'Deeply frustrated': Danielle Smith warns Mark Carney that the status quo can't hold

OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s disappointed but ready to negotiate after the Mark Carney-led Liberals were returned to power in Monday’s federal election. “A large majority of Albertans are deeply frustrated that the same government that overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years has been returned to government,” Smith wrote on Tuesday morning , breaking her silence on the election’s outcome. Smith said the same old, same old wasn’t an option, with tensions between Alberta and Ottawa coming to a head. “As Premier, I will not permit the status quo to continue. Albertans are proud Canadians that want this nation to be strong, prosperous, and united, but we will no longer tolerate having our industries threatened and our resources landlocked by Ottawa.”

I congratulate Prime Minister @MarkJCarney on his minority government election victory last night. I also want to sincerely thank @PierrePoilievre for his powerful and principled advocacy against the last decade’s punitive taxation and anti-resource policies that have made our… pic.twitter.com/1bpm3BcOE7— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) April 29, 2025

Smith said she hoped Carney would act in the best interest of national unity. “As Premier, I invite the Prime Minister to immediately commence working with our government to reset the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta with meaningful action rather than hollow rhetoric,” she wrote. Smith’s relationship with Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau was plagued by acrimony, with the two leaders regularly trading shots in the public domain. Her relationship with Carney isn’t off to a much better start. Smith and Carney had a frosty meeting in Edmonton just before the election call, and have had harsh words for one another on the campaign trail. Heading into the election, Smith endorsed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to be the next prime minister of Canada. Smith alluded to a previously announced panel on Alberta’s future in the confederation in her Tuesday statement. “In the weeks and months ahead, Albertans will have an opportunity to discuss our province’s future, assess various options for strengthening and protecting our province against future hostile acts from Ottawa, and to ultimately choose a path forward,” wrote Smith “As Premier, I will facilitate and lead this discussion and process with the sincere hope of securing a prosperous future for our province within a united Canada(.)” Smith said she will be meeting with her caucus on Friday to discuss the election result and steps forward. She said on a later appearance on the Ben Mulroney show that she hoped Carney didn’t “misread” the election result, framing it as a mandate to move forward with major nation-building projects like oil and gas pipelines. “The results of this election were 312 seats won by parties that wanted to build pipelines, turn us into an energy superpower and clear away some of the regulatory mess and taxes… that have landlocked our resources,” Smith told Mulroney, pointing to the combined Liberal-Conservative seat total. She pointed out that the NDP and Green party, both anti-oil and gas, were relegated to the fringes in what was mostly a two-horse race. Smith said she “couldn’t predict” how Albertans were respond if Carney continued with Trudeau-era policies hemming in the province’s oil and gas sector. Smith told Mulroney she’ll be holding a press conference later in the day. More to come . National  Post rmohamed@postmedia.com

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