Alberta Premier Danielle Smith held a news conference Monday where she accepted an invitation to appear before a federal committee. (X/@ABDanielleSmith)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

UPDATED

‘Important time for our province’: Alberta’s Danielle Smith kicks off Ottawa tour with new advocacy office

Feb 5, 2024 | 4:06 PM

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith kicked off her tour of Ottawa by opening a new provincial office and accepting an invitation to appear before a federal committee to discuss her government’s clean energy policies.

It’s a full schedule for the premier, who wants to bring Alberta’s voice to the national table amid tensions with the federal government over environment policy, the federal pension program and proposed transgender youth policies.

Smith’s administration also filed a formal response to the federal government’s proposed oilsands emissions cap, saying it will “not be tolerated.”

ALBERTA OPENS OTTAWA OFFICE

Smith wants to raise Alberta’s profile in the minds of the federal government and a provincial advocacy office right in the national capital will help accomplish that goal, her government said.

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“This office opening could not have come at a more important time for our province,” Smith said in a statement Monday.

“A strong Alberta means a strong Canada, but this federal government is enacting policies that hurt both. I am very pleased that we will have a centre for advocacy and information right here within the capital city so that Alberta’s strengths and concerns are able to be more clearly and quickly communicated.”

The office is located in Constitution Square in downtown Ottawa, blocks away from the federal parliament.

James Carpenter, Alberta’s senior representative to Ottawa since September 2023, will now work out of that office, along with other staff.

Three staff will support the office, reporting directly to Alberta’s deputy minister of intergovernmental relations. There is no such deputy listed by the Alberta government at this time.

The office will support the important work being done by all ministries of Alberta’s government, according to a news release.

Alberta previously had an Ottawa office before it was shuttered in 2015 amid a budget shortfall in the province.

POTENTIAL COMMITTEE APPEARANCE

Smith has kept busy since arriving in Ottawa.

The premier has spoken at the Economic Club of Canada, was interviewed on CBC News and visited Parliament Hill.

On her way to Ottawa, Calgary MP George Chahal challenged Smith to come before Natural Resources committee he chairs to explain “why she’s putting clean energy investments at risk.”

Smith on Monday accepted the invitation to discuss the provinces renewables policy.

The premier said she cleared her schedule and is available to come before the committee if there’s time amid its packed schedule.

“I’d be delighted to join them,” Smith said during a news conference.

“This is part of the reason why we’re here is to be abel to explain Alberta’s position and collaborate with our federal partners.”

Neither the premier or the committee has publicly confirmed if she’s scheduled to appear Monday.

Premier Danielle Smith’s government has fought against the federal Liberal government’s clean energy policies, even successfully taking Ottawa to court.

Most recently, Smith brought forward the Alberta Sovereignty Within A United Canada Act, a legislative framework to defend Alberta’s jurisdiction in the areas of energy, natural resources, gun control, health and education.

‘LIFE OR DEATH EXPERIENCE’

The premier reiterated the Liberal government’s carbon net zero plans for Alberta are an impossible ask for 2035.

Alberta is aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, a target it said is more achievable for its industries.

“Every time we bring wind and solar on we have to bring an equivalent amount of backup on,” Smith said.

“As we continue to grow — and we’re expecting our electricity need to double by 2050 — it does us no good to have unreliable intermittent sources of power when we have such extremes in temperature in our province.”

Smith referenced a power grid failure in Texas, which has a similar approach to Alberta, that resulted in the deaths of hundreds in 2021.

“This is life or death in a province like ours,” she said.

“Which is why, ideological arguments aside, we have to make sure that reliability and affordability are number one. We can reduce emissions, too, but we have to make sure that we’re doing it in a balanced way.”

Smith referenced other projects Alberta is working with Ottawa on, including establishing a framework for establishing small nuclear reactors, hydrogen infrastructure for future net zero vehicles and homes, geothermal energy projects and structure for ammonia exports to Japan.