Kathleen Petty sits down with politicians, pundits, and other thoughtful westerners for conversations about the priorities, preoccupations and politics of Albertans and others who are West of Centre.
Premier Danielle Smith sat down with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson this week. They criticized solar power and the federal environment minister. So, was it a great political strategy or a gamble she’ll regret? Join West of Centre host Kathleen Petty along with strategists Erika Barootes and Zain Velji and the CBC’s Jason Markusoff.
Rachel Notley changed politics in Alberta when the NDP won the 2015 election. After two subsequent election losses, she’s done as leader. This week, host Kathleen Petty talks about that legacy, the potential pitfalls and opportunities for her party and what may come next with the outgoing NDP leader. Plus, political strategists Keith McLaughlin and Christine Myatt add their analysis.
It’s shaping up to be another packed year for politics in Alberta. The United Conservatives are in the midst of a full reset on healthcare, all of the feuding between the provincial and federal governments will hit a new gear, plus, the NDP will likely have their turn to look for a new leader. This week, host Kathleen Petty talks to journalists Kelly Cryderman, Jason Markusoff and Graham Thomson about what to expect in politics in 2024.
What do you remember about the big political stories of 2023? West of Centre launches its inaugural year-end game show and quizzes the panel on the top stories of this year. Michael Solberg from New West Public Affairs, Zain Velji from Northweather and Alex Boyd from the Toronto Star join host Kathleen Petty.
The federal government has finally unveiled its proposed cap to reduce emissions. It sets targets lower than initial goals for 2030, but Alberta says that doesn’t matter and it wants Ottawa out of the oil patch. Host Kathleen Petty is joined first by Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, then by a panel of reporters including the CBC’s Jason Markusoff and Marieke Walsh from the Globe and Mail.
Alberta’s Sovereignty Act is being used for the first time, against federal clean electricity rules that haven’t been fully formed yet. What does this do to the political stakes for both levels of government and what effect will it have on the policy? Host Kathleen Petty is joined by Andrew Leach from the University of Alberta, Emma Graney of the Globe and Mail, and Dean Bennett from The Canadian Press.
Whether it’s court rulings, pushback from provinces or carve outs on carbon pricing, the battle over how to tackle climate change is getting messy. Who in Canada has the credibility to talk about climate policy these days? And how do those debates factor in to questions of energy, environment and affordability? Host Kathleen Petty is joined this week by Shachi Kurl from the Angus Reid Institute, political strategist Karamveer Lalh and Sara Hastings-Simon from the University of Calgary.
It’s been six months since Albertans voted in the election and now the parties are facing a different question: What comes next? Is the UCP becoming the Take Back Alberta party? Does the Alberta NDP need an extreme makeover if it ever wants to win again? Guest host Jason Markusoff examines those questions with Keith McLaughlin from New West Public Affairs, Mandi Johnson from Crestview Strategy and pollster Janet Brown.
Alberta Health Services is being dismantled. Instead, four new agencies will take over in a move that changes the structure and decision-making for the entire health system. Guest host Jim Brown explores these changes with James Talbot, Alberta’s former chief medical officer, Paul Parks, president of the Alberta Medical Association, and Kelly Cryderman of the Globe and Mail.
What do retirement incomes and a tax on pollution have in common? They’re both at the heart of the current fight between Alberta and Ottawa. This week, host Kathleen Petty talks about pensions and the carbon tax exemption with Carrie Tait from the Globe and Mail, Max Fawcett from the National Observer and political strategist Erika Barootes.
Feuding governments, tough policy issues and questions of constitutionality. Just how is the Canadian federation doing these days? And what are the costs of those intergovernmental disagreements? This week, host Kathleen Petty talks with Ian Brodie, former chief of staff to Stephen Harper, Janet Brown of Janet Brown Opinion Research, and political strategist Zain Velji from Northweather.
An escalating war of words between governments, politicians and organizations over the possibility of an Alberta Pension Plan. How is this policy playing out in federal politics? And how are Albertans talked to about it? This week, host Kathleen Petty is joined by Jim Dinning, who is leading public consultations for the province. Then, she chats with Federal Seniors Minister Seamus O’Regan.
The Supreme Court has decided the federal government overstepped with its controversial Bill C-69. It’s known as the Impact Assessment Act, but Alberta has called it unconstitutional. On Friday, the top court largely agreed with that assessment. Host Kathleen Petty is joined by a panel of political and academic experts to break down the court’s decision.
Alberta businesses were in Ottawa this week to tell the feds “Alberta is not what you think it is.” How well did that pitch land? And what comes next? Plus, host Kathleen Petty dives into brand new polling on how the country feels about Alberta taking a pension plan solo.
Critical failure and criminal consequences. That’s the way Alberta’s electricity operator describes the stakes of net-zero targets from the federal government. What does it all mean for politics, policy, business and affordability in the province? Kathleen Petty hosts a panel discussion to answer those questions.
The long-awaited report on taking Alberta pensions solo is here. In it, a pitch to take more than half of the national assets. We dive into what an Alberta Pension Plan could look like, plus recap the other big stories of the week with our panel including CBC analysis writer Jason Markusoff, the Globe and Mail’s Kelly Cryderman and Lisa Young from the University of Calgary.
Welcome back to a new season of West of Centre. This week, we’re speaking with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith about the future of energy and climate targets, plus the current E. coli crisis impacting so many children in the province. And we ask what her vision is for Alberta by the end of her first term.
On our last podcast of the season, we tackle the UCP fed bashing strategy, the hiring and unhiring of Dr. Deena Hinshaw and the record number of opioid deaths in Alberta . Host Kathleen Petty is joined by Zain Velji, Jason Markusoff and Elise von Scheel.
Again this week, Alberta pushed back against Ottawa’s emissions targets . And, The Canada Energy Regulator released several scenarios on what a net-zero world could look like for our province in the years to come. On West of Centre, host Kathleen Petty and guests Andrew Leach, Kelly Cryderman and Sara Hastings-Simon make it clear that finding zero is no easy task.
Rachel Notley is pondering her role as leader of the NDP. It’s unclear how long that will take and what her post-mortem means to the party . Host Kathleen Petty and her guests take a closer look at where Alberta’s New Democrats go from here and how they can strengthen their brand for the future.
The team is now in place. Premier Danielle Smith, with a fresh mandate from the voters, has unveiled her new cabinet. Most of Calgary’s MLA’s made the cut as did a few from what’s known as the donut around Edmonton. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty and guests break down the choices, what they mean and whether the balancing act worked.
The UCP lost seats, but won the prize. The New Democrats will have to settle for forming the largest opposition in the history of the province. So, now what? How does Danielle Smith bridge the gap between the big cities and the rest of Alberta? And how does she choose a cabinet? To sort it all out , West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by three bleary-eyed election commentators.
New polling for CBC suggests the UCP pulling ahead of the NDP. But it's not over yet. With a few days remaining in the campaign, all eyes are on battleground Calgary. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty breaks down the numbers with pollster Janet Brown and Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University. Then, CBC journalists join the pod in anticipation of Monday’s “Calgarypalooza!”.
The leaders of Alberta’s two major parties took an hour out of their campaigns to debate each other this week.. So, who won? The consensus seems to be that Danielle Smith didn’t make any serious gaffs to lose and Rachel Notley didn’t level a knock out punch to win. On the West of Centre podcast, host Kathleen Petty and guests debate the debate. She is joined by a panel of Calgary voters followed by a couple of political journalists who add their though and drill down on the campaign .
We might be obsessing over battleground Calgary. But it’s not the only place in Alberta where seats are up for grabs. This week, we take you to some of the small towns and cities where the election could be decided. Also on West of Centre, Jason Markusoff fills in for Kathleen Petty and talks to campaign watchers about how Danielle Smith and Rachel Notley are managing the province’s wildfire crisis.
The four week election campaign gets underway with the UCP promising big tax cuts and the NDP offering a leader Albertans can trust. The bottom line is this election is about two women who know what it’s like to be in the top political job, running on their records. This week, West of Centre host Kathleen Petty takes you behind the scenes of the campaigns with senior advisors in both camps. Cheryl Oates is with the NDP and Erika Barootes is with the UCP. And acting as a bit of a buffer between t...
Game On! . An election campaign promise from Danielle Smith this week is a 330 million dollar gamble that Albertans support subsidizing the Calgary Flames arena deal. Will that be the defining issue of the campaign or will it be health care or Albertans struggling with the cost of living? As the parties roll out their election machines,West of Centre host Kathleen Petty talks strategy with Karamveer Lalh former political staffer for federal Conservatives and UCP, Leah Ward former director of com...
The writs are not expected to drop for another week or so , but no one is waiting for the official start of the provincial election. Alberta pitches a new plan for federal equalization payments while Ottawa sticks with the status quo. A former Prime Minister offers support for the UCP and both Danielle Smith and Rachel Notley are embroiled in scuffles with the media. On West of Centre with Kathleen Petty, a closer look at what’s happening on ground in this unofficial campaign and who is making “...
All signs point to Calgary as the battleground for the Alberta election in May. So what is the city thinking? What are Calgarians worried about? And who will they vote for? CBC Calgary has commissioned a poll looking exclusively at voters in the province’s biggest city. Guest host Jason Markusoff is joined by Janet Brown of Janet Brown Opinion Research, Mount Royal University’s Duane Bratt and Rishi Nagar of RED FM.
It’s the uncomfortable conversation Alberta has every year: How much is too much, when it comes to relying on oil and gas royalties. Both major parties agree it’s time to get off the revenue roller coaster, but how? And when? Guest host Jim Brown is joined by former Alberta Premier Alison Redford and University of Calgary economists Trevor Tombe and Lindsay Tedds.
