<p>Prime Minister Mark Carney is saying all the right things when it comes to building a new pipeline. He’s invoking “nation-building,” touting Canada’s potential as an “energy superpower,” and emphasizing the need for infrastructure to unlock economic growth. But squint at the details and contradictions emerge — most notably, the federal government’s insistence that any such project would require consensus from all provinces and Indigenous communities along the route.</p><p>This week on West of Centre, host Kathleen Petty tries to pick apart the Liberal government’s murky pipeline messaging with former Canadian Energy Regulator CEO Gitane De Silva, infrastructure economist Kent Fellows and Financial Post reporter Meghan Potkins. It’s not lost on the panel that even in Alberta — ground zero for pipeline advocacy — no private-sector player has stepped up with a new proposal.</p><p>Companies remain scarred by a decade of regulatory reversals, legal battles and shifting economic realities, making them hesitant to take the first step without clear political backing or financial incentives. And the hurdles don’t end there. From provincial resistance to port capacity to a cautious investment climate, the conversation lays bare just how far Canada may be from building another major pipeline.</p>
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44:52
New Parliament, new tone, new promises
<p>The Carney era has officially begun. In his first week in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled a break from the performative theatrics that have defined federal politics in recent years. His new Liberal government is moving swiftly — scrapping the consumer carbon tax from law, cutting income taxes, and — more ambitiously — planning legislation to fast-track major national infrastructure projects.</p><p>But skepticism is already mounting. Some Indigenous and environmental groups are voicing early concerns about whether promised consultations will be meaningful. Carney may be extending an olive branch to Alberta, but whether it results in a new pipeline remains to be seen.</p><p>Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is grappling with growing separatist sentiment from within her own United Conservative Party. With party insiders pushing for a referendum on independence, Smith is walking a political tightrope. And she may not be the only one. As Pierre Poilievre campaigns to return to Parliament via a byelection in rural Alberta, could he face similar pressures?</p><p>This week on West of Centre, host Kathleen Petty speaks with Laura Osman of The Logic, Dave Cournoyer of the Daveberta podcast, and University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young.</p>
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49:15
Short: Albertans like a fighter. Right now, that's Danielle Smith
<p>Danielle Smith’s extended political honeymoon, Naheed Nenshi’s lukewarm debut, and Alberta’s identity crisis — all captured in a fresh batch of polling data commissioned by CBC Calgary. On this episode of West of Centre Short, host Rob Brown speaks with pollster Janet Brown and data scientist John Santos to explore where Alberta’s political winds are blowing at the halfway mark of the current UCP government’s mandate.</p><p>From voter impressions of the Alberta premier and her NDP challenger to shifting seat projections and separatist sentiment, the numbers tell a compelling story — one of “stick it to Ottawa” politics, polarization, and a province still wrestling with its feelings about Canada. </p><p>*Note: This survey was conducted between May 7 and 21 with a representative sample of 1,200 Albertans. Margin of error is ±2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Fore more details, go to <a href="cbc.ca/calgary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cbc.ca/calgary</a></p>
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24:13
A different former Bay Street executive makes his pitch to the West
<p>When Tim Hodgson stepped up to the podium at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, he struck a tone rarely met with optimism in Alberta — especially from a Liberal cabinet minister.</p><p>In this episode of West of Centre, guest host Jim Brown breaks down the early signals from Canada’s new Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, as Hodgson attempts to reset Ottawa’s rocky relationship with Western Canada’s energy sector. A former chair of Hydro One and board member at MEG Energy, Hodgson brings both Bay Street credentials and oilpatch familiarity. He's leaning into both.</p><p>Panelists Grant Sprague, former Alberta deputy energy minister; Globe and Mail energy reporter Emma Graney; and Bill Whitelaw, chair of the Canadian Society for Evolving Energy, weigh in on whether Hodgson’s mix of financial savvy and prairie roots can translate into real results.</p>
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49:15
Short: Measles, mistrust and mixed messages
<p>Canada’s measles elimination status is at risk for the first time in decades, with Alberta among the hardest-hit provinces. This week on West of Centre Short, host Rob Brown speaks with University of Calgary health law expert Lorian Hardcastle about why Alberta is seeing a significant resurgence in cases — and the political forces that may be influencing the response.</p><p>Hardcastle says Alberta’s delayed reaction and initial silence from key leaders point to a deeper shift in how public health is communicated post-COVID. She traces the province’s rising vaccine hesitancy to pandemic-era rhetoric about personal freedom and medical coercion, which she says has now extended to routine immunizations like the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot.</p><p>With vaccination rates below 30 per cent among school-aged children in some Alberta communities, the province remains especially vulnerable. And while awareness campaigns and extended clinic hours have now ramped up, Hardcastle warns the damage may already be done.</p>
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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