Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated Wednesday that her government can’t fully back Ottawa’s efforts to fight looming U.S. tariffs so long as retaliatory tariffs on oil and gas remain on the table.
The message defied the unified front presented by the country’s other premiers as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following a meeting of the Council of the Federation in Ottawa on Wednesday.
In a news release, Smith stated she agreed with her counterparts at the meeting on several strategies to fight incoming U.S. president Donald Trump’s promised blanket 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.
But, she added that federal officials continue to mull hitting back against the U.S. by cutting off energy supply to the U.S. and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy.
“Until these threats cease, Alberta will not be able to fully support the federal government’s plan in dealing with the threatened tariffs,” her statement reads.
“Alberta will simply not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these same products.”
Alberta was the only province not to sign a joint statement from council members at the end of the meeting.
“The government of Alberta did not approve the joint statement between the government of Canada and the Council of the Federation,” it reads.
“We stand firm in our resolve to protect our borders, support our communities, and collaborate with international partners to address common challenges,” it concludes.