More pressing for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith than the timing of the next federal election is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finding a new federal environment minister.
A recent survey by Nanos Research states 46 per cent of respondents want the next election to happen as soon as possible, or in 2024.
Smith was asked about the survey — and whether she believes Albertans want to head to the polls sooner than the currently scheduled October 2025 — in an interview on CTV’s Your Morning on Friday.
In response, Smith didn’t specify about her hopes for the next election, but said her province is looking for “an immediate change in the Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.”
“So they can start there and then we’ll see when we go to an election,” she said.
Smith said she has “a couple of good relationships with some federal ministers” who she believes are “real champions of our province,” listing Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne as examples of members of Trudeau’s cabinet who have worked with her on recent projects.
“So I would say that there are some ministers that we can work with, but we can’t work with Steven Guilbeault,” Smith added.
The premier also repeated that she believes Guilbeault is “acting completely outside … of the Constitution,” “acting illegally,” and that he “has defiance and disrespect for the provinces,” accusations she’s levelled before in reference to the federal government’s recently announced oil and gas sector emissions cap.
Guilbeault, meanwhile, told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos last month the federal government has “a shot” at meeting its targets if it stays on its current path.
“We feel that we’re on very solid, legal and constitutional grounds,” Guilbeault said about the oil and gas sector emissions cap. “Alberta and Saskatchewan challenge just about everything we’ve done when it comes to fighting climate change in the courts. We can anticipate that this will be no exception.”
Guilbeault also told the Senate in November that he has no plans to resign even if there are future carve-outs to the federal government’s carbon pricing plan, after he told The Canadian Press there would be no more exemptions to the scheme as long as he’s environment minister.
In response to a question during the Your Morning interview about her stance on working with the federal government on protecting the environment and clean energy more broadly, Smith said Alberta has its own plans and that Ottawa’s targets are unfeasible.
Alberta and the federal government have repeatedly butted heads over the Liberal’s deadline to achieve a net-zero power grid by 2035, which Smith says will “not only stymie our growth, but it’s unachievable.”
“So we’re just asking for a reasonable approach. We think we can get to carbon neutrality by 2050,” she said. “We think we’re being responsible and ensuring reliability, affordability, as well as achieving our targets.”
Smith also discussed her proposal to pull Alberta from the Canada Pension Plan — an idea that has been staunchly opposed by the federal government and other premiers — and on her proposed reforms to Alberta Health Services, to split the province’s health-care delivery into four different agencies.
You can watch Smith’s full interview detailing her 2024 priorities on CTV’s Your Morning in the video player at the top of this article.
With files from CTVNews.ca’s Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
