Premier Danielle Smith made it crystal clear that Alberta’s oil and gas industry will not be pushed around. In a fiery meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Smith rejected any proposal to impose an oil export tax on Alberta’s vital energy sector—a move that could have sent shockwaves through the province’s economy.

Video Transcript:

(00:00) thanks for tuning in to David Miller for Canadian political news 86% of you watch but don’t subscribe hit that button and support the channel it’s quick easy and means the world do you have a business in Canada that you want to advertise on our channel tap the thanks icon below and donate at least $100 and we will feature your business for 7 days our channel gets over 200,000 views a month well I’ve noticed this with progressive men how much they talk about how much they support women until they meet a strong conservative woman and the
(00:30) attitude is sit down and shut up well I don’t shut up i make sure that Albertans know exactly how I feel about is Premier Danielle Smith made it crystal clear that Alberta’s oil and gas industry will not be pushed around in a fiery meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney Smith rejected any proposal to impose an oil export tax on Alberta’s vital energy sector a move that could have sent shock waves through the province’s economy as if the Americans don’t want to buy our products if that’s part of the solution
(00:57) is that they want to buy less from us then we’re going to have to look for new markets for our oil and gas for our uranium for our nickel for all of our As the US remains Alberta’s primary market for oil exports any restrictions on these shipments are a non-starter for Smith but what followed next was nothing short of dramatic in an unexpected turn of events Smith not only shut down Carney’s tax proposal but kicked him out of the meeting entirely refusing to entertain any further discussion actually our our biggest customer used
(01:26) to be our only customer and one of the things that makes Canada a bit unique is I know that in the US most of your government owned land is owned federally through your Bureau of Land Management it’s the reverse in the in Canada most of the land and the resources are owned at the subnational level by the province and so when I tell you that we’ve got 1.
(01:53) 8 trillion barrels of oil of which 165 billion is recoverable at today’s technology and 1.36 quadrillion cubic feet of gas the question now is Carney’s government prepared to face the wrath of Alberta or is this a sign of things to come in Canada’s highstakes energy battle technology we have the ability to market that to the world we’ve been we’ve been stymied on being able to do that uh because of our our federal government they’ve got the ability to sort of like your government be able to say yes and no to to certain projects um but we’re also very concerned about
(02:22) tariffs and what that means for our our trade relationship with the United States which is historic in the first official meeting between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney tensions were already running high this was no casual get together it was a showdown over Alberta’s future and it wasn’t going to be resolved with a handshake and a smile smith had made her position clear long before the meeting alberta would not stand for any restrictions or taxes on its oil exports my province is one of the biggest
(02:51) reserves of oil and gas in the world i would love to sell double the amount that we are right now to the United States now we’re going to have to look at how we can sell more out the West Coast out the out the east coast the stakes were huge not just for Alberta but for the whole country alberta’s economy with its reliance on the oil and gas sector is intertwined with its exports to the US smith was determined to make it known that Alberta’s voice would not be drowned out by Ottawa’s growing obsession with environmental
(03:18) policies carney interest to make sure that you do produce oil but Ottawa is basically stagnating that am I right well look at where we’ve been in the last 10 years cuz even even in the United States when you look at the Paris Accord being signed whether it was through your previous administration or or the Democrat administration before we’ve had that same parallel in Canada we’ve seen that same parallel who had recently taken over as the new prime minister walked into a room where the heat was on and Alberta’s patience with
(03:49) the federal government had worn thin if Carney thought this was going to be an easy meeting he was in for a surprise the Liberals have a long history of trying to force policies that don’t always consider the unique needs of the West and Carney as part of that establishment is no different i I have told the secretary I could always sell 2 million barrels of oil to someone else other than the United States if they would like us to cuz that’s essential as soon as the meeting got underway it became evident that Smith wasn’t backing
(04:17) down her message to Carney was blunt alberta would not accept any form of oil export tax or restrictions with the US being Alberta’s primary market for oil and gas exports any move to impose taxes or limit exports would be disastrous for the province’s economy we’re very we I think have made the argument on critical minerals oil and gas we have to still make it on intermediate goods but but I think that is why we have to very quickly get to the table on on Smith focused on this reality reminding Carney that Alberta’s oil production is a major
(04:50) contributor to Canada’s overall energy output alberta’s economy is built on this industry and Smith made it clear that Alberta would not let Ottawa push it into a corner the Liberals and their environmental policies have already done enough damage to Alberta’s oil industry if Carney thought he could just walk in and lay out another set of restrictions he was sorely mistaken the last thing Canada needs is more job killing regulations from a government that thinks everything can be fixed with tax hikes and more control over provincial
(05:17) matters but I don’t see any reason why our producers and our Alberta rateayers should be penalized i think if we’ve got a valuable product then let’s sell it to those who want it smith’s direct rejection of any restrictions was a firm statement that Alberta wouldn’t tolerate these kinds of policies carney’s government continues to ignore the economic realities facing Alberta and they’ve yet to offer any real solutions up a little bit but there is no question here that this is one of the most severe um effects we’ve seen on the economy
(05:49) just 6 days after announcing that smith’s position was clear from the start she wasn’t just defending Alberta’s oil industry she was also standing up against what she sees as federal overreach that has consistently harmed the province alberta has been at odds with Ottawa for years over policies that Smith believes hurt the oil and gas sector we’re doing very well in making I call them tailored deals not off the rack these are tailored highly tailored deal from emissions regulations to pipeline blockages federal policies have
(06:16) put up barriers that slow Alberta’s economic growth smith’s rejection of the idea of an oil export tax wasn’t just about the economy it was also about Alberta’s autonomy she’s had enough of the federal government imposing rules that she argues disproportionately affect her province especially when it comes to energy pivot you know the premier has touted diplomacy over the last few months but what we heard today was sharper words from her about how there’s broken trust a betrayal of friendship the Trudeau era is over and
(06:45) Carney’s government is left dealing with the fallout while Carney may want to cozy up to environmental activists in big cities Smith was pushing back hard she wasn’t having it and she made that abundantly clear it’s about time someone stood up to Ottawa’s obsession with green policies that threaten job security in the West when will the Liberals stop pushing their one-sizefits-all approach to national governance and actually listen to regional concerns it’s been amazing what’s happened sometimes you have to mix it up alberta’s oil and gas sector
(07:13) is the backbone of the province’s economy contributing billions of dollars annually and providing tens of thousands of jobs alberta produces the majority of Canada’s oil and the US has long been its biggest market the trade relationship between Alberta and the US is so critical that even small changes in the export dynamic could have serious repercussions once spring hits we’re very concerned about what the activity of our sector is going to be now keep in mind back in November of last year we had projected that this year would have
(07:44) some of the highest employment opportunity any attempt to impose taxes or restrictions on these exports would cause severe damage to Alberta’s economy for the past several years Alberta has struggled to cope with federal environmental regulations that have made it harder for the oil and gas sector to thrive the latest proposal for an oil export tax is just another blow to an industry already facing difficult times smith knows this and that’s why she was so adamant in rejecting any such proposals it’s not just a matter of
(08:11) money it’s a matter of survival for many Albertans who rely on the oil and gas industry for their livelihoods so my message also to those watching us Jake right now is please talk to your Congress people talk to your governors talk to uh people in power because they all need to send a clear message to the White House that that’s enough as much as the Liberals like to wave the climate change flag they seem to forget about the people who will lose their jobs if the government keeps imposing policies that make it harder for Alberta to
(08:40) compete the fact that Carney and the Liberals continue to ignore the economic consequences of their environmental policies is a clear indication of their disconnect from the realities of Alberta’s economy smith now they are accusing the US of abusing uh these tariffs saying the smacks of unilateralism and protectionism uh they say they do not see signs that the Trump administration wants to talk or wants to have a genuine outright rejection of an oil export tax wasn’t just a defense of Alberta’s economy it was also a demand
(09:12) for fair treatment within the broader Canadian economic framework alberta has long felt that it has been treated unfairly by Ottawa particularly when it comes to energy policies the province contributes a huge amount to Canada’s economy yet it often feels like the federal government is more interested in appeasing central Canada than addressing the needs of the West smith made it clear that Alberta wasn’t going to keep subsidizing provinces that are fully capable of funding themselves this frustration has been building for years
(09:38) and the proposed oil export tax was just the latest flash point in the ongoing struggle for Alberta’s economic interests the world does America’s been in a very good position by being the first and primary uh customer and purchaser of a a discounted oil and we’re going to have to look for new markets too if this Alberta’s reliance on the US for energy exports isn’t just a business arrangement it’s a vital lifeline the federal government needs to recognize this reality and stop pushing policies that harm the province’s
(10:08) ability to trade freely and profitably i think we should make it as painful as possible so they get the hint that they have to do the way the Liberals have handled Alberta’s concerns over the years shows just how out of touch they are with the economic realities of the West if Carney and his government think they can impose more restrictions on Alberta without consequences they are seriously mistaken danielle Smith’s demands for Alberta’s future are clear and firm focusing on the province’s economic independence and the
(10:36) development of its oil and gas sector back against a new poll suggesting most Canadians support retaliating through the energy industry she’s calling for the expansion of oil and gas corridors particularly to diversify export markets and reduce reliance on the US smith also wants the repeal of legislation that has stalled pipeline construction and the lifting of the federal tanker ban on British Columbia’s coast in addition she’s pushing for the removal of emissions caps on the oil and gas industry and greater provincial control
(11:06) over carbon taxes and energy regulations of course while the US is by far the largest export market for Canadian crude oil so any impact to this trading relationship is a big deal here smith’s frustration with equalization payments reflects Alberta’s ongoing concern about subsidizing other provinces that don’t contribute as much to the national economy and her demand for fair treatment from Ottawa is becoming a central issue carney’s response to Smith’s demands is a delicate balancing act while he acknowledged Alberta’s
(11:35) significant role in Canada’s economy and the need for infrastructure expansion he stopped short of making any specific promises carney emphasized that Canada must continue its commitment to climate goals while also looking for new energy markets beyond the US including exploring options in Europe although one expert I spoke with says it’s still not totally clear yet exactly what the impact of all of this will be of course right now many American refineries are set up to process Canadian crude however he showed reluctance in addressing
(12:05) Smith’s demands directly particularly regarding deregulation and the removal of environmental policies that have caused tension his cautious approach reflects the difficulty of balancing economic growth with environmental concerns as well as the political tightroppe he must walk with an election looming where Alberta’s voice on energy policy will be a key factor in shaping the future of the nation’s energy strategy danielle Smith is standing up for Alberta’s oil and gas industry like a true Conservative leader while the
(12:32) Liberals in Ottawa try to kill Canadian energy with endless regulations and carbon taxes Smith is fighting back she’s pushing for provincial control over natural resources and refusing to let Trudeau’s government dictate Alberta’s future by investing in innovation and cleaner technology she’s proving that Alberta can lead the way without destroying jobs or bowing to Ottawa’s nonsense liberals wouldn’t know common sense if it hit them in the face instead of apologizing for Alberta’s energy wealth like the Liberals do
(13:00) Danielle Smith is proud of it she’s defending our oil workers standing against federal interference and making sure Alberta’s economy stays strong while the Liberals waste billions chasing fantasy green projects Smith is focused on real solutions that actually help people alberta doesn’t need lectures from latte sipping bureaucrats in Ottawa who’ve never set foot on a rig