Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is at odds with the president of her own party on the issue of the province quitting Canada.
Rob Smith, the president of the United Conservative party, has said the UCP will not take a position on the upcoming referendum regarding whether Alberta should stay in Canada.
Premier Smith, however, begs to differ.
Speaking in a radio interview on Wednesday with host Shaye Ganam on QR Calgary and 880 CHED, Smith said she is the one who speaks for the party, and the party’s position is Alberta stays in Canada.
LISTEN BELOW: Shayne Ganam’s full interview with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
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“Our party had as its founding principles that we support autonomy for Alberta within the United Canada. It’s right in our founding principles — every one of my MLAs got elected on that,” said Smith.
“That’s why I say that our party, our caucus and our government are on board with working on what we need to do to remain in Canada and to address the legitimate concerns that Albertans have.”
The president of the UCP, who is not related to Danielle Smith, could not be immediately reached for reaction to the premier’s comments.
During the interview, Smith was also asked about some of the challenges that Alberta would face if the province eventually decided to separate from Canada.
“There’s massive startup costs. I mean, remember we have never had national defence. We don’t have independent courts. Those would have be set up. We don’t have border control. I don’t know how many folks who go and regularly visit family in Saskatchewan and British Columbia would want to show passports and have to stop at border,” said Smith.
“These are the very practical things that they’ve discovered in the United Kingdom, that none of the promises of windfalls panned out — but a whole bunch of irritations ended up coming up that prevented them from being able to expand trade, travel freely, work freely, own houses in Spain. Those are the things I want people to understand.”
You can listen to Shaye Ganam’s entire interview with Premier Danielle Smith at Global News online.
Albertans will go to the polls on Oct. 19 to vote on whether to stay in Canada or begin the process to hold a second referendum on leaving.
–with files from Global News.
#magagate for how Harper is involved in alleged potential criminal acts by AIMCO and Alberta Security issues around Journey and MAGA Energy. Where is the hundreds of millions? Where is the investigation into alleged securities violations …not to mention all the other issues?
THE QUESTIONS NO SEPARATIST HAS EVER ANSWERED
–Posted by K. Wills on the Western Standard Site
Money & Trade
1. $140 billion in trade with the rest of Canada disappears the day you leave. What fills that hole?
2. 300,000+ jobs depend on that trade. Where do those workers go on Day 2?
3. 150+ trade deals Canada has. Alberta has zero. How long to replicate them? Brexit took 4 years and the UK is still worse off.
4. Healthcare funding — $4–5 billion from Ottawa stops. Where does that money come from?
5. Getting sick in BC — right now, seamless billing. After separation? International medical billing. How do you renegotiate with every province?
6. A currency — Canadian dollar (no control), US dollar (no control, need permission), or new Alberta dollar (who accepts it)? Pick one.
7. Borrowing money — new countries have no credit rating. Who lends to you, at what interest rate?
8. CPP contributions — Albertans paid in their whole lives. What share of the fund do you take? What formula?
9. Federal employee pensions — thousands of Albertans work for Ottawa. Who pays their pensions after separation?
10. The national debt — new countries inherit a share under international law. What share do you take? If zero, why would anyone ever lend to you?
Geography & Energy
11. Getting oil to a port — landlocked. Every barrel to Asia crosses BC. After a bitter divorce, why does BC cooperate? What leverage do you have?
12. Doubling production — pipelines are already near capacity. Name one specific project that will carry the extra oil. Route. Date. Permit status.
13. BC transit fees — BC can legally charge $50/barrel, $100/container. What stops them? What is your plan?
14. One customer — the US already buys as much as it wants. They know you have no other options. How low does the price go?
15. The fire sale — US corporations have billions. Your energy companies will be desperate. What law stops them from buying everything at pennies on the dollar?
16. A military from scratch — no air force, no army, no intelligence. Who defends your airspace on Day 2? How much does it cost?
17. Replacing the RCMP — they leave. Their equipment leaves. How many officers do you need? How many years? What budget?
18. Canadian bases on your soil — CFB Edmonton, CFB Suffield are federal property. Do you buy them? At what price?
Indigenous & Legal
19. Treaty obligations — Treaties 6, 7, 8 are with the Crown, not with Alberta. How do you assume them without Canada?
20. Indigenous sovereignty — some First Nations already say they don’t recognize your authority. Some may argue separation voids their treaties entirely. How do you win that court case?
21. Active land claims — dozens are being litigated. They don’t disappear. What is your settlement budget?
22. A constitution — you don’t have one. Who writes it? Who approves it? What happens if Albertans reject it?
23. A court system — current courts are Canadian. Judges are federal appointees. You need a new system from scratch. How long? What budget?
24. Federal workers in Alberta — thousands lose their jobs on separation. Do you hire them? At what salary? With what pensions?
The Excuses
25. “Small countries succeed” — name one landlocked, resource-dependent breakaway state that left a democracy against its will and thrived. Just one.
26. “The US will protect us” — has the US ever signed a defense treaty with Alberta? No. How long does NATO take? Will Canada veto you?
27. “Montana and Idaho would welcome us” — do they control any ports? No. Washington State does. What can Montana actually do for you?
28. “We’ll just trade with the US” — they already buy as much as they want. Cutting off Canada doesn’t create new US customers. What changes?
29. “Equalization is theft” — it’s insurance. You pay in when rich. When oil runs out, you draw out. Do you understand how insurance works?
30. “We’ll just rejoin Canada if it fails” — on what terms? Canada will demand surrender of oil sands, reduced Senate seats, a long probation. Are you willing to accept that?
The Final Question
Why should any Albertan trust a movement that cannot answer a single one of these questions?
Not “we’ll figure it out.” Not “the people will decide.” Real answers. Specific answers. Costed answers.
The separatists have grievances and slogans. They do not have a plan.
That is not democracy. That is a leap of faith off a cliff they have not bothered to map.
If the separatists believe we’ll be living in a free utopian country, just check out what the right wing Christian facists would like to see. They support the separatists. The name to look at is U.S. church leader Doug Wilson.
Good on Manitoba’s premier to point out her bullzhit.
Is she still a Cherokee pretendindian or does that not get her votes anymore?
She contradicts herself too.
Can’t people see the garbage Alberta and Albertans will face if we seperate? It will be total bedlam and then where will we find our Leaders of this Province, “hiding under a pile of paperwork in a maximum security building.
I wonder how that vote would go if dual citizens weren’t granted a vote. How many seperatists are actually full Canadian as opposed to landed immigrants from the U.S.A. with a dual citizenship?
Look at the history of the United Arab Emirates. Before the discovery of oil around 1960 the UAE consisted of Coastal communities in the area engaged in fishing, herding, and maritime trade with Mesopotamia, Persia, and the Indus Valley.
Today they stands out as one of the wealthiest nations in the Middle East and Arab world. Plus they are a business hub of the world.
Then consider… THEY HAVE HALF THE OIL RESERVES OF ALBERTA.
With Alberta independence, Albertans are not starting out herding goats like the UAE. Our oil industry is partially developed. Alberta also has an agricultural industry, mining, forestry and a technology sector so we have a running start to wealth. So when you hear people talking about the Alberta economy failing because of Independence, look at the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries that are rich because of their own petroleum development.
“they’ve discovered in the United Kingdom, that none of the promises of windfalls panned out”
The UK doesn’t have a trillion dollars of oil under their feet
watched the debate between kenny and wilson. not ine reason to stay just fear. she is the only proponent of remain in canada that people in Alberta might listen to snd yiu sll call her a traitor. its shocking and clearly shows why we need to leave you eat your own.what a terrible position shes in considered a traitor by all sides. goooo carney
Imagine all the things that could get done if she wasn’t wasting time and money obsessing over this.
Take Her Canadian citizenship away. Serial lying, right wing, MAGA, *UNT!!!!
There’s a very easy solution. Any Albertan (or Canadian for that matter) that wishes to become American are free to leave Canada anytime they want and apply for citizenship in the United States.
I think she laid it out what the government policy is for all to see in no uncertain terms. As with any organization or business etc, sometimes the boss has to lay down the law now and then as per company policy so to speak. I appreciate the decisiveness shown.
the problem is elbows up in Alberta. people should have the right to democracy
Two faced referendum, and Smith as well.
Again Smith go back to your mother country b,and stay there, you and your idiots.
Their thought that they deserve some massive amount of CPP monies is wrong. The monies go with the workers. Migrants from all over Canada. CPP is an employee earned savings. Not a provincial or federal owned lump of cash. The money follows the worker.
I’d like to know what type of currency they plan to use
Daniel Smith is confused. How can Alberta be autonomous, and still remain in Canada?
She is right, Alberta needs to be treated like Ontario and Quebec. So why did she sign Carney’s carbon tax? She did not get anything that would help Alberta get their pipelines to the west coast.
Nobody ran on the platform of a separate Autonomous Alberta.
should end all this separartion talk with all provinces. immediate treason charges. want to leave canada? sell your stuff and leave.