Feds must meet Alberta energy demands to avoid ‘national crisis,’ Smith says after meeting Carney
Posted March 20, 2025 2:02 pm.
Last Updated March 20, 2025 6:27 pm.
Eliminating the oil and gas emissions cap is one of Alberta’s top demands to the federal government, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said after meeting face to face with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Thursday.
Smith called it a “very frank discussion” in which she established that “Albertans will no longer tolerate the way we’ve been treated by the federal Liberals over the past 10 years.”
Unsurprisingly, Alberta energy featured among the major talking points, per a list of demands shared by Smith in a statement after the meeting. The premier said the next prime minister, “regardless of who that is,” must address those demands within the first six months of their term “to avoid an unprecedented national unity crisis.”
One of those demands is for the federal government to scrap the cap on emissions from the production of oil and gas – something Carney’s government has already said it would maintain, according to the federal environment minister.
The Liberals have said repeatedly they aren’t capping production, just the emissions that come from it – a bid to force companies to invest in technology to produce the fuels more cleanly.
But critics insist the targets are too stringent and can’t be met without capping production. Chief among them is Smith, who argues the emissions cap regulations set “unrealistic targets.” The UCP leader has vowed to challenge the regulations in court.
Smith, an outspoken critic of the policies of former prime minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, has renewed those attacks on Carney and his administration in recent days.
On Wednesday, her United Conservative Party government introduced a bill that seeks to ban federal employees from accessing oil and gas facilities and their emissions data. Smith called the bill a warning to the new prime minister that Alberta will continue to fight for the industry, which she expects to have to do under a Carney government.
“I can tell you I’m not encouraged by what I’ve seen so far,” Smith said of Carney on Wednesday. “I think there’s a real danger that the new prime minister is worse than the old prime minister.”
Carney is expected to call a federal election this Sunday.
Should that happen, Carney will visit the Governor General and request the dissolution of Parliament. The election campaign lasts for a minimum of 36 days, and usually around 40 days, meaning the snap election could happen as early as Apr. 28.
Other energy demands
Also on Smith’s list of demands outlined in her meeting with Carney was for Ottawa to guarantee Alberta full access to unfettered oil and gas corridors to the north, east, and west; repeal Bill C-69; lift the tanker ban off the B.C. coast; scrap the clean electricity regulations; return oversight of the industrial carbon tax to the provinces; abandon the net-zero car mandate; halt the federal censorship of energy companies; and end the prohibition on single-use plastics.
“I also made it clear that Alberta, as owner of the resource, will not accept an export tax or restriction of Alberta’s oil and gas to the United States, and that our province is no longer agreeable to subsidizing other large provinces who are fully capable of funding themselves,” Smith wrote.
“Lastly, I made it clear that federal mismanagement of Jasper and Banff national parks resulted in last year’s tragic wildfire in Jasper and is endangering Banff, and the situation must be rectified immediately.”
Carney’s office did not provide a statement about the meeting. He was to make a housing announcement later in the day.
Earlier Thursday, Carney announced a $187 million investment to repair and rebuild critical infrastructure in Jasper National Park after last summer’s devastating wildfire.
Carney’s Liberals indeed have their work cut out for them in Alberta. The party only has two sitting members in the province with Randy Boissonnault in Edmonton and George Chahal in Calgary. Both are seeking re-election.
Carney’s visit to Edmonton, his childhood home, was his first since he made his Liberal leadership bid announcement in the city in January.
After meeting with Smith, Carney laced up his skates and took part in the morning skate with the Edmonton Oilers.
–With files from The Canadian Press
