Canadian politician Preston Manning touched on Western alienation during a talk in Calgary on Tuesday, on the heels of his book's release last week.

He recalled the 1960s and 70s, when radical separatists with the Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ) were setting off bombs, kidnapped the British trade commissioner and killed a Quebec cabinet minister.

As an Alberta-government appointed panel investigates measures to give Alberta more autonomy in Confederation, experts weigh in on the pros and cons of the Fair Deal proposals.

The road to secession is a long and complicated one, involving the House of Commons, the Senate, First Nations and all of the provinces.

Western separatist sentiment is on the rise, particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, former Reform Party leader Preston Manning said.

Some political parties occasionally have a difficult time trying to find a way to stand out from the other, but that does not appear that it will be a problem for the new Alberta Independence Party.

Western anger at Ottawa is growing, the Angus Reid Institute finds in its latest poll on the West's place in Canada, presenting a challenge for all mainstream parties -- including the Conservatives -- in this election year.