.  HIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY RapidEX FINANCIAL. THE CRYPTO WORLD MOVES FAST, BUT YOUR TRUST IN AN EXCHANGE SHOULDN'T BE A GAMBLE. RapidEX IS SECURE, FINTRAC-REGISTERED, AND NON-CUSTODIAL. SAVE 50% ON FEES ON ONLINE INTERAC E-TRANSFER TRADES WITH PROMO CODE RYAN50 AT https://rapidexfinancial.com/. But first... 6:00 | Thousands of Canadians are calling on the feds to ban X, Elon Musk's social media platform formerly known as Twitter. This, after revelations the platform's Grok AI tool is being used to generate sexualized images of children and unconsenting adults. But is a ban really the right move? We ask tech expert and SiriusXM host Amber MacArthur.  MORE FROM AMBER MAC: https://ambermac.com/ 35:00 | Amber Bracken and Carol Linnitt update us on The Narwhal's court battle against the RCMP. LEARN MORE/SUPPORT AMBER & THE NARWHAL: https://thenarwhal.ca/press-freedom/ 59:10 | Jespo shares a few memories from his magical weekend in Jasper, and tees up a couple upcoming events you've got to check out during Jasper in January! #MyJasper Memories is presented Wednesdays on Real Talk by our friends at Tourism Jasper. APRES WINE: https://www.jasper.travel/january/events/apres-wine/ MOUNTAIN MALANKA: https://www.jasper.travel/january/events/mountain-malanka/ 1:07:45 | Ryan's struck by an apology in the Live Chat.  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected]  Registration is open for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic on Saturday, January 31 in St. Albert!  SIGN UP TODAY: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/pond-hockey FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.