Rephonic
Artwork for West of Centre

West of Centre

CBC
Alberta
Canada
Danielle Smith
Mark Carney
NDP
Donald Trump
Conservative Party
Calgary
UCP
Tariffs
Justin Trudeau
Naheed Nenshi
United Conservative Party
Pierre Poilievre
Oil and Gas Industry
Daniel Smith
United States
British Columbia
Oil Prices
Edmonton

We bring you into the Alberta state of mind, to explore how this province’s power is shifting and connect with the western voices driving national debate. Join Calgary’s Kathleen Petty every week as she helps decipher what's happening in Alberta politics for the rest of Canada. Whether you live in the province or just can’t look away, join us every Friday as we go West of Centre.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes151Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for West of Centre

Latest Episodes

What you see is what you'd get if an election were held today in Alberta — except the United Conservative Party would have an even bigger majority government.

That's one of the findings from the latest poll by Janet Brown Opinion Research for the CB... more

The UCP’s decision to reject a bi-partisan commission’s report and order a do-over of riding maps has ignited a firestorm over the usually sleepy issue of electoral boundaries.

Is this meddling or giving rural Alberta fair representation?

Meanwhile... more

Separatism is in court (again), as several First Nations try to thwart a referendum on Alberta independence. The group collecting signatures to trigger a referendum on separation says it already has more than the required number of signatures. It exp... more

As members of the NDP celebrate new leader Avi Lewis and his vision to revitalize their party, there’s skepticism in Alberta that Lewis’ federal victory will put the New Democrats back on the road to relevancy.

Two NDP insiders, Shannon Phillips, a ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Strategists
The StrategistsStephen Carter, Zain Velji
The Herle Burly
The Herle BurlyAir Quotes Media
Curse of Politics
Curse of PoliticsAir Quotes Media

Recent Guests

Annalise Klingbeil
Worked in Rachel Notley's government
University of Calgary (political science)
Episode: Pushing boundaries
Lisa Young
University of Calgary political scientist
University of Calgary
Episode: Pushing boundaries
Ted Morton
Executive Fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy; former PC Cabinet Minister
University of Calgary / The Firewall Letter signatory
Episode: The Firewall Letter - 25 years later
Pamela Wallin
Saskatchewan Senator, former journalist and broadcaster
Senate of Canada
Episode: The Prairies senators: ‘We can’t do stupid stuff’
Charles Adler
Manitoba Senator, former radio host and journalist
Senate of Canada
Episode: The Prairies senators: ‘We can’t do stupid stuff’
Heather Exner-Pirot
Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Episode: War in Iran: What does it mean for Canadian oil?
Éric Grenier
Polls analyst
thewrit.ca
Episode: ‘Bizarro world’: Why is Liberal support rising in Alberta?
Ron Graham
Author and journalist based in Toronto, editor of The Coutts Diaries.
Episode: The Coutts Diaries
Amber Ruddy
Alberta's National Councillor for the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
Episode: The road ahead for the CPC

Hosts

Kathleen Petty
Host of West of Centre; CBC/West of Centre; seasoned Calgary-based political journalist with deep Alberta-focus.
Jason Markusoff
Producer and writer; fills in as host or panelist, with CBC and West of Centre involvement.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 475 ratings
  • Sticks and Stones

    Can’t you find anyone more intelligent than Erika to speak for the right?

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Chez Green MD
    Canada23 days ago
  • Loved “Breaking Point”

    I loved Kathleen’s discussion with the authors of Breaking Point. I would vote for the party whose platform contained the suggestions put forth in this book.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BC PJ
    Canada5 months ago
  • Recent podcast

    Smitb going to the USA and Florida when Trump was speaking of the Prime Minister as a Governor and Canada as becoming the 51st state was disgusting and purely playing to the UPC extreme base. This was about sovereignty and Canadians agreed with “elbows up”! Trump tempered this talk which then allowed Carney to go to the White House. It’s sound politics pure and simple. He doesn’t need to have “elbows up” given the rhetoric has stopped.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Wiretap1
    Canada7 months ago
  • Highlights partisans

    Feels like click bait - and so often the participants are smug partisans. Host "chuckles" around the controversies and her ideology becomes apparent with time

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    pj sparri
    Canada7 months ago
  • Balanced Views

    After the election I realized that most of the podcasts except House Party were people from the East. I am from BC and could not figure out the stance that Alberta was taking. I happened on this podcast and love it. May not agree with all the points but I think that opening up to hear what the West thinks and feels has helped give me a well rounded and balanced education of what is going on. It is now a must listen to for me and I hope for you. Now, if we can get something similar for BC then we... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mcduff514ca
    Canada9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some criticism notes perceived bias and preference for Western viewpoints by the host.
Guests and hosts are seen as knowledgeable and well-connected in Alberta politics.
Listeners appreciate the Western perspective and data-driven debates.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#33
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#102
Canada/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Referendum Madness!
Q: Evan, do you agree that this is more politics than policy?
Evan states that while there are certainly political motivations, there are also legitimate policy discussions to be had about immigration and public service stress in Alberta.
Referendum Madness!
Q: What's the... Are they on strong constitutional ground to be able to do this?
Raj believes that there are likely constitutional issues with withholding services from temporary residents, though the focus might be more on political strategy than legality.
Referendum Madness!
Q: Raj, I wonder if you can help us kind of set this up for us.
Raj discusses the eligibility for healthcare services among temporary migrants in Alberta and explains that those working in Alberta are covered under Alberta health, while asylum claimants are covered by the federal government.
Alberta: destination separation
Q: What role should federal leaders like Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre have in the campaign for the referendum?
Both leaders have to navigate their positions carefully; while they may want to position themselves positively in Alberta, direct engagement with the referendum topic could be politically risky.
Alberta: destination separation
Q: Tell me why you think people are signing the petition?
People in Alberta are signing the petition because this is a longstanding grievance regarding their relationship with Ottawa and increasing dissatisfaction with federal policies that negatively impact their economy.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About West of Centre

What is West of Centre about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A western-Canadian political discussion show that centers Alberta's evolving role in federal politics, with frequent polling insights, budget talks, and regional perspectives shaping national narratives. Episodes often feature analysts, pollsters, and journalists who translate provincial dynamics—oil markets, independence sentiment, and leadership shifts—into broader implications for Canada. Noteworthy are in-depth budget analyses, cross-examining relationships with Ottawa, and debates over energy policy and Western identity, offering listeners pragmatic context for policy and election timing.

A standout trait is the strong Western lens, consistently pairing data-driven analysis with panel conversations to unpack Alberta's unique political... more

Where can I find podcast stats for West of Centre?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for West of Centre. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to West of Centre and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does West of Centre get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for West of Centre, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for West of Centre?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for West of Centre, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does West of Centre have?

To see how many followers or subscribers West of Centre has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to West of Centre?

These podcasts share a similar audience with West of Centre:

1. The Strategists
2. Real Talk Ryan Jespersen
3. The Herle Burly
4. Curse of Politics
5. The House

How many episodes of West of Centre are there?

West of Centre launched 6 years ago and published 151 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact West of Centre?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for West of Centre?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for West of Centre from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for West of Centre?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of West of Centre. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on West of Centre?

Recent guests on West of Centre include:

1. Annalise Klingbeil
2. Lisa Young
3. Ted Morton
4. Pamela Wallin
5. Charles Adler
6. Heather Exner-Pirot
7. Éric Grenier
8. Ron Graham

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days