Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Pledges to ‘Triple Down’ on Her Climate Denial

Speaking at the UCP annual general meeting, the Premier took shots at the federal government and vowed not to โ€œbudge an inch.โ€
Danielle Paradis
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith surveys damage after the Jasper wildfire
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith surveys damage after the Jasper wildfire. Credit: Danielle Smith / YouTube

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pledged to โ€œtriple downโ€ on conservative principles, including energy extraction and anti-trans policies at the Alberta United Conservative Partyโ€™s annual general meeting in Red Deer today in front of an energetic crowd of 6,000 people.

โ€œWe will build new pipelines, oil and gas facilities, petrochemical plants, hydrogen plants, and more because Alberta is an energy superpower, and we will not apologize for it,โ€ said the premier, who was defiant against the federal government and any attempts to regulate energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Taking a shot at the federal government Smith decried federal attempts at regulating carbon emissions during her speech.

โ€œJustin Trudeau, Steven Guilbeault and their band of woke MPs have done everything they can to shut down Canadaโ€™s and Albertaโ€™s most economically important industry as quickly as possible,โ€ said Smith.

In a particularly spicy moment, the Premier dismissed federal environment and climate change minister Guilbeault’s “tantrums” and “green schemes,” suggesting that Alberta would not “budge an inch … EVER.” 

Smith threatened to continue to block any legislation that affects the energy industry.  

โ€œWe have already invoked the Sovereignty Act against Justin Trudeauโ€™s reckless and unaffordable 2035 net-zero electricity regulations, which we will not enforce in Alberta,โ€ she said.

Related: Alberta Conservatives Pass Climate Denial Resolution 12 to Celebrate CO2 Pollution

Premier Smith denounced federal attempts at regulating carbon emissions during her speech at the UCP’s annual general meeting. Credit: Danielle Paradis

Premier Smith is facing a leadership review as a part of the AGM and met with members at an accountability session where they discussed past policy proposals including the proposal to ban solar farms on agricultural land.

Last year, the Alberta government imposed a seven-month moratorium on renewable energy projects after this policy proposal passed.

According to the Canadian Press, a webinar used as a part of the governmentโ€™s engagement process said that Alberta is looking to prohibit wind and solar farms on irrigated land.

In the afternoon, the members will debate a policy resolution that would โ€œrecognize the importance of CO2 to life and Albertaโ€™s prosperityโ€ by abandoning โ€œNet-Zeroโ€ targets and recognizing that CO2 is a โ€œfoundational nutrient to life.โ€

Danielle Paradis
Danielle Paradis is a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation. She is also an award-winning magazine writer, journalist, editor, educator, podcaster and mentor who lives in Treaty 6 (Edmonton, Alberta).

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