Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her latest meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney has inspired optimism and he is demonstrating a “real shift” from the previous Justin Trudeau-led Liberals.
Speaking in Edmonton on Thursday, she said she understands why Albertans might feel the rug has been pulled out from them several times before, but she’s committed to diplomacy.
“I found more common ground with the prime minister when I met with him yesterday than I have in any meeting with a prime minister,” she said.
“I would encourage Albertans to not lose faith in the process. Let’s work together on it because we’re all stronger together.”
She also took to social media following the face-to-face, saying there are details to be worked out but she looks forward to an agreement that will benefit the country and the province.
“I am more optimistic than ever that the concerns of Albertans are FINALLY BEING HEARD,” she wrote.
Smith has made combativeness with Ottawa a cornerstone of her policy, using it to define her United Conservative Party leadership, and contrast it with the Opposition NDP.
On Thursday, she again pointed to her very first bill: the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act. It was touted from Day 1 as a weapon to battle federal policies Smith believes tread on provincial jurisdiction.
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“That’s what I’ve been fighting for for the last three years. And slowly but surely, working our way through some of the issues that have caused tension between Canada and Alberta,” she said.
The UCP’s effort to fight back against Ottawa continues Thursday evening, with Smith’s hand-picked Alberta Next panel making another another town hall pit stop in Lethbridge.
The panel is tasked with gathering feedback on potential referendum…
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