The office of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is vehemently denying accusations that she asked the U.S. to interfere in Canadian federal politics, as comments Smith made during an interview with an American news outlet earlier this month made waves this weekend.
Smith, along with other Canadian political leaders, has been lobbying U.S. counterparts against placing the stiff tariffs President Donald Trump wants on Canadian goods. Part of her effort has included speaking with American news media.
During a March 8 interview with Breitbart, a right-wing U.S. media company, Smith said the Conservative Party of Canada was far ahead of the governing Liberal Party in polls before the trade war. But the threat of “unjust and unfair tariffs” had boosted Liberal support.
CBC: Alberta premier says she’d form second Fair Deal Panel if Ottawa doesn’t meet policy demands
A day after threatening a national unity crisis, Premier Danielle Smith says she would strike a panel to poll Albertans on what to do if her list of demands is ignored.
Smith, facing repeated questions from reporters in Calgary about how far she’d be willing to go in a renewed fight with Ottawa, said Friday she’d strike a second Fair Deal Panel to “listen to what it is that Albertans want to do in consequence.”
Smith’s latest demands, posted on social media Thursday after a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Edmonton, include ending a number of policies put in place under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
She says those policies, such as Ottawa’s proposed emissions cap, have done nothing but harm Alberta’s oil and gas sector.
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Besides ditching the emissions cap, Smith said she wants guarantees that pipelines can be built in every direction and that Ottawa’s single-use plastics prohibition will be abolished, “so we can start using straws again.”
She’s also calling for net-zero electricity and vehicle targets to be shelved and for Canada’s greenwashing law to be repealed.
Montreal Gazette: Carney declines French TVA debate, official debates April 16 and 17
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has declined to participate in a French-language debate with the other federal party leaders on TVA, causing the broadcaster to cancel the program.
TVA traditionally hosts a “Face-à-Face” French-language leaders’ debate during federal election campaigns, reaching an average of 1.3 million viewers, according to Quebecor Media, the parent company of TVA.
But not this time.
“The main political parties had until today to confirm their participation,” the QMI media team said Monday afternoon. “Sadly, although the Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party of Canada, and the NDP accepted the broadcaster’s invitation, TVA regrets to announce that it has been force to cancel this Face-à-Face event due to the Liberal Party of Canada’s refusal to participate.”
Groupe TVA had requested $75,000 from each of the main parties to help cover the costs of producing the program. Groupe TVA cut some 500 jobs and would have had to hire freelancers and redesign a studio to produce the program, the media team said. TVA does take advertising revenue from the broadcast.
Mistake.
Last Updated: 24.Mar.2025 22:30 EDT
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