Danielle Smith’s MAGA charm offensive could haunt the Conservatives
Smith asks Trump to "put things on pause so we can get through an election”
We’re off to the races!
Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Governor General Mary Simon yesterday to ask that the House of Commons be dissolved and that a federal election be held to elect new Members of Parliament on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Canada’s electoral boundaries have been redrawn and Alberta’s representation in the House of Commons has increased from 34 to 37 ridings. The total number of seats in the House of Commons has increased from 338 to 342.
What did Danielle Smith say to the Trump administration about Canada’s election?
When Alberta Premier Danielle Smith demanded Carney call a federal election after he was sworn-in as Prime Minister ten days ago, she probably didn’t expect that a two week old interview with an American alt-right news website would be making headlines on the first day of the campaign.
In a March 8 interview with the pro-Trump Breitbart website, Smith said she asked the Trump administration to pause their economic attacks on Canada until after the federal election because they might hurt Pierre Poilievre’s chances of defeating the Liberals.
“What I fear is the longer this dispute goes on, politicians posture, and it seems to be benefiting the Liberals right now. So I would hope we could put things on pause is what I’ve told administration officials. Let’s just put things on pause so we can get through an election,” Smith said.
This kind of request of the Trump administration is likely what the federal government and other provincial premiers have been concerned about as Smith sets out on her own charm offensive in the United States. Smith’s message to the Trump administration shouldn’t be to just pause their attacks on Canada during the election because it hurts the party she wants to win, it should be to stop their attacks on Canada, period.
During an election where foreign interference is top of mind for our country’s security officials, it is deeply concerning that the Premier of Alberta would openly admit to sending this kind of message to a foreign government.
Smith also told Breitbart she believes Poilievre would be much more “in sync” with Trump’s America, which is probably true.
“…I would say, on balance, the perspective that Pierre would bring would be very much in sync with, I think…the new direction in America,” Smith said. “And I think we’d have a really great relationship for the period of time they’re both in.”
This is an idea the Conservatives have desperately tried to distance themselves from since the American President began threatening to economically destroy and annex Canada. Expect the audio recording of Smith’s Breitbart interview to be featured prominently in a Liberal attack ad coming soon.
If this is what Smith is willing to share when speaking to the MAGA media outlets that fuel Trump’s agenda, Albertans are justified to ask what else is she saying behind closed doors when she meets with officials and opinion makers in the US President’s orbit?
As I’ve written before, Smith is Canada’s Trumpiest Premier. She and her circle of close advisors immerse themselves in the MAGA political and media environment more than any other Canadian Premier’s office.
Smith’s next stateside trip starts in a few days when she will be sharing a stage with right-wing podcaster and online media personality Ben Shapiro at a $1,500-a-plate fundraising gala for the pro-Trump PragerU advocacy group and media company in Florida.
Smith threatens unprecedented national unity crisis
Smith’s comments to Breitbart were made 12 days before her office warned of an “unprecedented national unity crisis” if her demands for the federal government to repeal a list of climate change and environmental laws aren’t met within six months after the election.
This message will resonate with some in Smith’s United Conservative Party, but threats to fan the flames of separation if her demands aren’t met, which really means if her preferred candidate for Prime Minister is not elected, are unlikely to find a receptive audience across Canada.
Smith said in a press conference last week that one response to a re-elected Liberal government could be the launch of a second found of “Fair Deal Panel” hearings. The first Fair Deal Panel toured the province to hear from frustrated Albertans after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party was re-elected in the 2019 federal election.
Albertans have no shortage of historical regional grievances, both real and perceived, but the Fair Deal Panel town hall meetings held in 2019 and 2020 turned into something much closer to government-funded separatist open-mic nights than a real consultation about Alberta’s place in confederation.
The most notable initiative to come out of the Fair Deal Panel’s final report that Albertans might remember was the UCP government’s creation of the Alberta Pension Plan Engagement Panel chaired by former finance minister Jim Dinning.
The engagement panel held online town halls in 2023 but plans to withdraw Alberta workers from the Canada Pension Plan to create an independent Alberta Pension Plan stalled after it became clear the idea was widely unpopular with many Albertans. The UCP government now continues to refuse to release its survey data about creating an Alberta Pension Plan.
Economic uncertainty remains a top issue
While Canadian sovereignty in the face of economic aggression and threats of annexation from Trump have completely shaken up the political landscape in Canada, parties and candidates should be careful not to lose sight of another big issue still on the minds of Canadian voters: affordability and the cost of living.
Amarjeet Sohi jumps back into federal politics
After weeks of rumours and speculation, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi officially announced that he is running as the Liberal Party’s candidate in the Edmonton Southeast riding:
President Trump is attacking our sovereignty, jobs, economy and our way of life. Given the threat of this disruption, it is imperative that strong and experienced leaders step up to defend our workers, working families, local businesses and our community.
That is why I'm excited to announce that I will be running in the community of Edmonton Southeast to serve as your Member of Parliament.
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