Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says finalizing an energy agreement with the federal government that includes a new West Coast oil pipeline could not only tamp down the separatist movement in her province, but also lead to more “accommodations” from Ottawa on other issues.
In an interview with David Akin that aired Sunday on The West Block, Smith said energy has been a major point of contention between the provincial and federal governments and gave Prime Minister Mark Carney “great credit” for pursuing a solution.
“I hope that we’ll be able to announce that we’ve come to an agreement very soon, and that will start paving the way to show Albertans that Canada can work,” she said.
“That’s what I think we have to do. We can’t just tell them, we have actually show them.”
But Smith made clear that “this isn’t the only issue” Alberta wants resolved.
The premier pointed to an upcoming referendum set for October that will ask Albertans to weigh in on immigration policy and other matters of federal jurisdiction.
She also noted that Mitch Sylvestre, the leader of the Alberta independence petition delivered to Elections Alberta last week, “is a gun shop owner” opposed to the federal firearms ban and buyback program for outlawed models that critics say include certain sports shooting rifles.
“We have to find a way to accommodate that Alberta sees the world a little bit differently,” the premier said.
“And I hope that the prime minister does that, because that will go a long way towards showing what cooperative federalism looks like in practice.”
Asked if getting a new pipeline approved will end the separatist urge in Alberta, Smith replied that “a lot gets solved when people have a well-paying job” and see services improved by increased government revenues from energy exports.
“There’s no question that’s a huge chunk — I think that (separatist urge) certainly comes down,” she said.
“I hope that what this does is, by starting with the hardest part first, I hope we can find other ways that we can find some accommodations.”