West of Centre

There’s great concern that people in Ottawa aren’t taking what’s happening in Alberta seriously enough. With national unity at stake, some Senators are looking west from the upper chamber and acknowledging there are indeed structural issues at the federal level that’s fueling frustration.

This week on West of Centre, Kathleen Petty welcomes a panel of Prairies senators. Alberta Senator Paula Simons, who was appointed in 2018 and sits in the Independent Senators Group; Saskatchewan Senator Pamela Wallin, appointed in 2008; and Manitoba Senator Charles Adler, who was appointed in 2024. Both sit in the Canadian Senators Group.

The panel pulls no punches in questioning whether Canada has done the work it needs to become a true energy superpower. For them, it’s time to turn words into action. As trade tensions with the U.S. simmer, they’re blunt on CUSMA: Canada can’t take its own self-interest out of the equation because negotiations are not about love, but business. And while they disagree on the strategy for a potential fall referendum on separation, they also tackle another referendum question about Senate abolishment.

Host: Kathleen Petty
Guests: Senator Charles Adler, Senator Paula Simons, Senator Pamela Wallin
Producer: Diane Yanko

The deadly U.S.- and Israel-led attack on Iran has given way to a cold economic reality. According to the International Energy Agency, the war in the Middle East has created the biggest oil supply disruption in history. With oil markets in turmoil and fears of export restrictions growing as the conflict enters its third week, Canada suddenly has more relevance in the conversation around energy security.

This week, West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Gitane De Silva, the former CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator and Alberta’s former senior representative to the U.S.; and Heather Exner-Pirot, director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

When it comes to oil scarcity, both experts agree that Alberta has little to fear. While consumer prices are set to climb, the province’s abundance of oil and natural gas is critical to weathering the economic storm. And Canada’s reputation as a stable, reliable and predictable energy partner is becoming increasingly attractive to our global allies. As the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) comes up for review, Canada may find itself with a lot more muscle to flex at the table.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the conflict underscores the need for a new bitumen pipeline to the northwest B.C. coast, but does the crisis actually make the project more urgent and, more importantly, viable? There are big hurdles for new energy infrastructure in Canada. And as the April 1 deadline approaches for the federal and Alberta governments to come to an agreement on methane, carbon pricing and carbon capture, the industry is spooked over some key conditions for the project’s approval.

Host: Kathleen Petty
Guests: Gitane De Silva, Heather Exner-Pirot
Producer: Diane Yanko

For decades, Alberta’s federal politics has been a fortress. But the Conservative blue wall protecting the province is showing signs of cracking. And the colour seeping in? Liberal red.

To help understand the shift, West of Centre host Kathleen Petty is joined by Éric Grenier, a premier Canadian polls analyst and founder of The Writ; and David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, whose latest online survey reinforces the idea that the increase in Liberal support in Alberta isn’t a blip.

Multiple polls since the start of the year show the gap between the federal Conservatives and the federal Liberals is narrowing. According to Grenier, it's a trend that’s leaving people scratching their heads.

Coletto outlines why Prime Minister Mark Carney’s popularity is a primary driver and marvels at the ‘bizarro world’ in which the country finds itself — with a prime minister from Alberta who speaks of the province’s virtues while selling Canada as a stable source of energy. If the numbers hold, he also wonders if Alberta could transition from a ‘flyover’ province to a potential federal battleground.

Host: Kathleen Petty
Guests: David Coletto, Éric Grenier
Producer: Diane Yanko

Buckle up and keep your hands on the bar, Albertans! The province’s ride on the resource revenue roller coaster continues, and the latest $9.4 billion drop is enough to make a staunch fiscal conservative lose their lunch. The latest budget update projects three consecutive years of red ink and increased borrowing to fund critical public services, with no clear track back to balance.

This week on West of Centre, host Kathleen Petty has assembled three big brains to critique this latest dive loop in Alberta’s fiscal trajectory. Economist Trevor Tombe and political scientist Lisa Young from the University of Calgary join the CBC’s own writer and producer Jason Markusoff, a veteran of more than 20 provincial budgets.

Tombe breaks down why the province is now more reliant on resource revenue than it has been since Don Getty’s days. Young explains why this year’s fiscal roadmap feels more like an election budget. And Markusoff analyzes why Albertans may be more receptive to deficits than in years past…and he learns about plosives!

Host: Kathleen Petty
Guests: Lisa Young, Trevor Tombe, Jason Markusoff
Producer: Diane Yanko

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has some questions she wants Albertans to answer. Nine of them, to be exact.

That’s how many referendum questions Smith announced in a televised speech that she’s going to put to Albertans on Oct. 19.

They range from constitutional reform to abolish the Senate and change who picks judges, to several that would directly affect some immigrants and the services they receive.

To unpack the proposed immigration changes, host Jason Markusoff is first joined by Raj Sharma, an immigration lawyer based in Calgary. He argues many of the questions appear outside Alberta’s jurisdiction.

Then, the panel breaks down the rest of the premier’s address. Journalist Rob Breakenridge says the referendum could serve as a distraction in advance of a bad-news budget. Evan Menzies, a vice-president at Crestview Strategy and former head of communications for the United Conservative Party, says there are reasonable questions to be debated amongst the proposals. Finally, Shannon Greer, a senior consultant at New West Public Affairs, who worked in Rachel Notley’s NDP government, says the government is sending contradictory messages.

• Host: Jason Markusoff
• Guests: Raj Sharma, Rob Breakenridge, Evan Menzies and Shannon Greer
• Producer: Joel Dryden