Premier Danielle Smith says she has 'very strong mandate' to implement the UCP agenda
There's room for collaboration, but Smith says tough conversations with Ottawa loom
In one of her first interviews since leading the United Conservative Party to a majority government in Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith said she takes the margins of popular vote in Monday's election — 52.6 per cent for the UCP, 44 per cent for the NDP — as a clear mandate.
"I think that says that people took all of the aspects into consideration and what they decided is they like the UCP agenda," Smith told CBC's Power & Politics.
Some of that agenda is likely to be challenging in the weeks and months to come, especially when it comes to working with the federal government on climate policy, as Smith acknowledged.
The agenda will be spearheaded by a diminished UCP caucus — with 49 seats projected to the NDP's 38, pending recounts — that won the closest election in Alberta's modern history.
During the campaign, some of Smith's more contentious policy ideas — the Sovereignty Act among them — were pushed to the side.
But Smith said she believes people now understand she's serious about "defending our jurisdiction."
"I have lots of ways that I can do it. It's just one other tool in the toolbox, and I'm very hopeful that the prime minister won't come through with aggressive legislation against us like an emissions cap that's unachievable," Smith said.
WATCH | Smith explains how she'd approach her prior policy ideas now that she's won:
Addressing supporters at an Edmonton hotel after conceding the election, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said had she won, she would have committed to do everything to "move past division and to govern for the vast majority of Albertans, to be practical and pragmatic and to listen to all voices."
"So I am asking [Smith] to remember the majority of Albertans tonight and to commit to a government that prioritizes the need and aspirations of all Albertans," Notley said.
Climate policy
In April, the UCP released an "aspirational" plan to achieve a carbon neutral economy by 2050. But the party noted it aimed to do so "without compromising affordable, reliable and secure energy."
Her first call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took place Tuesday, and Smith said she raised her frustration with federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault during that conversation.
"They [know] that there's a hard line when it comes to anything that will damage our economy, that we are not going to 'just transition' our oil and natural gas workers out of out of jobs," she said. "We are not going to pursue a net-zero power grid by 2035."
Canada has a goal for a national net-zero electricity grid by 2035. In addition to Smith, it also recently caught the ire of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who called it "impossible" and "unaffordable." Guilbeault said Moe hadn't "even seen what the regulations will entail and what kind of flexibility mechanisms there will be."
The federal government's targets to slash carbon emissions also relies heavily on Alberta's progress. In 2021, the oil and gas industry was the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the country, accounting for 28 per cent of total emissions.
WATCH | Smith says the province doesn't need an emissions cap; can lean on emerging technology instead:
Leadership campaign vs. election campaign
Along with the Sovereignty Act, Smith's UCP leadership campaign highlighted some policy ideas — such as enshrining protections in the Alberta Human Rights Act for people based on vaccination status — that didn't emerge in the provincial election campaign.
When asked which of those policies she might pursue with her renewed mandate, Smith didn't address the policy ideas directly. She did say Albertans should expect her to work collaboratively with Ottawa "where she can," highlighting Alberta's $24-billion health-care agreement with the federal government.
"People know that when I'm in this position, that I will run on things and I'll implement them. I said that we were going to move away from mandates, and we did. I said we were going to start reform of Alberta Health Services, and I did," Smith said. "I said that we were going to stand up to Ottawa, and we are."
WATCH | Smith says there's a 'hard line' regarding the province's oil and gas industry:
Election win leaves behind changed Alberta
Smith's United Conservative Party was elected for a second term in Monday's election, winning big outside of Alberta's two largest cities. The Alberta New Democrats swept Edmonton, and the two parties split "battleground Calgary," with the NDP picking up 11 seats in the province's largest city.
Some political observers feel as though the razor-thin nature of the results — the six closest ridings in Calgary were decided by a combined 851 votes — signal that Alberta politics have "fundamentally changed."
"We can really think of Calgary now as a city that is politically divided down the middle in some ways," University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young told Calgary Eyeopener host Loren McGinnis.
"It's going to be really interesting to see how that plays out over the next number of years."
The UCP's success can, in large part, be attributed to its stranglehold over Alberta's rural areas and smaller cities. The party took 37 of the 41 seats outside Edmonton and Calgary.
Paul McLaughlin, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, told the Calgary Eyeopener there's no question that a major rural/urban divide has emerged in the province — one that will need to be managed carefully by provincial leaders.
Rural Alberta is still dealing with what he referred to as the "legendary COVID hangover," involving residents who viewed COVID-19 regulations and government policy differently in comparison with the rest of the province. But other issues, including ambulance services and health care, are going to be top-of-mind for residents moving forward.
"I think this was probably the messiest election I've ever seen," McLaughlin said. "I think we really need to talk about what is Alberta, and how can we work together, to solve problems, and not upon polarized [ideological] lines."
Deborah Yedlin, president of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, told the Eyeopener that the business community would be looking for "certainty and stability."
"We need collaboration. It's the key to anything and we have to collaborate to make sure that we can move this province forward to seize the economic opportunities as best we can," she said. "That means collaborating with business, and that means collaborating with all levels of government."
WATCH | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulates Alberta Premier Danielle Smith:
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek held a news conferences Tuesday to congratulate Smith and the UCP.
"Standing up for the values that make us a strong, civil society, that's the job that our council is committed to do together with our provincial counterparts," Gondek said at Calgary City Hall. "We are also committed to working with our new provincial government."
Gondek said she will seek a meeting with Smith as soon as possible. Gondek said she expects the UCP's re-election to be good news for a $1.2-billion deal to replace the aging Saddledome with a new arena for the Calgary Flames.
Corrections
- The UCP received 52.6 per cent of the popular vote in Alberta's provincial election on May 29, 2023, according to unofficial results published by Elections Alberta. An earlier version of this story said 52 per cent.May 31, 2023 3:54 PM MT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from CBC's Power & Politics, Calgary Eyeopener, The Canadian Press