Alberta premier under fire for tariff, election comments on U.S. radio show
Posted March 24, 2025 9:20 am.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office is refuting claims of election interference after comments she made on a right-wing American radio show earlier this month resurfaced over the weekend.
The interview with Breitbart News Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle aired on March 8.
Smith has been making the rounds on U.S. news programs in recent weeks as part of a campaign to lobby against tariffs proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. She is also scheduled to appear at a speaking engagement with conservative media personality Ben Shapiro in Florida later this week.
In the March 8 interview, she told Boyle the ongoing trade war has given the Liberal Party the upper hand in the polls, and perhaps the April 28 election.
Smith added she’s had conversations with members of the Trump administration, asking them to consider bringing a halt to tariff talk during the election period.
“I would hope that we could put things on pause, is what I’ve told administration officials,” she said. “Let’s just put things on pause so we can get through an election.”
The premier also advocates for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, saying he would be a better fit with the Trump administration.
“The perspective that Pierre would bring would be very much in sync with the new direction in America and I think we’d have a really great relationship for the period of time they’re both in,” she said.
Poilievre launched his campaign Sunday after the election was officially called. When asked about Smith’s comments, he redirected.
“Well, my response is that the president has said that he thinks it would be easier to deal with a Liberal and with good reason, the Liberals have weakened our country,” he said. “They’ve blocked resource projects, raised taxes, driving our jobs south into the hands of the Americans. A half a trillion dollars of investment has fled our country.”
“They blocked a pipeline that would have allowed us to go around the American market,” Poilievre added. “They’ve killed LNG liquefaction plants, forcing us to sell all of our natural gas to the Americans at huge price discounts.
“They’ve weakened our military and our borders, all of that plays into the hands of President Trump. Military and our borders, all of that plays into the hands of President Trump.”
New Liberal leader Mark Carney addressed the situation at his election kickoff.
“With respect to the premier’s comments, I take note of her alignment of Mr. Poilievre with Mr. Trump,” he said. “And would note that that’s one of the decisions that Canadians will have to make, whether they want a government that’s unified, that’s standing up for Canada, and is taking focused action to build a better economy, or they want division – and Americanism.”
According to Carney, the latter is the offering from Poilievre being endorsed by Smith.
Once the interview clips began making the rounds again, reaction from critics was swift.
NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi accused the premier of “casually [floating] a referendum on separatism.”
“Calling for a pause on tariffs to politically benefit one party or another isn’t the right approach,” he wrote on social media. “But standing firm for Canada is.”
Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan, who also had a brief run for leader of the Alberta NDP, called Smith a traitor.
“Danielle Smith colluded with a foreign power. A foreign power that has launched economic warfare against us and is threatening to annex us. And she encouraged them to interfere in our democracy. There’s a word for that kind of behaviour,” he wrote.
Mount Royal University political science Prof. Duane Bratt also weighed in, calling the interview “damaging.”
‘Offensive and false’
Smith’s press secretary, Sam Blackett, is lambasting those accusing the premier of any wrongdoing.
“Any suggest the premier is asking the U.S. to interfere in Canada’s election is offensive and false,” he said.
Smith says she’s long been advocating for an appropriate end to those tariffs, and vowed to keep going.
“For the last several months, I, and many of my fellow Premiers, have been working relentlessly to convince U.S. officials at all levels just how damaging threatened tariffs will be to both Canadians and Americans,” she said in a statement. “I’ve also repeatedly asked those same officials to refrain from placing any tariffs on Canadian goods until a proper renegotiation of CUSMA can be held following our federal election with a Prime Minister that has won a mandate from Canadians to negotiate with the U.S. President.”
She also reiterated her calls for U.S. tariffs to be halted during the Canadian election.
Smith was scheduled to speak at the University of Alberta Monday for a STEM and life sciences budget announcement, but that engagement has since been postponed.
