Alberta: Premier Smith open to working with PM Trudeau on climate issues if Ottawa agrees to ‘non-negotiable’ terms

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, on Thursday, released a letter she penned down to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stating that she would be open to collaborating with the Prime Minister and the federal government on climate and energy-related initiatives the government agrees on certain terms that the Alberta Premier referred to as “non-negotiable condition” in her letter.

Taking to Twitter to share the letter released on Thursday, Premier Smith tweeted, “I am formally requesting an update from Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau regarding our February 7th meeting, including “Just Transition”, caps on energy production, electricity generation, & more.”

I am formally requesting an update from Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau regarding our February 7th meeting, including "Just Transition", caps on energy production, electricity generation, & more.

Link to letter: https://t.co/wZPIcShisy #cdnpoli #abpoli pic.twitter.com/bwNvUucIPd

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) February 16, 2023

“I am writing in follow up to our meeting of February 7^th, during which we discussed the need for the Government of Canada to halt introduction of the proposed Just Transition legislation and implementation of unachievable targets and measures under the federal Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) such as the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) and oil and gas sector emissions cap,” the letter read.

“As a much more productive alternative, I invited your government to agree to commencing a collaborative effort between Ottawa and Alberta to develop a series of cooperative initiatives to attract investment and workers into Alberta’s emerging, conventional and non-conventional energy sectors while substantially reducing Canada’s and Alberta’s net emissions,” the letter continued further.

The Premier, in the letter, advocated against Ottawa imposing new federal legislation which hampers the development of Alberta’s oil and gas resource, as well as its workforce and management, without the “full involvement, consultation and consent of Alberta.” The above condition includes the  “just transition” legislation as well as the targets under the Emissions Reduction Plan.

“I must once again emphasize to you, Prime Minister, that although Alberta is willing to work as an active partner with the federal government on a coordinated approach to reducing Alberta’s and Canada’s net emissions, under no circumstances will our province accept the imposition of arbitrary and unachievable targets or policies that spell the end of meaningful long-term investment in Alberta’s energy sector, and as a result, the imminent phase out of Alberta’s largest industry,” the letter read further.

“In such circumstances, our government would have no other choice but to oppose these destructive policies using every tool at our disposal in order to protect Albertans, their jobs and our province’s future,” Smith stated further in the letter released Thursday.

Alberta NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley, in a response to the letter on Thursday, stated that Smith should have been “at the table months ago” backing the demand for well-paying jobs.

“Instead, she’s been focused entirely on reckless and extreme ideas, and hasn’t prioritized the needs of the energy sector or the people of Alberta,” Ganley stated on Thursday.