West of Centre

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 of Centre host Kathleen Petty explore...

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 Rob Brown speaks with Kennedy Stewart,...

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 behind the nudge-nudge, wink-wink wi...

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 Canada and Alberta’s political landsca...

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 negotiations focused and quiet, while...

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 David Eby — including ammonia exports, L...

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 slip and social programs face restr...

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 messaging and survey questions that she sa...

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 environmental risks of the Pathways Alliance p...

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 Poilievre deserves another shot after los...

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 Centre Short, energy analyst Susan B...

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 it as a strategic concession to get ...

Canada has yet to meet NATO’s two per cent defence benchmark, yet the federal government is already pledging to boost spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035. That target framed CBC host Rob Brown’s conversation with Arctic security scholar Rob Huebert, who says the figure is not arbitrary but reflects growing vulnerabilities exposed by Russian aggression, China’s rise and the uncertainty of a second Donald Trump presidency.

On thi...

Premier Danielle Smith is pitching her “Alberta Next” roadshow as a grassroots consultation, but critics say its six survey questions steer Albertans toward sovereignty-tinged answers. The travelling panel will study these topics: an Alberta police force, immigration, constitutional amendments, provincial tax collection, federal transfers and equalization, and a provincial pension plan.

On this week’s West of Centre, host Kathleen P...

The results of Alberta’s three byelections delivered a largely status quo outcome, but with some notable undercurrents. In Edmonton-Strathcona, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi secured a decisive win, surpassing former leader Rachel Notley’s vote share with 82 per cent. It marks his long-awaited entry into the legislature. The NDP also held Edmonton-Ellerslie, though with a slimmer margin — nearly 11 points down from 2023. That erosion rai...

Ahead of three Alberta provincial byelections on June 23, West of Centre is sharing a special bonus episode from our colleagues at Front Burner.

They recently travelled to Three Hills — a town about 130 km northeast of Calgary — to explore why separatist sentiment continues to simmer in parts of rural Alberta. CBC Calgary’s Jason Markusoff joined them on the ground, attending a town hall on Alberta independence and speaking with loc...

The federal election may be over, but Pierre Poilievre is not done campaigning. After losing his longtime seat in the Ottawa region, the Conservative leader is now focused on winning a byelection in rural Alberta—one of the party’s safest ridings. On this episode of West of Centre, three Conservative insiders discuss what this campaign could reveal about Poilievre’s political evolution. Can he adapt his tone and strategy to regain ...

Alberta is facing the prospect of its largest coordinated public-sector labour disruption in decades, with tens of thousands of workers poised to strike. Teachers, health-care professionals and government employees have voiced growing frustration with stalled negotiations — including 95 per cent of Alberta Teachers’ Association members voting in favour of strike action. On this episode of West of Centre Short, host Rob Brown speaks...