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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Will the Liberal government — somewhat refreshed with a few new faces — help reset Ottawa’s strained relationship with the West? That’s the central question in this episode of West of Centre, as host Kathleen Petty is joined by former Liberal MP and leadership contender Martha Hall Findlay, Saskatchewan political columnist Murray Mandryk, and Calgary Sun writer Ricky Leong for a wide-ranging conversation about federal-provincial fault lines, cabinet signals and the spectre of separatism.

The panel unpacks early reaction to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet — particularly the appointment of Tim Hodgson as energy minister, a move broadly welcomed by industry insiders. Hodgson’s background suggests a more pragmatic approach, but skepticism lingers, especially with former environment minister Steven Guilbeault still at the cabinet table, now overseeing culture and identity. The bigger mystery may be whether he’ll join Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for an ATV ride.

The deeper tension, though, lies in Alberta’s newly lowered threshold for citizen-led referendums — widely seen as paving the way for a non-binding vote on independence. The panel explores how the strategy may allow Premier Danielle Smith to deflect accountability while channeling public anger. Still, there’s broad consensus that most Albertans and Saskatchewanians aren’t angry at Canada — they’re frustrated with the last federal government. Whether this becomes a moment for renewal or rupture will depend on what kind of leadership emerges on both sides of the divide.