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.
On the West of Centre podcast, the federal Liberal’s pivot on immigration while Alberta calls for even larger cuts. And Danielle Smith is slalom skiing her way through both leading Albertans and trying to appease her party at a leadership review. Joining host and admitted snow plower Kathleen Petty are pollster Janet Brown, strategist Corey Hogan and writer Alex Boyd
West of Centre explores the Alberta campaign to scrap the federal cap on oil and gas emissions. Also on the pod, a Bloc Quebecois bill that’s got Alberta beef producers worried about trade negotiations, and election campaign rules are about to change under Bill 20. Joining host Kathleen Petty is Kelly Cryderman, Jason Markusoff and Stephen Carter.
Alberta is flanked on both sides by close elections. Saskatchewan and BC will vote soon. And there’s the possibility of a federal election at any time. What do all of these ballot battles mean to Alberta and how the UCP and NDP manage their messages?. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by strategists Keith Mclaughlin and Evan Menzies and Carrie Tait of the Globe and Mail.
The premier's fall agenda includes boosting the rights of the vaccine-averse and a slew of new rules for transgender youth. But the idea that got Alberta talking this week was Danielle Smith's run-in with chemtrails at a party event. With a leadership review coming, is it all about the UCP base? Guest host Jason Markusoff is joined by Erika Barootes, Zain Velji and Emma Graney.
West of Centre takes a deep dive into the role of municipalities in confederation. Alberta’s cities may be booming, but are they getting the respect they deserve? Municipal politicians say they aren’t. One of them joins us - Edmonton's Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. Then Senators Paula Simons and Brent Cotter with details of a new report on the "constitutional Cinderellas of Canada".
Alberta called for newcomers, but too many answered. Is Trudeau to blame for a surging population and the need for more schools? Also, our amateur transit planners muse about a new name for the doomed Green Line. And speaking of doomed, the carbon tax has veered off the road into the ditch. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Kelly Cryderman, Corey Hogan and Lisa Young.
Ms. Smith’s summer road trip took her across the province to town halls with UCP supporters. And we got some hints about her government’s direction this fall. But should big policy discussions be held behind closed doors?. Joining West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is Shannon Phillips, former Lethbridge NDP MLA and now with Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors. Evan Menzies is with Crestview Strategy and is former Director of Communications w...
Alberta's next provincial election is more than three years away, but with a new NDP leader, it's not going to be a quiet political summer. NDP strategists Keith McLaughlin and Cheryl Oates, along with CBC Calgary writer Jason Markusoff, join West of Centre host Kathleen Petty to discuss why “politics has no chill” in Alberta — especially now with Naheed Nenshi at the NDP helm. Nenshi is asked to clarify his position on federal climate policies and their impact in Alberta — including if he'd con...
As the provincial political campaign begins a slow burn toward the fall election in British Columbia, the governing B.C. NDP are heading into the summer with a comfortable lead in the polls ahead of their two rival, centre-right parties. But momentum is suddenly building for the B.C. Conservatives, with the party snatching candidates from the opposition B.C. United (formerly known as the British Columbia Liberal Party). What matters more to B.C. United, according to one of West of Centre’s guest...
Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre opposes the government’s capital gains inclusion rate increase, and he stands firm in his refusal to get a security clearance to review the unredacted national security report that’s causing a cloud of suspicion to hang over Parliament. CBC Parliamentary Bureau senior writer Aaron Wherry and University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young join West of Centre host Kathleen Petty to discuss the strategy behind Poilievre’s positions. But fir...
The spring sitting of the Saskatchewan legislature went out with a bang. The Opposition NDP is calling for a government committee to meet and appoint an investigator in the wake of allegations made last month by the Speaker against former House leader Jeremy Harrison. He initially denied bringing a long gun into the legislature nearly 10 years ago, but has since admitted family helped jog his memory, and the allegation is indeed true. There are further complaints that will reverberate into the s...
An ambitious spring sitting in the Alberta Legislature has resulted in 13 bills passed by the UCP government over 14 weeks. One of the many approved powers enhances the government’s authority to remove municipal councillors or overturn bylaws. This week’s panel dissecting the “pothole politics” coming out of this busy spring sitting are CBC provincial affairs reporter Janet French, Catherine Griwkowsky of political newsletter Alberta Today and the Globe & Mail’s Kelly Cryderman.
We’ve assembled a panel of number nerds to dissect our CBC news poll which shows support for the UCP remains roughly the same as it did when the party was elected nearly a year ago. But the NDP is not far behind. Pollster Janet Brown breaks down the numbers along with the CBC’s Jason Markusoff and Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University.
The path to net zero by 2050 by the oilsands industry is being spearheaded by what’s known as the Pathways Alliance. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Derek Evans, the newly appointed executive chair of Pathways and the former CEO of Meg Energy, to discuss the industry's long-awaited carbon capture and storage project, and what Evans wants to hear from Pierre Poilievre on carbon pricing. Then, Petty is joined by Emma Graney, who specializes in energy reporting for the Globe and Mai...
The UCP government has introduced bill after bill giving it more control over Alberta’s municipalities. Is this flurry of activity a strategy to create chaos by flooding the public with too much, too fast? West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Jeromy Farkas, former Calgary city councillor, pollster Janet Brown and veteran columnist Graham Thomson.
It’s part of our identity here in Alberta to bicker with whomever is in the Prime Minister’s office, especially if their last name is Trudeau. Stealing a sentiment from Ronald Reagan, the province’s often fear the words; I’m from Ottawa and I’m here to help. But does Alberta’s contentious relationship with Ottawa help or hurt us? West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Ian Brodie from the University of Calgary, David Coletto of Abacus Data and Kelly Cryderman of the Globe and M...
The UCP government’s Bill 20 could give the province the power to repeal bylaws and remove city councillors from office. On West of Centre with Kathleen Petty, we explore the question of who’s the boss when it comes to how our cities are run? Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter join us from The Strategists podcast. And Emma Graney from the Globe and Mail holds her own.
A big spike in membership sales, the leadership debates ahead, and ,for some, a new era for the NDP. This week’s panel believes the party is no longer competing with local bake sales! West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by political strategists Cheryl Oates and Keith Mclaughlin and the Toronto Star’s Alex Boyd.
Danielle Smith introduced what she calls the "stay-out-of- my-backyard bill " this week. If passed, it will allow the UCP government to kill federal deals not approved by the province. It’s the latest of many federal-provincial battles. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is back! Joining her is Kelly Cryderman from the Globe and Mail, pollster Janet Brown, and CBC Calgary's Jason Markusoff.
Hundreds are dying from drug overdoses in Alberta. This week, the UCP government announced it will rebrand mental health and addiction services as Recovery Alberta, in line with its preferred approach to the crisis. And the podcast will also tackle Calgary’s mayoralty recall petition. West of Centre guest host Jason Markusoff is joined by journalists Alanna Smith of the Globe and Mail, Rick Bell of the Calgary Sun and Keith Gerein of the Edmonton Journal.
Rakhi Pancholi is out. And Naheed Nenshi is in and the apparent frontrunner in the NDP leadership race. But Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP is ready to defend a much bigger lead than it won in last year’s election,at least according to a new poll. Guest host Jason Markusoff sorts through the numbers with pollster David Coletto. Then, our panel weighs in. It is made up of Lisa Young, a University of Calgary political scientist, freelance columnist Graham Thomson and the Toronto Star’s Alex Boyd...
A new police agency. Political parties in the cities. An Alberta pension plan. By all accounts, fairly unpopular initiatives driven by Premier Danielle Smith. So, what are the policy and political motivations behind them? Guest host Jason Markusoff is joined by Cynthia Moore, former UCP president, Feodor Snagovsky, a University of Alberta political scientist, and Janet French from CBC’s legislature bureau.
There are now six in the race to replace Rachel Notley. Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi joined the race on Monday, confirming weeks of rumours. So how does this shake up the race, and how might each candidate bid to stand out in the weeks ahead? Host Kathleen Petty is joined by pollster and political analyst Janet Brown of Janet Brown Opinion Research, Keith McLaughlin, political strategist and former chief of staff to Notley government ministers, and Cheryl Oates, a former advisor to Rachel ...
The Saskatchewan government is breaking the law by refusing to remit the natural gas portion of what is commonly known as the carbon tax. And the provincial minister in charge has hired a lawyer! West of Centre explores the politics around the unprecedented decision and looks at the parallels with Alberta. Host Kathleen Petty is joined by CBC Reporters Adam Hunter and Sam Samson and political columnist Murray Mandryk.
The UCP government brings down a budget that is both about saving AND spending .So is anyone happy? West of Centre host Kathleen Petty and guests sort out Alberta’s finances, described by our finance minister as “champagne tastes on a beer budget." Economist Trevor Tombe is back again this week. Also at the table are political scientist Duane Bratt and the Globe and Mail’s Emma Graney.
The signature campaign promise by Danielle Smith was tax cuts. But in her pre-budget , tv address this week, she put those cuts on hold. Instead, the premier is focusing on bulking up the Heritage Fund to offset volatile oil prices. Where have we heard that before? West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by economist Trevor Tombe , Kelly Cryderman of the Globe and Mail and political scientist Lori Williams.
The controversial carbon tax is under attack from all sides, including from provincial NDP leadership candidates.The federal government took a shot at rebranding it this week. But will the Trudeau Liberals kill the unpopular tax before the Conservatives can? And how can we fight climate change without it? On the West of Centre podcast, guest host Jason Markusoff is joined by former conservative cabinet minister Gary Mar, energy economist Andrew Leach and Cheryl Oates, former advisor ...
We hear the latest episode in the CBC podcast 'This is Calgary' - can Calgary charge one million electric vehicles at once?
On the West of Centre podcast, the race to replace Rachel Notley is on! So far, two candidates have officially launched their campaigns but more are expected. One outstanding question is whether Alberta’s NDP will sever ties with the federal party in an effort to rebrand itself. Host Kathleen Petty is joined by former Calgary city councillor Jeromy Farkas, pollster Janet Brown and political strategist Keith Mclaughlin.
Premier Danielle Smith believes she has the backing of Albertans with the controversial gender identity policy introduced this week. Is the Premier playing politics or depoliticizing the protection of children, as she says. West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Corey Hogan of The Strategists podcast ,Globe and Mail reporter Emma Graney and CBC reporter Janet French .
