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
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
