West of Centre

Sorry, not sorry. Premier Jason Kenney apologized for rushing to call COVID an endemic, but is refusing to make the same concession about his government’s Open for Summer plan. Alberta is once again under harsh public health measures and is now getting a proof of vaccination program. All this, as the federal vote is just days away. How did we get to this point and how could Alberta's situation affect the election? Guest host Jim Brown is joined by Ken Boessenkool, a former Conservative strategist with Sidicus Consulting, Duane Bratt from Mount Royal University, and political columnist Jen Gerson from The Line.

The election debates this week featured oil and gas prominently as the leaders discussed energy and climate change. That intersection is a huge focus in Alberta, though the province didn’t get many nods during hours of sparring. How did the leaders address provincial concerns and what can the West expect as the campaign enters the homestretch? We break down the debate and feedback from Alberta voters with pollster Janet Brown and Jason Markusoff from Maclean’s. CBC Calgary’s Elise von Scheel takes a look at why the premier has been absent during the election and Chris Hall, the CBC’s national affairs editor, gives us more highlights from the debate.

A treacherous fall is taking over Premier Jason Kenney's best summer ever. With it comes a federal election, a mounting fourth wave of COVID-19 and questions about the absence of top provincial officials. Host Kathleen Petty is joined by Kelly Cryderman from the Globe and Mail and Corey Hogan, former managing director of communications for the Alberta government under the NDP and UCP, to discuss Alberta's newest set of restrictions and the first we've heard from those government officials in weeks. Then, pollster Eric Grenier breaks down the federal election and how the race is shaping up in the West.

Premier Jason Kenney may need to soup up his blue truck with a DeLorean style flux capacitor for the second half of his mandate. Problems ranging from Alohagate, caucus revolts, fights with doctors, teachers and environmentalists have turned off voters in the past two years. Kenney can’t rewrite the past but it’s possible he can alter his political future with the help of rising oil prices and falling COVID-19 numbers. Kathleen Petty looks at the highs and many lows of Kenney’s mandate so far, and whether he can get back to the future. Her guests are Leah Ward, director of campaigns at Metric Strategies, Katy Merrifield, vice president of Wellington Advocacy, and Corey Hogan, former managing director of communications for the Alberta government under the NDP and UCP, now with The Strategists podcast.

After months of rotten polls, controversial policies and the polarization of a pandemic, Alberta's premier may believe the worst days of his government are behind him. Thanks to improving COVID-19 stats, Alberta is opening on Canada Day. Add in a few small political wins — like an apology from a right wing adversary and higher oil prices powering up an economy set to lead the country — and suddenly Jason Kenney is planning for the second half of his mandate. Kathleen Petty asks three Alberta political columnists if the premier's dog days are over: The Calgary Sun's Rick Bell, Kelly Cryderman of The Globe and Mail and independent columnist Graham Thomson.

The hits just keep on coming to Jason Kenney’s UCP government despite good news on the pandemic front and signs of economic recovery. A new poll shows Kenney is the least popular premier in Canada, and his UCP is losing more ground to the NDP and Wildrose Independence Party. Add in the $1.3 billion dollar tab for the Keystone XL pipeline deal and relentless questions on whether he broke COVID-19 rules while drinking with key staff and cabinet members - dubbed “the liquor cabinet.” Kathleen Petty delves into what’s going on with political scientist Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University, pollster Janet Brown of Janet Brown Opinion Research and long-time Canadian Press reporter Dean Bennett.

Alberta’s premier has been derailed from positive news on the vaccine rollout and forced to explain himself dining al fresco at the notorious “Sky Palace.” Jason Kenney and key cabinet ministers were photographed maskless and less than socially distanced eating takeout in apparent contravention of COVID-19 rules. This in a week where the premier turned a question about residential schools into a commentary against cancel culture. Meanwhile, the NDP is going into its convention riding high in the polls. Guest host Jim Brown in for Kathleen Petty looks at Alberta’s latest political events with University of Alberta political scientist Julian Castro-Rea, Globe and Mail columnist Kelly Cryderman and Jen Gerson, cofounder of The Line.

Alberta’s premier is selling his ambitious “open for summer” three-stage plan to end pandemic restrictions. Jason Kenney says if Alberta meets vaccine and hospital targets all COVID-19 measures could be lifted by the end of June. That means no limits on indoor social gatherings and sports activities, and the return of the Calgary Stampede. Businesses are hopeful. But some doctors are calling the plan risky and reckless because it moves too fast. And what about the Allan inquiry? Guest host Jim Brown looks at the politics and the premier’s efforts to get ahead of the pandemic with communications specialist Corey Hogan of The Strategists podcast, former director of communications for Rachel Notley, Leah Ward of Metric Strategies, and former UCP president Erika Barootes of Enterprise Canada.

Premier Jason Kenney may need more than “baboon’s blood” to cool the simmering trouble in Alberta and his UCP caucus. COVID-19 cases are still high, and the premier’s popularity is low. The caucus voted to expel two troublemakers, but trust remains at a premium. Kathleen Petty takes a closer look at another dramatic week in Alberta politics with three people who’ve been on the inside when “toil and trouble” were at full boil: former Alberta cabinet minister and member of the Fair Deal Panel Donna Kennedy-Glans, former senior adviser to prime minister Stephen Harper Ken Boessenkool and Stephen Carter, former chief of staff to premier Alison Redford.

Monty Python’s Black Knight was a doomed fictional character, but Premier Jason Kenney’s fight with members of his own UCP caucus is very real. Kenney’s caucus has voted to kick out two high profile members, after their public denunciations of Kenney’s leadership, with one even calling for the premier’s resignation. This follows weeks of public dissent by UCP MLAs over Kenney’s pandemic response, and constituency chiefs demanding a leadership review. The question is how much more can Kenney’s leadership withstand? Is he “invincible” like the Black Knight? Kathleen Petty looks at what’s going on with Katy Merrifield, Kenney’s former director of communications, Globe and Mail columnist Kelly Cryderman and columnist Rick Bell of the Calgary Sun.