Alberta Prime Minister Daniel Smith says he has given Prime Minister Mark Carney a list of the next prime minister’s demands.
“We had a very open discussion, where we made it clear that the Albertans would no longer tolerate the way we were treated by the Federal Liberals over the past decade,” Smith said.
She said the next prime minister has given him a “specific list of demands” that must be in office within six months or face “an unprecedented crisis of national unity.”
Smith said the list would ensure that Alberta has “full access” to the oil and gas corridors north, east and west, and would remove the Impact Assessment Act (IAA).
The IAA defines federal environmental requirements for major projects such as pipelines.
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Alberta, who says the law is effectively killing pipeline projects, is challenging the court’s IAA. The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to the provinces and says the law violates the state’s jurisdiction. In response, the federal government revised the law, but Alberta says the revised form is still problematic.
Smith also said he called for the “ban on tankers” to be lifted from the BC coast, the removal of clean electricity regulations and the ban on single-use plastics to be terminated.
According to the statement, the Alberta government also wants to see the end of net-zero emissions mandate, monitoring the industrial carbon tax awarded to the state, and the “federal censorship” of energy companies.
The prime minister also told Carney that Alberta would not “accept” oil and gas export tax or restrictions to the United States in response to US tariffs.
Canadicurrization Plan
Smith also commented on Canada’s Equality Plan, saying that Alberta “no longer agreed to grant other large provinces that can fund themselves.”
Alberta is a net contributor to equality planning each year.
Smith also reeled government accusations that Ottawa had mismanaged fire prevention in Jasper and Banff National Parks, leading to wildfires in Jasper in 2024. The federal government has denied the Alberta accusations and said it has deployed appropriate resources over the past few years to protect the area.
During a stop in Edmonton, Kearney announced $187 million to repair and rebuild Jasper National Park’s critical infrastructure. The funding will be provided to Parks Canada for two years, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
During a press conference on funding, Carney responded to some of Smith’s concerns.
He said Ottawa will “expand the programmes to work for Albertans,” and that investments in large-scale energy projects around Alberta and Canada are needed.
When asked whether to remove the oil and gas sector emissions caps that Alberta says would effectively limit production, Kearney said there was a need for a “mechanism” to reduce emissions.
“It’s a matter of consequences, it’s the end result. So you need to invest not only to have the law, but to get there. I’m trying to work together here in the Alberta and the Alberta governments to reach this goal.”
He said he grew up in Alberta and said the state residents are “practical people.”
“They judge people about the outcomes and decide what they expect from those outcomes. And while the liberals have a way to go here, we have a very strong candidate. We have even stronger candidates. And we offer a positive way of change for the country.”
Federal elections
Smith has encouraged Albertans to take part in the next election and will be called soon.
“We encourage all Albertans to engage in what is likely to be one of the most important and important elections in our country’s history,” she said.
She asked the Albertans to “consistently advocate for release Alberta from the federal overreach and to support the parties and candidates who have argued for the repeated economic attacks our state has faced from Ottawa over the past decade.
Carney won the Liberal Leadership Race, replacing Justin Trudeau on March 9th. He was sworn in as Prime Minister along with the Cabinet on March 14th.
The Canadian media contributed to this article.
