Premier vows to protect Alberta against 'future hostile acts' from Ottawa after Liberal victory
Danielle Smith urges Mark Carney to ‘reset the relationship’ between Alberta and Ottawa
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is reacting to the results of the federal election by taking a swipe at the newly elected Liberal government and promising to protect the province against "future hostile acts" from Ottawa.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Smith made her first formal comments since Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberals to victory Monday night.
Smith said that many voters in the conservative stronghold of Alberta are frustrated to see a return to red in Ottawa.
As the leader of the United Conservative government, Smith has often railed against how the Liberals have governed the resource-rich province and pushed for Alberta to have more independence and autonomy.
In her statement Tuesday, Smith invited Carney to improve relations between Alberta and the federal government.
"I invite the prime minister to immediately commence working with our government to reset the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta with meaningful action rather than hollow rhetoric," Smith said.
"A large majority of Albertans are deeply frustrated that the same government that overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years has been returned to government."
'Demeaned and demonized'
In her statement, Smith congratulates Carney for his "minority government election victory" before thanking Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre for his "powerful and principled" advocacy for Alberta.
Smith said Poilievre remains a "true friend of Alberta."
While Liberals and New Democrats "demeaned and demonized Albertans" on the campaign trail, Poilievre made empowering Albertans and the province's energy sector a cornerstone of his campaign, Smith said.
"Albertans are proud Canadians that want this nation to be strong, prosperous, and united, but we will no longer tolerate having our industries threatened and our resources landlocked by Ottawa," Smith said.
The Liberals are projected to win another term, and as of Tuesday afternoon, the polls were projecting that Carney would lead a minority government.
The Conservative Party earned the support of a large percentage of the population, leaving the Liberals with the prospect of leading a country dealing with political divides.
Conservatives are projected to win almost every one of Alberta's 37 ridings. The outliers are in Edmonton with Heather McPherson projected to win Edmonton Strathcona for the NDP and Eleanor Olszewski projected to win Edmonton Centre for the Liberals.
Liberal candidate Corey Hogan is projected to win over Conservative candidate Jeremy Nixon in the riding of Calgary Confederation.
Elections Canada says it expects to have all the results in by this afternoon.
Smith said her UCP government will hold a special caucus meeting to further discuss next steps. Smith said she would have more details to share following Friday's meeting.
"In the weeks and months ahead, Albertans will have an opportunity to discuss our province's future, assess various options for strengthening and protecting our province against future hostile acts from Ottawa, and to ultimately choose a path forward," Smith said.
"As premier, I will facilitate and lead this discussion and process with the sincere hope of securing a prosperous future for our province within a united Canada that respects our province's constitutional rights, facilitates rather than blocks the development and export of our abundant resources, and treats us as a valued and respected partner within confederation."
Later Tuesday, Smith told reporters that whether strained relations between Alberta and Ottawa can be mended will rely on whether Carney meets her government's demands to address legislation that is "offensive" to Albertans.
She remains skeptical Carney will be any different to former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
She told reporters that she will not push for separation from Canada, but acknowledged some Albertans are growing eager for independence.
"I think Albertans share my view that we want to be able to have Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada. But we would also like Team Canada to be on Team Alberta for once," Smith said.
She said many Albertans feel their hopes at representation in Ottawa were snatched away with a Liberal win.
"I think they [Conservatives] were hoping for a big change and they didn't get it last night, so I will do what I can to work with the current government."
It's not the first time Smith, a longtime critic of former prime minister Justin Trudeau, has struck a defiant tone with Ottawa. Alberta's UCP government has pursued a string of policies and jurisdictional court challenges aimed at strengthening Alberta's sovereignty and resource rights.
Most recently, after a meeting with Carney in Edmonton before his campaign began, Smith made a list of public demands on Alberta's behalf, including calls to kill the proposed greenhouse gas emissions cap. She also wants a guarantee that Alberta can freely build pipelines in every direction — ensuring Alberta full access to oil and gas corridors to the north, east, and west.
Following the March meeting, Smith told reporters that she had warned Carney that her government would no longer tolerate interference from Ottawa, and that national unity hangs in the balance.
Smith said she would strike a panel to poll Albertans on what to do if her list of demands is ignored.
Carney, meanwhile, promised to work with the oil and gas industry, expedite major resource project approvals and strengthen Canada's industrial economy.
In his victory speech Monday night, he alluded to Alberta — as well as Saskatchewan — as a "tough" place for a Liberal politician to court votes.
Carney told his supporters that he campaigned in the west anyway, because he intends to govern for all Canadians, including those who would have hoped for a different election outcome.
"My message to every Canadian is this. No matter where you live, no matter what language you speak, no matter how you voted, I will always do my best to represent everyone who calls Canada home."
Brendan Boyd, an associate professor of political science at MacEwan University, said Smith's statement stands in contrast to the message of unity heard among leadership candidates as election night came to a close.
Boyd said the UCP government has often taken a defiant stance against Ottawa. But Canada's political scene has become increasingly unified in the face of Donald Trump's tariff threats, and that has made Smith's approach to federal relations more of an outlier than ever before.
"The mood around the country has changed in the sense that everyone else is talking about, national unity and facing south," he said.
"This is obviously a different tone. It's different than the mood that's going on elsewhere, maybe even elsewhere in Alberta."
He said pockets of Smith's base view separatism favourably so her "ultimatum" to Carney is not a surprise.
It's a stance she may need to soften in the months ahead, he added.
Carney has indicated he will be more willing to compromise with Alberta than his predecessor, Boyd said. He added that Smith should consider a more conciliatory approach.
"There's been a bit of an olive branch extended by Carney," he said. "I think there's an opportunity for her to take that if she wants to.
"Whether she does or not I think is another question. I guess we're already kind of seeing the answer to that."
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