West of Centre

What if the biggest danger to Canada isn’t a foreign enemy or even U.S. President Donald Trump? Rather, poor policy decisions and decades of deferred leadership that have created deep regional resentments – including here in Alberta – that threaten to tear the country apart. And what if the greatest threat to Canadian unity now comes from the west? John Ibbitson, veteran political journalist, and...

For the second time this year, Alberta’s UCP government is lowering the barriers for citizen-led referendum questions while also stripping the Chief Electoral Officer of many powers. This week on West of Centre , host Kathleen Petty is joined by CBC writer and producer Jason Markusoff; Globe and Mail reporter Matthew Scace; and pollster and political analyst Janet Brown. As the UCP tinkers with it...

Alberta and Ottawa have sealed a new “grand bargain” – a long-awaited memorandum of understanding that could pave the way for a major new bitumen pipeline to B.C.’s remote northwest coast. Joining West of Centre host Kathleen Petty to dissect this week’s deal are Gitane De Silva, former CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator; Emma Graney, Globe and Mail energy reporter; and Mike McDonald, former chief...

Health care in Alberta is getting a massive makeover, as the UCP government introduces what it calls a dual-practice surgery model. Critics fear that by allowing some surgeons to simultaneously practice in both the public and private system, a patient’s wait time will be determined by their wallet. The province says it wants to try something new to solve wait times, and at least one panelist conte...

The Grey Cup deadline on a memorandum of understanding between the prime minister and the premier is about to come and go, but it’s not necessarily a disaster, as Danielle Smith works to secure a "new, grand bargain" for Alberta. This week on West of Centre , host Kathleen Petty is joined by Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt; Alberta-based politics reporter for the Toront...

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget dropped this week, but it has been buried in the news by MP exits and mounting pressure from Albertans using the UCP’s own legislation to seek accountability. This week on West of Centre , host Kathleen Petty is joined by longtime policy advisor Ken Boessenkool, who worked with former Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Zain Velji, one third of The Strategists...

Alberta’s UCP government used the biggest hammer in its toolbox this week to force teachers back to work. The provincial government invoked the notwithstanding clause, arguing families needed certainty. The move has certainly raised the ire of many Albertans, along with the wider labour movement, which has promised consequences. Already, the education minister is the target of the first recall pet...

With the ballots finally counted and the results official, Alberta’s 2025 municipal election cycle is one for the books. New regulations brought in by the provincial government for voters casting ballots for mayor, councillor and school trustee saw a requirement for a new attestation form, a ban on electronic tabulators in favour of hand counting, and the addition of political parties to Calgary a...

No gold stars this week for either the Government of Alberta or the Alberta Teachers' Association, as both sides have failed to strike a potential deal on a labour dispute that has kept around 750,000 students out of class for the foreseeable future. This week on West of Centre , host Rob Brown, along with University of Calgary political science professor Lisa Young, Evan Menzies of Crestview Stra...

There are now two proposed pipelines without private proponents on the table. The first: Alberta's idea for a bitumen pipeline to northern British Columbia has become a political hot potato. The second, Keystone XL, may potentially be back from the dead (just in time for Halloween!) as possible leverage with U.S. President Donald Trump, to lubricate relief from steel and aluminum tariffs. On&...

Alberta is laying the groundwork for a new bitumen pipeline to B.C.'s northwest coast. But Danielle Smith's government's plan isn't just about a pipeline -- it's a test of political will.  In this week's episode of West of Centre , our panel digs into how this proposed project is a bold political play by the premier that's straight out of a "choose your own adventure" gamebook, with two very...

Is “pragmatism” a good principle when it comes to tackling climate change? What does this big buzzword adopted by the Prime Minister and others in his government even mean, anyway?  As the Canadian Climate Institute concludes there’s no way Canada will meet its emission reduction targets for 2030 or even 2035, our expert panel dives into the disconnect between the country’s net-zero targets a...

The Alberta government is making headlines with its plan to add a “CAN” citizenship marker to driver’s licences, a move Premier Danielle Smith says will safeguard elections and improve efficiency. At the same time, she’s pressing for greater provincial control over immigration, even as the province faces the threat of a teachers’ strike, a ballooning deficit and renewed talk of sovereignty. West o...

This fall, Calgary and Edmonton voters will face a first in Alberta history: municipal candidates backed by political parties. The provincial government has launched the move as a pilot project, but it’s already stirring debate. Critics warn it could erode the independence of city politics, while supporters say it may bring clarity and accountability to local campaigns. West of Centre Short host R...

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first five “nation-building” projects are out — but there’s no oil pipeline, at least not yet. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s unusually upbeat response raised eyebrows, suggesting she may know something the rest of us don’t. Both she and Carney hint that bigger announcements could come by year’s end. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is back to dissect the politics...

Even Alberta politics needs a pause now and then. While there are no new episodes in August, we'll be back in September, ready to dive headfirst into the political drama this province never fails to deliver. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Please rate and review us if you can. It helps others discover the pod.

More than halfway through a turbulent political year, Alberta sits at the crossroads of a global trade war, a federal-provincial power struggle and a simmering separatism debate. This week on West of Centre, host Rob Brown brings together former federal cabinet minister Monte Solberg, political strategist Stephen Carter, and University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young to take stock of Can...

As the Aug. 1 trade deadline approaches, Donald Trump’s administration is threatening to hike tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant Canadian goods from 25 to 35 per cent, while leaving existing levies on potash and energy unchanged. Gitane De Silva, former Canada Energy Regulator CEO and Alberta’s ex-representative in Washington, doubts a deal will be struck by Friday. She says Canada is smart to keep ne...

In the dead of summer, a shift in tone appears to be taking hold between Canada’s premiers and the prime minister. On this week’s West of Centre, three Alberta-based journalists examine what may be driving Premier Danielle Smith’s recent change in rhetoric. At the latest premiers’ summit, Smith downplayed talk of a new oil pipeline and instead emphasized on shared priorities with B.C. Premier Davi...

Canada’s sluggish gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been branded an economic “emergency.” Yet the headline figure could soon rise even if Prime Minister Mark Carney does little to spur productivity. Ottawa is slashing the intake of international students and temporary foreign workers — a move that will shrink the population denominator and nudge the stat upward, even as total output may...

The Alberta Next tour is only two stops in and critics already say it feels less like a neutral consultation than a sales exercise for provincial moves, including setting up an Alberta pension plan, a provincial police service and a homegrown tax collection agency. Former NDP staffer Shannon Greer likened the events to a timeshare presentation, citing high‑production videos, tightly managed messag...

A northern Alberta First Nations leader is raising concerns about a proposed $16-billion carbon capture project, warning his community could pursue legal action if the federal government fails to properly consult Indigenous groups. In an interview on West of Centre Short, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam said his community has not received credible information about the environmen...

Can Pierre Poilievre survive the summer — and is a new oil pipeline imminent? Those questions are fuelling chatter on rooftop patios, at pancake breakfasts and in political backrooms across Calgary during 10 days of Stampede networking. On this week’s episode of West of Centre, conservative strategist Tom Olsen shares what politicians and staffers are really saying — and whether they believe Poili...

Despite wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, a resurgent Donald Trump threatening global trade, and the world increasing supply, crude prices haven’t swung wildly like they once did. In fact, 2024 marked one of the most stable years for oil prices in decades, and the first half of 2025 has more or less followed suit. So what’s behind this unusual calm in a chaotic world? On this episode of West of...

Aspiration is meeting reality for Prime Minister Mark Carney, as the pressures of governing expose the risks of his sky-high campaign promises. The most immediate example is his abrupt reversal on Canada’s digital services tax, scrapped just before it was set to take effect after Donald Trump threatened to walk away from trade talks. Critics say Carney waved a red flag at a bull; supporters frame...