Canada's Trudeau faces setback as Conservative party wins Alberta election; Smith takes aim at PM

The United Conservative Party's populist leader Danielle Smith won the Alberta provincial elections in Canada on Monday (May 29). Smith's remarkable win over New Democratic Party (NDP)'s Rachel Notley will help secure another four years in power for her in Canada's largest oil-producing region.

Right after the election results were announced, Smith fired warning shots at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over climate change.

Smith is fiercely opposed to a Liberal plan to cap oil and gas emissions, arguing it will lead to a production cut and the federal goal of a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.

She used her victory speech in Calgary to take aim at Trudeau.

"My fellow Albertans we need to come together no matter how we have voted to stand shoulder to shoulder against soon-to-be-announced Ottawa policies that would significantly harm our provincial economy," Smith said.

Smith's victory came after an election campaign that was upended by wildfires that raged across Alberta.

Alberta's Climate Politics

Trudeau's government is aiming to cut carbon emissions up to 40-45 per cent by 2030. This aim can only be achieved when there will be significant reductions from Alberta, which is the highest-polluting province.

Smith's key promise in this election was to pass the Alberta Sovereignty Act. The act would let the provincial government opt out of enforcing federal legislation it deemed not to be in the province’s interests.

Alberta's oil sector produces the majority of Canada's 4.9 million barrels of crude oil per day.

Smith called on Trudeau to stop these climate policies, warning he would "strain the patience and goodwill of Canadians in an unprecedented fashion".

In a note published last week, BMO Capital Markets analyst Jared Dziuba said the UCP is committed to decarbonisation, but at a slower pace and lower cost than the NDP would have been.

In the Alberta election, counting of votes took much longer than usual, with the result being called by television networks more than three hours after polls closed. Elections Alberta, the official body responsible for administering the election, said some voting locations closed late to accommodate all voters in line.

What Danielle Smith’s comeback means for Canada

The UCP's victory cements a shift to the right in Alberta politics. Canada's western province was always known for being the bastion of conservative politics. But Smith also garnered support from a growing Alberta populist movement prompted by opposition to pandemic-era public health restrictions and distrust of the federal government in Ottawa.

During the election campaign, the UCP promised to enact a law ensuring governments cannot raise personal or income taxes without approval from Albertans in a referendum.

The government is also looking into policies like Alberta exiting the Canadian Pension Plan and replacing the national Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a provincial force.

(With inputs from agencies)

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