Alberta premier rejects Team Canada approach to tariff threat response

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King (left to right) Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (virtually, on screen) Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Ontario Premier Doug Ford attend a first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan.15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was absent Wednesday afternoon when the prime minister and Canada’s premiers met with the press to announce their commitment to “stand together on a united path forward.”

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The premiers, including Smith (attending virtually), met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier in the morning to discuss how to deal with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs on Canadian goods.

Smith called that discussion “constructive” but decided not to attend the afternoon news conference, where Trudeau and multiple premiers said “everything was on the table” regarding possible responses should Trump follow through.

She also refused to sign the final joint statement from the earlier First Ministers' meeting.

On social media, Smith explained she could not support any federal plan that included cutting off or putting export tariffs on Alberta energy.

“Federal government officials continue to publicly and privately float the idea of cutting off energy supply to the U.S. and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products to the United States,” the post read, in part.

“Alberta will simply not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these same products,” it continued.

“We will take whatever actions are needed to protect the livelihoods of Albertans from such destructive federal policies.”

Political analyst John Brennan said her decision to break away from the unified approach could be harmful to Canada.

“Alberta cannot do this alone. In terms of a political strategy, I really wonder what she is doing here because she is alienating herself from the rest of the premiers,” Brennan said.

On the other hand, her concerns are not unfounded, according to economist Charles St-Arnaud, who said tacking export tariffs on Alberta energy could cut provincial revenue by $20 billion.

“(That’s) about 25 per cent of all our spending,” St-Arnaud said. “It’s a big hit if that comes to play and that’s the reason why the premier is not on board.”

Smith was not the only one at the Wednesday morning meeting who was divided on a strategy. She and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe both voiced their opposition to any response that would affect Canadian energy exports to the U.S.

However, that afternoon, Trudeau said federal, provincial and territory governments agreed they must respond to the threat while ensuring the burden of tariffs are shared nationally.

Eric Miller, a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said there may be some benefit to a “good cop, bad cop” approach and Smith’s strategy of trying to sell the U.S. on the benefits of Alberta energy.

“It can’t all be sticks, you have to have some carrots as well,” Miller said. “Smith is offering the carrot of energy.”

Smith recently met with Trump in Florida and will travel to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration.

She said she will travel to the U.S. multiple times in coming months to meet with officials and fight against tariffs on Canadian goods.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Chelan Skulski