Alberta’s new premier-designate campaigned on a promise to push for greater autonomy for Alberta — and while she said that’s still a goal, it’s not her first priority.
Late Thursday night, Danielle Smith won the UCP leadership race on the sixth ballot, a narrow race that resulted in her becoming Alberta’s premier-designate.
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While her headline-hogging promises included a proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act and her critiques of COVID-19 mandates, these weren’t necessarily her only priority, Smith told The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson.
“I know that there was a lot of attention paid to a couple of the policies that I ran on. But I talked about all of these things in every campaign stop that we made as well,” Smith said.
“So, I think it’s really maybe just more a matter of emphasis. In this first month, we’re going to have to start tackling Alberta health reform.”
Smith had campaigned on a promise that, should she win the UCP leadership, she would introduce a bill in the Alberta legislature this fall that would give Alberta the power to ignore federal laws and court rulings deemed not in the province’s interest.
The bill was swiftly slammed by a number of prominent voices — including those within the UCP. Former premier and UCP leader Jason Kenney called Smith’s backing of the Alberta Sovereignty Act “nuts.”
