Danielle Smith Slams Carney, Defends Alberta Against Liberal Criticism

Photo : Ap / Reuters

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith responded on Monday to a joke made by Liberal Leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying he seems to have a problem with strong women who don’t share his views.

“I’ve noticed something about progressive men — they talk a lot about supporting women until they meet a strong conservative woman,” Smith said during a news conference in Edmonton. “I’ve seen this not only with the current prime minister but the one before him too.”

She added, “The message from them seems to be, ‘sit down and be quiet.’ But I won’t do that. I will keep standing up and speaking out for Alberta, whether he likes it or not.”

This came after Carney made a joke during a public speech, saying it might not be a good idea to have Smith representing Canada in international conversations. He laughed and said they would “keep her here” instead.

Tensions between Smith and Carney have been rising since he became prime minister. When they met in Edmonton shortly after he took office, no photo was taken of the meeting — something that usually happens with premiers and prime ministers.

Not long after, Smith gave the federal government a list of demands and warned that a national unity issue could grow if they were ignored. One of her key frustrations is the government’s plan to put a cap on oil and gas emissions — a policy she believes would hurt Alberta’s economy. Although Carney once suggested he wasn’t in full support of the cap, he later confirmed his government would go ahead with it.

Carney’s party has also used Smith’s past comments in political ads, including her remark that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is “very much in sync” with U.S. President Donald Trump. When asked about this, Smith said Poilievre should speak for himself. “I don’t really see them as the same,” she said. “I’m focused on Alberta, and I’ll let those two national leaders debate each other.”

Smith also brought up a speech she gave earlier this year where she said that some of the criticism she gets is based on sexism. “They want this woman — and Alberta — to stay quiet,” she said at the time.

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As the federal election campaign continues, more attention is being paid to concerns coming from western provinces. Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning recently said that if Carney’s government doesn’t listen to the West, it might lead to more talk about separating from Canada. Some recent polls show that a small number of people in Alberta support this idea.

Smith made it clear she is not calling for Alberta to separate from Canada. But she did say that if the federal government ignores her province’s needs after the April 28 election, she will create a “What’s Next” panel to explore Alberta’s future. She also reminded everyone that Alberta citizens already have the right to push for a referendum if enough people support it.