West of Centre

By CBC

What's West of Centre about?

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.

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West of Centre episodes:

05.31.2024
"Pothole politics"
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...
05.24.2024
Number nerds unite!
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...
05.17.2024
The long and winding road to net zero
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...
05.10.2024
Chaos theory
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...
05.03.2024
I'm from Ottawa and I'm here to help
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...
04.26.2024
Who's the boss?
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...
04.19.2024
Beyond NDP bake sales
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...
04.12.2024
Alberta's "stay-out-of-my-backyard bill "
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...
04.04.2024
Recovery rhetoric
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...
03.28.2024
The frontrunner vs the Teflon premier
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...
03.22.2024
By unpopular demand
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...
03.15.2024
The orange half dozen
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...
03.08.2024
"Tin pot dictatorship"?
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...
03.01.2024
"Champagne tastes on a beer budget"
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...
02.23.2024
Promises made, promises delayed
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. ...
02.16.2024
Rebranding (and regretting) the carbon tax
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...
02.12.2024
'This is Calgary' podcast
We hear the latest episode in the CBC podcast 'This is Calgary' - can Calgary charge one million electric vehicles at once?
02.09.2024
NDP race: purity vs pragmatism
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...
02.02.2024
The politics of depoliticizing
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...
01.26.2024
The company you keep?
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...
01.19.2024
End of an era
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...
01.12.2024
New year, same problems
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,...
12.15.2023
The first annual quiz show
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...
12.07.2023
'Get off our oil patch'
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...
12.01.2023
Does the Sovereignty Act have any clothes?
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...
11.24.2023
The polling, politics and policy of climate change
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...
11.17.2023
What's a party without (trial) balloons?
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...
11.10.2023
AHS: Altering Health Structures
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...
11.02.2023
Political pen pals
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...
10.26.2023
Fixing the federation
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...
10.20.2023
Exit right or stay put
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...
10.13.2023
Everything and nothing has changed
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...
10.06.2023
A pitch and a catch
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...
09.29.2023
Freezing in the dark
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...
09.22.2023
Pension tensions
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...
09.14.2023
A premiere with the premier
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....
06.29.2023
That's All Folks!
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,...
06.23.2023
Finding Zero
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...
06.16.2023
Political Pondering
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...
06.09.2023
Balancing Act
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....
06.02.2023
Now what?
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...
05.26.2023
Polling Ahead
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...
05.19.2023
Debating the Debate
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...
05.12.2023
Small towns with big city problems
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....
05.05.2023
Running on their records
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...
04.28.2023
Game On !
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...
04.21.2023
All the writ moves
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...
04.14.2023
The battle for Calgary
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...
04.07.2023
Rethinking revenue
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?...
03.30.2023
Live special: What do voters want out of Alberta's election?
Alberta is about to go into an election and it's a tight race. At a special live election show, host Kathleen Petty and her panel talk about the issues Calgary - home of many battleground ridings - and province are...

What's West of Centre about?

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West of Centre episodes:

"Pothole politics"

Number nerds unite!

The long and winding road to net zero

Chaos theory

I'm from Ottawa and I'm here to help

Who's the boss?

Beyond NDP bake sales

Alberta's "stay-out-of-my-backyard bill "

Recovery rhetoric

The frontrunner vs the Teflon premier

By unpopular demand

The orange half dozen

"Tin pot dictatorship"?

"Champagne tastes on a beer budget"

Promises made, promises delayed

Rebranding (and regretting) the carbon tax

'This is Calgary' podcast

NDP race: purity vs pragmatism

The politics of depoliticizing

The company you keep?

End of an era

New year, same problems

The first annual quiz show

'Get off our oil patch'

Does the Sovereignty Act have any clothes?

The polling, politics and policy of climate change

What's a party without (trial) balloons?

AHS: Altering Health Structures

Political pen pals

Fixing the federation

Exit right or stay put

Everything and nothing has changed

A pitch and a catch

Freezing in the dark

Pension tensions

A premiere with the premier

That's All Folks!

Finding Zero

Political Pondering

Balancing Act

Now what?

Polling Ahead

Debating the Debate

Small towns with big city problems

Running on their records

Game On !

All the writ moves

The battle for Calgary

Rethinking revenue

Live special: What do voters want out of Alberta's election?

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