On The Line: Jason Kenney on Alberta separatism

Today on On The Line, host Jen Gerson sits down with former Alberta premier Jason Kenney for a conversation about the rise of separatist sentiment in Alberta.Kenney, a former federal Conservative cabinet minister, has found himself cast as an unlikely spokesperson for conservative federalists in the province as efforts continue to gather signatures for a referendum on separation. He reflects on the deeper roots of Alberta populism, including the merger of the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, and how those political currents have shaped the province’s modern identity.This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion Dynamics is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. Dominion is starting in the Arctic, where extreme cold demands technology no one else can deliver. See everything. Defend what matters. Dominion Dynamics. Learn more at DefendtheDominion.com.Gerson presses him on how things reached this point. Why have successive generations of Alberta leaders sought to tap into populist anger? And is there a risk that this time, the politics of western alienation have been pushed too far?It’s a direct and unsparing conversation about grievance, identity, and whether Alberta’s long-running tensions with Ottawa are now entering a more dangerous phase.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 7:00 Eastern and 5:00 Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.We hope you enjoy the episode — and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work, have already subscribed, and still worry about what will happen when the conventional media finishes collapsing, please make a donation today. Please note: a donation is not a subscription, and will not grant access to paywalled content. It’s just a way of thanking us for what we do. If you’re looking to subscribe and get full access, it’s that other blue button!The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Please follow us on social media! Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. Also: TikTok. BlueSky. LinkedIn. Matt’s Twitter. The Line’s Twitter.Jen’s Twitter. Contact us by email: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe