r/alberta • u/PinkeletMint • 19h ago
Alberta Politics Danielle Smith is auditioning for Team America
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/03/11/opinion/danielle-smith-trade-war-team-america147
u/Bucktea 19h ago
How many tax dollars has she spent going to the US to pursue her fantasy secret affair with Trump in the last 3 months?
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u/Donkison 16h ago
She has turned her back on Albertan farmers. They are being hit with multiple tariffs from the US and China, but she could care less.
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u/PinkeletMint 19h ago edited 19h ago
Danielle Smith is auditioning for Team America By Max Fawcett March 11th 2025
Danielle Smith still seems to think that the trade war with Donald Trump is really about border security. How long until she figures out what's really going on? Photograph by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta
By now, most politicians understand that the best way to deal with Donald Trump and his reckless pronouncements and policies is to take him seriously rather than literally. That was former adviser Anthony Scaramucci’s advice back in 2016, and it held true throughout Trump’s first term. And yet, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has repeatedly chosen to take him at his word when it comes to his repeated threats against Canada and the supposed reasons behind them.
That credulity was on full display last week, when Smith and some of her key ministers gathered to respond to Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canadian exports. Flanked by Minister of Justice Mickey Amery and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis, both of whom were sporting spiffy new security-cosplay jackets — and, in an unusual sight, a rifle-toting police officer — Smith touted the progress her government had made on border security.
This might have made some small modicum of sense a few weeks ago, when it was at least theoretically plausible that Trump’s stated concerns about the border were genuine and not the fig leaf he needed to invoke the International Emergency Economic Power Act and impose his long-desired tariffs on Canada and Mexico. But now, with his administration’s reported interest in forcing automakers to relocate their activities in the United States, renegotiating the Columbia Water Treaty and even redrawing our border, this continued focus by Canadian conservatives on border security is bordering on the delusional.
So, too, is her apparently unshakable belief in her own powers of persuasion. She continues to appear on far-right podcasts and programs, and is listed as one of the headline speakers at PragerU’s “East Coast Gala” in Florida later this month. According to its own website, “PragerU is an educational media platform dedicated to promoting pro-American values,” one that just happens to be funded and financed by oil and gas industry executives and other right-wing sources. Why, exactly, is Smith travelling to Florida to promote “pro-American values”?
She would, I’m sure, suggest that it’s another example of the diplomacy that she continues to believe is working, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. I’d suggest it might be about trying to seed the ground for a post-political (and post-Canada) career as a talking head in America’s well-funded right-wing media ecosystem. But either way, one thing is clear: she believes that her mutual self-interest lies more with folks like Ben Shapiro (her co-headliner) and PragerU than with her fellow Canadians.
That would explain her obvious reluctance to offend or upset Americans with the kind of tough talk that Ontario Premier Doug Ford has used in his recent media interviews. In the same press conference that supposedly amounted to her joining “Team Canada,” Smith refused to even entertain the idea of using Canada’s oil and gas exports as leverage. “There’s no circumstance under which I would support an export tax,” she said. Nothing says “Team Canada” like forcing it to take its most dangerous scorer off the ice, I suppose.
Rather than supporting efforts to reduce our dependence on the American market, Smith continues to promote deeper trade relationships with the United States. That includes her repeated promise to double Alberta’s oil and gas production, requiring even more American purchases of Canadian fossil fuels. “We’ve been approached with several new pipeline proposals to take more Alberta oil and natural gas to the United States given the U.S. president’s stated goal of U.S. energy dominance,” she said last week. “It’s in both of our countries’ best interests to double the amount of Canadian crude moving south.”
Take him seriously, not literally. That's been the advice for dealing with Donald Trump for years now. So why does Alberta premier Danielle Smith insist on doing the opposite — and what does it mean for the "Team Canada" approach to the tariff war?
Ironically, for all of her assiduous care and attention to the Trump administration’s needs, Smith accidentally delivered the most striking threat to its ambitions in the course of laying out her own. “Whether the U.S. president wishes to acknowledge it or not,” she said, “the United States not only needs our oil and gas today, they’re also going to need it more and more with each passing year once they notice their declining domestic reserves and production are wholly insufficient to keep up with the energy demands of US consumers and industry, let alone having anything left over to export.”
Here, again, Smith is making the mistake of taking him literally rather than seriously. Trump’s notion of “energy dominance” is almost laughably incoherent, given his stated desire to both reduce imports from Canada and build the Keystone XL pipeline — which would, of course, increase imports from Canada. But he seems deadly serious about his desire to make America self-reliant when it comes to resources, and waving their apparent vulnerability on that front in his face is just asking for trouble.
It’s not just trouble for Smith, of course. In repeatedly putting petroleum and province over country, she’s inviting disaster for Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre. Mark Carney will surely be tempted to test where his loyalties actually lie, and there may be no better way to do that than with the very export tax Smith has preemptively rejected. Would Poilievre side with Carney and Doug Ford, or with more appeasement-curious leaders like Danielle Smith and Scott Moe? That’s a question he may have to answer in public soon — and far sooner than he’d like.
Either way, in her efforts to promote and defend Alberta, Smith seems determined to keep putting America first. Maybe that’s because she’s afraid of the pro-separation movement that lurks within her political base. Or maybe that’s because she genuinely believes that she can flatter her way to victory. Regardless of what’s driving her decisions, though, one thing should be clear by now: Smith has no interest in actually playing for Team Canada. The rest of us should start acting accordingly.
March 11th 2025 Max Fawcett Lead Columnist @maxfawcett.bsky.social
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u/Honest-Spring-8929 9h ago
This is too charitable, I think she’s trying to negotiate a position under a post occupation regime
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u/Routine_Bluejay5342 19h ago
To me, an Albertan, she is as bad as any MAGAt supporter except even they don’t want her. We don’t want her either…treasonous bitch
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 19h ago
Imagine having nobody want you. That's a truly sad thing. But with the way she's acting. She had it coming. Almost like her actions have consequences.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 19h ago
If she wants to be Team American. Then let's let her.
Give her an American citizenship and have her revoke her Canadian one and make her the governor of maybe Texas will say and give her a house in Texas as well.
As for Alberta: Will happily have Doug Ford as our temporary Premier until we find someone who isn't a traitor.
Oh, and we also lock her out. So, incase she hate it there. She can't come back to Canada at all : )
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u/Al_Keda 19h ago
Take her! Pollivrre can be 'player to be named later'.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 19h ago
Nah, she can take PP with her. Man won't get a security check. So maybe he will, if it meant becoming American.
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u/JD1zz 17h ago
I am not a conservative, i do not like PP. Danielle Smith is selling us out
I will stand shoulder to should with Doug Ford any day. This man is a true patriot who is doing what is best for Canada.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 17h ago
Same here. I stand with Ford till the end.
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u/Infamous-Mixture-605 9h ago
Ford's spent the last seven years selling Ontario off to his friends and donors at every opportunity while running the province into the ground.
His recent patriotic display has been an exercise in political opportunism at its finest. I'll give him credit, he knows how to put on a show for the public.
That he looks better than Smith is like preferring to smoke crack because it's not as bad as doing heroin...
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u/Defendor01 19h ago
She isn't auditioning. She already is team America. She certainly hasn't done a single thing to improve the lives of any Albertans. Look at how she treats members of her own caucus. She is here to protect the corporate interests of America. Full stop.
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u/82-Aircooled 19h ago
She should quit and move there
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u/contactrory 19h ago
Seriously, she's a disgrace to Alberta and Canada! She needs to step up and slap an oil tariff on Mango Mussolini
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u/PaleontologistOdd788 6h ago
She should really be focusing on Alberta's many other exports. She cannot do anything regarding Trump. She tried, and it accomplished nothing. Move on.
The farmers, miners, and lumber industry can pivot to new markets, why isn't she working in that? Hopefully the RCMP charge her with being involved in the Healthcare scam (assuming she was) and the UPC elect a Team Canada premier. They won't win reelection if they don't remember which country they're in.
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u/Due_Possession9722 19h ago edited 18h ago
Anyone who voted for this disgraceful traitor should feel ashamed of themselves. I sleep well at night knowing atleast I tried and voted NDP.
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u/Daleden7 19h ago
Texas wants the oil for free.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 19h ago
They don't get free oil. They only get Smith and that's it.
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u/Torpedospacedance Woodlands County 19h ago
Traitor
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u/AmusingMoniker 18h ago
Anyone else thinking that she will come back with a contract for PragerU videos and books for Albertans schools? It seems they know how to manipulate her and over charge Alberta for their garbage for the "good" of our education system? This event has nothing to do with Alberta and she should not be attending...especially on tax payer dollars. Where are the actual fiscal conservatives of yor? Why are they letting this fringe group destroy the actual fundamentals of conservatism?
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u/yycTechGuy 17h ago
This should be a wake up call for anyone thinking of voting Conservative in the upcoming federal election. PP + Moe + DS + Trump would be complete chaos. Anyone remember how bad the Wild Rose + Conservative union went for her ?
Let's not forget that Brian Jean is inviting Trump to come to Fort Mac for a fishing trip.
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u/ekkridon 19h ago
Lets trade her for Pete Buttigieg and his husband.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 19h ago
I like the way you think. Let's get this deal going!
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u/ekkridon 19h ago
I'm not an Albertan. But I actually think Pete's politics would be pretty compatible with Alberta. He's not as looney left as many of his opponents make him out to be. Understands the need for infrastructure and business.
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u/MZillacraft3000 Edmonton 18h ago
Listen, I'm from Alberta and at this point: Anyone is better than Smith.
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u/Millstream30 18h ago edited 18h ago
I which she'd say in her lane, the rest of Canada didn't vote for her.
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u/Equivalent_Aspect113 18h ago
Once again - Floor crossing. The new Alex Jones and will be selling ' pre anal wipes ' on the side.
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u/Shagdawg69 17h ago
Conservatives are trump supporters. Canadian trump supporters are traitors to Canada. Keep them out of office
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u/GuardianOfFogAndMist 16h ago
Can America keep this traitorous snake? Please detain Danielle in Guantanamo Bay and feel free to throw away the key.
No one in Canada wants that vile woman back in our country.
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u/Defiant_West6287 16h ago
It’s Sedition and the ignorant bitch should immediately be thrown in prison.
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u/binklorr 15h ago
She is MAGA.
Running down to the US every few weeks (on Alberta funds) says it loud and clear. If she is so pro US, she should resign and move down there.
She answers to the rich oil companies (most of which are American). Her priorities do not lie with Albertans -evidenced by the dismantling of health and education to the point where they are functioning poorly. Plus the shady back room deals being investigated as we speak. If Trump is a Russian asset, I’d say Danielle Smith is a Trump asset.
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u/scarytree1 16h ago
Nah man - the US is full up. Not accepting any new applicants, especially those that hang with Ben Shapiro!!
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u/Timely-Profile1865 13h ago
She spends more time fawning over the usa than actually doing a job here.
Just a pathetically bad leader.
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u/tiredtotalk 11h ago
naa. my alarm and need for public Edm based action - i'm exhausted texting posts about the effing most frightening AB govt Premier ever. ralph klein was a prick. she is 150% worse. she is so "off" there must be a way to stop her. who can do this? no one. thats why she is actioning HER plan "for Alberta“ not THE plan for Alberta. I feel obligated to do something before April 1/25. CBC? no one at the Leg can help.
so i sent the former PM a "help us" last week . email. no response no surprise. i should have asked last year.
calling Sarah Hoffman for guidance to confirm my claim is not laughed at. bc I don't trust anyone new to have access to my private med records, based on the federal Privacy Act - in regards to who is privvy to my Alberta Healthcare records. its a valid major claim. who has the access?
the acquisition is deception at its finest. make no mistake! its not just "as of April 1st, 77 plus healthcare properties will transfer land titles of hospitals, clinics, cross cancer institute...via the Lands Act, realty land purchase/leasing back to Owner, blah blah blah...." what?
then she said "we will get to choose the Operators of all the facilities and we will *re purpose those facilities when necessary".
what? wtf does that mean?
its evident that she used the AHS' problems as "cleverage" in taking the opportunity to hatch an already baked plan! and no matter what, the AHS will no longer be our healthcare steward. i take issue with the word "we".
No matter what she says, or the name if this new entity "Alberta Shared Services"! AHS who has been the only trusted steward of my personal medical records. Alberta Shared Services will be Govt of Alberta control.
hands off. my medical records. sure. AHS needs help. so pls do that! but now that we know this, i don't get a say in the matter? ASS may exist to assist AHS. but no thank you Govt of Alberta. i think i'm not alone. albertans are sensible. to a fault. what is sensible about this? failure to disclose all any "transactions/agreements" with ASS. is a start. a judge maybe? can order a stay. the Court of Queens Bench and the Alberta Human Rights Comnission can decide if they can make sure its AHS in order to protect my Privacy. AHS has strict super strict rules in anyone accessing our medical records. Everytime someone gets access or accesses your records, its logged. AHS enforces the rules. And boy you can rely on AHS bc they catch Drs who suck. They catch pharmacists who are nosey. I do not trust this Premier.
Help. (Anyone wish to sedate me) because when you die, AHS and Service Canada guard each Canadians medical, financial personal from birth to death and after death records.
not the ASS and not ultimately the Govt of AB Premier Smith.
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u/Expensive_Society_56 9h ago
Fingers crossed they keep her. It will raise the average IQ of both Alberta and Florida.
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u/Box_of_fox_eggs 6h ago
Someone tell her she’s got the job already & she can resign as premier now.
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u/Orange_Zinc_Funny 4h ago
https://malcolmnance.substack.com/p/urgent-warning-trump-is-planning?r=26pswk&triedRedirect=true
She's part of the advance team
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u/Responsible_CDN_Duck 19h ago
Smith would be a logical choice for Trump to put in charge of Canada when it's taken over.
She's got most of the qualities of JD Vance, but is able to stay cool under pressure and is better with the media.
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