Danielle Smith is premier of Alberta, not Minister of Foreign Affairs
By Lethbridge Herald on February 7, 2025.
Editor,
Once again, David Carpenter has provided the residents of Alberta with a thoughtful, factual response to a very important issue: Premier Smith’s trip to Florida to lobby Mr. Trump for Alberta’s fossil fuel industry. A premier trying to directly negotiate with a U.S. president is a flagrant disregard of federal/provincial jurisdiction.
Ms. Smith is the premier of the province of Alberta, not the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs. In choosing to meet with the now-president, she stepped way outside of her purview. When Ms. Smith perceives the federal government stepping, even slightly, into provincial jurisdiction, she has an immediate and inflammatory response. Yet, she seems to think that she can step into federal jurisdiction whenever she wants to.
She failed to attend the meeting which every other Canadian premier attended to discuss and agree to a strong strategy for dealing with the new US administration. In doing so, Ms. Smith has betrayed Canada, the other premiers, all Canadians, and weakened Canada’s ability to negotiate for all Canadians with the new US regime.
We would like to see Ms. Smith’s actions fully investigated by the appropriate authorities, including her own party. Given her inappropriate actions by putting her own interests and that of the UCP ahead of the interest of Canada and all Canadians, she needs to resign.
Nikki and George Crisfield
Lethbridge
8-7
Another day another demand from the NDP scream team. This is getting old Remember if tariffs do arrive 10 on energy is better than 25. What Alberta did on the border, the rest, even the mouthpiece Ford (cut off their electricity) getting on board. Amazing to watch the meltdown going on over Smith’s success. You can’t stand it. lol
Considering what a dumpster fire this government has been – corruption in AHS, privatizing heath and education, CPP pension heist, politically controlled provincial police force, water mismanagement, parks debacle, $1.5 billion bad bet on a pipeline-to-nowhere, $22 billion on the line for collusion with Australian mining companies – I wonder when you would check your cheerleading, buckster?
Also, so you know, Trudeau is being given credit for avoiding tariffs altogether 🙂
sure, and 24% is better than 25%. and selling oil at a 15% discount, on top of the already massive discount in costs related to operating in canada – a 30-odd% percent discount compared to the american dollar – well, it is foolish to suggest smitty is at all successful.
buck, despite your intelligence, you seem to represent the too many that prefer the half truth that simply justifies one’s outlook, rather than choosing to be open to all information that helps to uncover the whole truth.
Here is the future for healthcare for Albertans after the plane future of AHS under the leadership of our glorious leader and the UCP party of dimwits. This is an example of what to expect if we wind up with HMOs for Albertans:
https://futurism.com/neoscope/unitedhealthcare-threatens-legal-action-doctor
note bucklewheat is now at -11 votes against him.
All mouth and no brains that’s how stupid he is, isn’t he? He isn’t even smart enough to realize that with no one agreeing with he might be the problem, sad isn’t it?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-danielle-smith-has-much-bigger-things-than-tariffs-to-worry-about-now/
She has gained support across Canada for her diplomatic approach to this crisis while other Premiers and the Liberals began shooting first without asking Trump what he really wanted.
Canada will be better once they increase border protection, go after organized crime/cartels, end to flow of drugs on the streets and stop killing so many young peope with their failed policies such as harm reduction, which BC brought forward 22 years ago, in 2003 and have killed thousands of people and destroyed thousands of families, and cost the Canadian taxpayer tens of billions of tax dollars.
Our country is basically defenseless to any major takeover! Ask our military leadership! We may lose the Arctic because of the NDP propped up Liberals who have consistently ignored national security in the North and bankrupt our military. They have bankrupt the military for decades, and in 2001 sent our troops in a war with junk, such as the Iltil jeep which was nothing more than a dune buggy with a tarp, to go through mined/IED laden roads and green camou uniforms that stuck out for desert type conditions, and no appropriately armoured vehicles for the region, or air support, because we didn’t have it. Our 4 submarines have only been in the water patroling far a few hundred hours in the last few years.
Our country has been devasted and the feds continue make decisions that will only be bad for our country in efforts to recover from their bad policies.
Our Premier is a leader and by far better anything the NDP can put forward!
“Support across Canada”? What planet are you living on?
https://medicinehatnews.com/commentary/opinions/2025/02/08/laying-it-out-in-alberta-apparently-we-only-act-tough-when-we-face-east/
“Success”? Utter unadulterated nonsense. Trump is being Trump the predator and changes his mind like the weather in southern Alberta. He is a lying despot and answers to one person -HIM.(Or perhaps his associate Musk) Smith had nothing to do with any change in his behaviour , the reduced rate was in all probability because knows that his refineries need this product. She was an outlier during the initial round of premiers meetings , but seems to have become somewhat more conciliatory at the moment. Hate Trudeau as you obviously do, but give him credit for bringing Canada together to stand up against the bully.Nothing to do with NDP, Conservatives etc but all about the nation of Canada. As with Thomas, all some people see is the narrow minded local picture – wake up and for once see the bigger picture.
Buckwheed…piling up those ‘red’ votes to keep himself warm.
These:
“Did Danielle Smith Save the Day? No. Despite the praise from Postmedia pundits, the Alberta premier got played.”
“”Climb Off the Trump Tightrope Danielle Smith. As Team Canada waves the maple leaf, Alberta’s premier tiptoes her support.”
“Danielle Smith’s Delusional Response to Trump Tariffs. Alberta’s premier declares victory despite a failed appeasement effort.”
And, to add:
“Health Care Corruption Allegations Rock Smith Government. CEO says she was fired for reporting the issues and seeking full investigations.”
http://www.thetyee.ca
One has to wonder how much Smith/Parker UCP/TBA skullduggery it would take to get tripped up. It’s high time.
When the truth comes out after the investigation you will once again look like silly.
Those of us who had ties to the oil industry think she has been making backroom deals with Trump to help him steal our oil wealth at the lowest oil royalties in the world. Like they have been doing since the Ralph Klein days. It’s no secret that she wants to double our oil sales to the U.S. and what cost to Albertans and what’s behind the coal mining stupidity.
Someone had to negotiate for us. Trump won’t even talk to Trudeau. I am not a Smith fan at all but her doing what she can to help Albertans, and thereby Canadians, was the right thing to do. The Invisible Prime Minister was useless throughout this.
Yep!
:::ROLLEYES:::
Sure, so you think it is better to be like Ford and some of the federal Ministers and call Trump names and threaten him with tariffs back, which are far from equal when calculating the number of jobs and business losses. Trump still has anger against Trudeau from the last Trump administration when Trudeau called him names. Attccking Trump and threatening him is the completely wrong thing to do.
It is the Premiers duty to stand up for the Alberta economy when under threat, something the NDP did and Notley was in Washington a few times to promote our oil and gas industry, and you didn’t hear that attacks on her from the Conservatives, because they knew it was good for Alberta. But the NDP are a group that want all the services, but don’t understand how to pay for them. They demand the money for the AISH checks, their disability, want raises that the beaten down taxpayer has to pay for when they strike, and believe money grows on trees.
I don’t know what has happene to Mr. Carpenter lately, I used to support his idea, but they seem to be lacking in knowledge, good judgement and understanding.
Our province’s economy is very much at stake here and the lossed would put our province into a recession if major tariffs were imposed.
Some facts, not hyperbole for you:
According to a 2024 report by ATB Financial, Alberta exported $134 billion in oil and gas to America, representing over 80% of Alberta’s total exported goods.
Due to these exports, Alberta is the third largest contributor to the Canadian GDP.
Our Premier and some Ministers are also promoting our Ag industry, another major trade area.
I am tired of all these political attacks against our Premier and the NDP has some things they should be answering to right now. But instead the only want to divide our province at a time we should be standing together.
The feds have been on a mission to bankrupt our province in the last several years, and have told foreign government requests from Europe and Asia that Canada will not supply LNG to them, because the world should be reducing their carbon footprint. They want to get rid of coal and use LNG and our PM tells them to take a hike! Our Premier has proven to be the best diplomat in this crisis!
Japan just cut a deal with Trump for LNG after Trudeau told them to take a hike. “Trump gives Japan LNG deal Trudeau denied in 2023 February 08 Toronto Sun”
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/trump-gives-japan-lng-deal-trudeau-denied-in-2023
This is the very deal Japan asked Canada for two years ago, in an attempt to wean their country off of Russian and Middle Eastern products. Trudeau refused their request, but on Friday, Trump boasted of what he says will be a great deal for America.
I am not sure what has happened to Mr. Carpenter or his buddy Reyko, but I would hope they would find some common sense and come back to reality!
The big question being asked by those of us who had ties with the oil industry is What backroom deals has she been making with Trump to screw Albertans out of billions more of their oil wealth? We know she wants to double our oil sales to the U.S. at what cost to taxpayers is the question? Wouldn’t you like to know?
We are still wondering what’s behind the Coal Mining don’t you?
Double oil sales to the U.S. Good idea. At what cost to taxpayers? How about a different question- at what benefit to taxpayers? $134 billion x 2 sounds like a benefit to Alberta and ultimately to Canada with all the transfer payments going to the welfare provinces!
That’s what we would expect from a fool willing to let Reformers help the rich steal our oil and corporate tax wealth, isn’t it? It’s obvious you haven’t been to Norway or Alaska and talked to the people or spent time with our lawyers, accountants, oilmen or former conservative MLAs , have you? Can you tell us where we are going to find the $1.2 trillion we have lost and the $85 billion to pay the debt and the $260 billion to cover the oil field cleanup mess. No one supports you either, yet you aren’t smart enough to understand why, are you?