Juno News - Smith steps up while Trudeau government implodes

00:00:00.000 Hello, everyone. Today is going to be a special episode of the Alberta Roundup, not just because I'm wearing my Christmas sweater, but because we'll start off the weekly show as we normally do with weekly news because of how notable it was with, of course, the Liberal Caucus revolt and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith being all over the American news via Fox News interviews and a back and forth with President-elect Donald Trump.

00:00:22.540 So to start off the show, we'll go through the Smith headlines, but we'll end the show off with a sneak peek into an article I'll be releasing over the holidays that covers some of the biggest ways the Alberta government stuck up for the freedom of its residents in 2024 and often, in fact, the freedoms of the entire country.

00:00:40.420 My name's Isaac Lameru, your host of the Alberta Roundup. Let's hop into some of the weekly news now.

00:00:52.540 So we'll start off here looking at an interview of Smith on Fox Businesses, Varney & Co., with Stuart Varney.

00:01:03.740 Smith began by noting her concerns about the 25% tariff threat from President-elect Donald Trump.

00:01:10.480 She continued by saying that even if the Liberals don't address the border crisis, the Premiers are working collaboratively to do their best to ensure that illegal migrants and drugs are dealt with crossing the border.

00:01:22.760 Alberta was, of course, the first province to reveal its border security plan on December 12th.

00:01:28.180 The 298-kilometer border, shared between Alberta and Montana, will be monitored for drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal immigration.

00:01:37.760 A 2-kilometer red zone will be created.

00:01:40.840 The red zone encompasses critical infrastructure and will empower sheriffs to arrest anyone deemed to be crossing the border illegally, trafficking illegal drugs, or weapons without a warrant.

00:01:51.760 However, Minister of Public Safety, Mike Ellis, said that the homeowners in the area shouldn't worry because he said that there would not be a ton of warrantless searches going on,

00:02:01.580 but that someone wandering in the middle of nowhere with something illicit would be subject to investigation by law enforcement.

00:02:08.540 The interdiction patrol team will consist of 51 officers, 10 support staff, 4 patrol dogs, 10 surveillance drones, and 4 narcotics analyzers.

00:02:18.860 The team will also monitor major provincial highways and interprovincial travel routes to and from the border.

00:02:26.080 The officers will be trained to inspect commercial vehicles, which are a common vessel for human trafficking.

00:02:31.400 Alberta was the first province to act because Smith said that the border enhancements are not in response to Trump's proposed tariffs.

00:02:38.160 She said that she actually proposed the changes back in a July 2023 mandate letter, which discussed creating a specialized sheriff-led team to combat fentanyl and illegal gun trafficking at the Alberta-US border.

00:02:50.760 She added, however, that the meeting with the prime minister and the country's premiers simply allowed her to accelerate the plan that the government had been working on for 18 months.

00:02:59.280 Smith said that Alberta will be collaborating closely with the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency to secure the border effectively.

00:03:07.560 The province is investing $29 million to create the new unit.

00:03:12.620 Smith said she would not mirror Ontario Premier Doug Ford's threat to cut off energy production to the U.S.

00:03:19.460 She said, quote,

00:03:20.380 She added that approximately $133 billion in oil and gas is traded across the border.

00:03:35.180 A 25% tariff would equal an additional dollar per gallon of gas that Americans purchase.

00:03:40.240 The Alberta government is hoping to have the 24-hour operation up and running by early 2025.

00:03:46.640 Smith said the following when speaking on Fox News.

00:03:49.760 We know that in Canada as well as in the United States, we've got a very serious fentanyl crisis and we want to do our part to make sure that we're stopping the precursors to be able to create those deadly drugs and also making sure that they don't harm people in our communities or in American communities as well.

00:04:04.320 That's what we're doing in Alberta and we're hoping other provinces follow suit.

00:04:07.640 Smith appeared on Fox News once more, this time speaking with different reporters about the border crisis and any potential clashes among her provincial colleagues.

00:04:16.000 Smith said that despite implementing her border policy before Trump's proposed tariffs, that she hears his concerns and takes him seriously.

00:04:25.240 She said the following.

00:04:27.000 I'm doing my best to try to convince my colleagues that a tariff war is one we cannot win.

00:04:31.620 The American economy is $27 trillion.

00:04:34.040 The Alberta or the Canadian economy is about $2.7 trillion.

00:04:37.320 And so the amount of goods that could cross the border, it hurts us far more to have tariffs on incoming products and outgoing products than it does the U.S.

00:04:47.940 And so we're trying to talk in terms of American interests.

00:04:51.280 We know there's a lot of energy that comes down to the U.S.

00:04:53.840 It means you have cheaper gasoline.

00:04:55.420 We calculate a 25 percent tariff would increase the cost of your gasoline by a buck a gallon.

00:04:59.780 We also on the East Coast have a lot of electricity that comes down.

00:05:03.360 That will increase your power prices if it goes up 25 percent.

00:05:07.160 Auto parts go back and forth across our border about six or seven times.

00:05:10.800 And so it'll just increase the cost of cars.

00:05:12.520 And so we've got such a positive relationship, an integrated economy.

00:05:16.340 We both benefit from it.

00:05:18.280 And so let's address the issues that are irritants and then maybe we can talk about a more constructive trade relationship.

00:05:23.480 Smith also replied to a post from Trump that he made on Truth Social on Wednesday.

00:05:28.200 Trump was asking why the United States subsidizes Canada to the tune of $100 million a year and added that, quote,

00:05:36.100 many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state.

00:05:39.540 They would save massively on taxes and military protection.

00:05:42.960 I think it is a great idea.

00:05:44.740 51st state.

00:05:46.080 That's what Trump said.

00:05:48.160 Smith explained that Canada sends billions of raw materials like oil, gas, minerals, grain and others to U.S.

00:05:55.660 refining and factories, which are sold worldwide.

00:05:59.460 She added that Canada was the United States' biggest customer by a mile.

00:06:03.980 Smith said, quote,

00:06:04.880 As a conservative premier in Canada, I believe we have two of the greatest countries on earth.

00:06:10.360 We have fought and bled together in many wars and built an incredible alliance and partnership.

00:06:14.980 I really hope we can strengthen that partnership throughout your presidency by securing our shared border, as you've requested,

00:06:21.400 and partnering to protect our North American workers from unfair Chinese trade practices.

00:06:26.380 Americans and Canadians will both benefit immensely from this.

00:06:29.540 She added that the province of Alberta, which sends 4.3 million barrels of oil and gas to the U.S. daily,

00:06:36.940 stands ready to work with Trump.

00:06:39.020 She also gave her own sneak peek that she would be attending his inauguration in person in January.

00:06:44.780 Smith's interviews and comments directly follow the conclusion of the Council of the Federation meeting,

00:06:50.060 commonly referred to as Canada's premiers.

00:06:52.080 The premiers met in Ontario on Monday and highlighted how they could best address their top concerns,

00:06:57.960 which were Canada-U.S. relations, energy security, and health care.

00:07:02.120 The premiers issued a press release following the meeting.

00:07:05.400 They called for greater federal consultation on immigration policy changes,

00:07:09.280 including any targets, and proper funding to support asylum seekers.

00:07:13.580 The premiers also called on the Liberals to take bail reform seriously,

00:07:17.740 address auto theft, and counter illegal gun smuggling into Canada.

00:07:21.360 The release reads, quote,

00:07:23.320 Premiers remain concerned about illegal immigration, money laundering,

00:07:27.060 and the cross-border flow of firearms, fentanyl, and precursors.

00:07:31.020 The premiers highlighted that the U.S. sells more goods to Canada than to China, Japan, and Germany combined.

00:07:37.020 The release said, quote,

00:07:38.640 The imposition of tariffs by the U.S. would be a significant failure on the part of the government of Canada.

00:07:45.240 The premiers said they would support appropriate action by the federal government in response to the U.S. tariffs,

00:07:50.260 but said that the solutions need to be regionally fair.

00:07:54.680 They also said that the Liberals' plan needs to include measures that tighten the visa issuance policy

00:07:59.920 to present people immigrating to Canada under false pretenses.

00:08:04.220 The premiers also discussed energy security.

00:08:06.420 They said, quote,

00:08:07.160 Federal climate and energy policies must not infringe on provincial and territorial jurisdiction,

00:08:13.040 impact affordability, or compromise the reliability of electrical systems.

00:08:18.000 Premiers discussed the impacts of the proposed clean electricity regulations,

00:08:22.340 clean fuel regulations, the draft oil and gas emissions capped,

00:08:25.760 and the federal carbon tax scheduled to increase on April 1, 2025.

00:08:30.400 Lastly, the premiers called on the Liberals to collaborate as full partners

00:08:34.820 in the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems across the country.

00:08:38.880 Now hopping into the promised sneak peek of the article highlighting the top ways

00:08:43.220 the Alberta government fought for freedom in 2024.

00:08:46.800 While not necessarily an ordered list,

00:08:49.000 of course, we're starting off with the Sovereignty Act,

00:08:51.780 when talking about the Alberta government's fight for its residents' freedoms.

00:08:55.780 The Sovereignty Act was actually implemented for the first time right before the start of this year,

00:09:00.100 when it was used on November 27, 2023,

00:09:03.560 in response to the Liberals' program designed to mandate a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.

00:09:09.480 Almost exactly one year later,

00:09:11.560 Alberta once again invoked the Act on November 26, 2024,

00:09:16.140 to combat the Liberals' oil and gas emissions cap.

00:09:19.280 Alberta Premier Daniel Smith warned that the cap would cut

00:09:22.200 one million barrels of oil daily by 2030,

00:09:24.940 and that 150,000 Canadians would lose their job,

00:09:29.260 reducing Canada's GDP by up to $1 trillion between 2030 and 2040.

00:09:35.300 You may remember Smith saying the following,

00:09:38.060 Alberta's energy industry doesn't just provide jobs to Albertans,

00:09:41.760 but to Canadians all across our country.

00:09:44.180 And it doesn't just power Alberta's economy,

00:09:46.920 it powers Canada's.

00:09:48.160 Let me know in the comments if you foresee Smith having to implement the Act again in 2025,

00:09:52.660 and in which instances she'll need to make that move. 0.79

00:09:56.360 Hopping into our next story is, of course, the Alberta Bill of Rights.

00:09:59.920 Alberta's United Conservative Party is in the midst of introducing 13 bills this legislative session

00:10:05.160 that are set to protect personal autonomy, property rights, and legal firearm ownership.

00:10:10.340 Among the legislation is the Alberta Bill of Rights Amendment Act.

00:10:14.060 The Alberta Bill of Rights has not been significantly updated since its introduction in 1972.

00:10:19.740 There is some overlap between the Alberta legislation and the federal charter,

00:10:23.860 which was adopted a decade later,

00:10:25.660 but a notable point of divergence is the Alberta Bill of Rights' guarantee of property rights

00:10:30.840 and the right of parents to make informed decisions about their children's education.

00:10:35.240 The 2024 changes include the right for Albertans not to be subjected

00:10:39.300 or coerced into receiving medical care, treatment, or procedure without consent.

00:10:44.160 It includes the right not to be compelled or coerced into taking a vaccine.

00:10:50.220 Freedom of expression rights were expanded beyond written and spoken language

00:10:53.700 to include other expressive activities.

00:10:56.580 Additionally, rights to acquire, keep, and use firearms were added

00:11:00.780 to reinforce the right to lawful firearm ownership.

00:11:04.100 Property rights were also expanded.

00:11:06.020 Other bills were passed in December that strengthen parental rights,

00:11:09.120 promote fairness in sports,

00:11:10.240 and prevent minors from undergoing irreversible gender transitions

00:11:13.660 and are expected to come into effect on September 1st, 2025.

00:11:17.820 The amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights took effect on December 5th, 2024.

00:11:22.660 So the third way that Alberta fought for freedom in 2024 was actually a nationwide push.

00:11:27.560 Some of you may remember this from True North Nation,

00:11:30.440 when Smith called on Pierre Poilievre to follow her lead

00:11:33.260 and amend the Canadian Bill of Rights to strengthen protections

00:11:36.220 that may be absent in the charter.

00:11:38.120 She said, quote,

00:11:39.900 I think we should stop looking at the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

00:11:42.580 as the full, comprehensive expression of all rights and freedoms we are endowed with.

00:11:47.400 I think we're entering an era now where people are demanding

00:11:50.120 that their government respects them

00:11:52.020 and not treat them the way that they were treated during that terrible COVID era.

00:11:57.300 Smith added that Poilievre could probably make these amendments

00:12:00.420 if he's elected prime minister without having a huge constitutional discussion.

00:12:04.620 The fourth way Alberta fought for freedom in 2024 was through changes to its election laws,

00:12:09.940 which will soon be tested for the first time.

00:12:12.460 You may remember that the Alberta government made sweeping changes to its local election laws in April.

00:12:17.560 Some of the changes included the introduction of political parties at the municipal level,

00:12:22.160 which will take place as pilots during the next municipal elections in Edmonton and Calgary in October 2025.

00:12:27.620 Local candidates are not required to join a political party,

00:12:31.880 but are allowed to do so or run as independents.

00:12:34.360 However, no affiliation will be allowed with provincial or federal parties.

00:12:38.520 Another reform was that all automated voting equipment,

00:12:42.280 like electronic tabulators, will be prohibited at municipal elections,

00:12:46.400 with votes being counted by hand.

00:12:48.240 Also, voters will no longer be able to vouch for someone's identity or citizenship

00:12:52.660 if they fail to produce documentation,

00:12:55.200 but they can still vouch for another elector's residence.

00:12:58.380 Another update will allow those waiting in line when polls close to cast their vote.

00:13:02.660 However, nobody will be allowed to join the queue after the polls close.

00:13:06.820 Municipalities will also be able to require a criminal record check for candidates,

00:13:11.180 which will be publicly available data included in the candidate's nomination package.

00:13:15.620 So the fifth and last thing I'll cover for the section on Alberta freedoms

00:13:19.440 wasn't necessarily a way Alberta fought for freedom, 1.00

00:13:22.300 but instead a confirmation that their policies were having a positive effect.

00:13:26.500 A Fraser Institute study confirmed that Alberta was one of the most free places in North America,

00:13:31.420 far exceeding its provincial peers.

00:13:34.220 The study ranked Alberta 12th for economic freedom across North America's sub-national jurisdictions,

00:13:39.860 which are comprised of Canada's 10 provinces,

00:13:41.640 America's 50 states, Mexico's 32 states,

00:13:45.380 and the United States territory of Puerto Rico.

00:13:48.320 Alberta was tied with Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, and South Dakota.

00:13:53.200 While Alberta ranked 12th, being the freest province,

00:13:55.920 the closest provincial runner-up was British Columbia in 43rd place.

00:14:00.540 While British Columbia ranked decently on the freedom scale,

00:14:03.340 it was more than three and a half times less economically free than Alberta.

00:14:07.440 The study measured 10 indicators using 2022 data

00:14:11.260 to measure the impact of provincial, state, and federal policies

00:14:14.160 on economic freedom in each analyzed state and province.

00:14:17.760 The study used the 10 variables in the areas of government spending,

00:14:21.580 taxes, and labor market freedom.

00:14:23.720 Other variables considered were legal systems, property rights,

00:14:27.220 sound money, and freedom to trade internationally.

00:14:30.120 So in 2022, government consumption spending in Alberta

00:14:33.420 accounted for 26.8% of provincial income,

00:14:37.160 compared to an average of 30.9% in other provinces.

00:14:40.720 Nova Scotia had the highest spending at 34.2% of its provincial income.

00:14:45.500 Matthew Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and the study's co-author,

00:14:49.460 told True North, quote,

00:14:50.940 Because the government of Alberta spends less,

00:14:53.540 its citizens are allowed to keep more of their money

00:14:55.540 and make more of their own economic choices.

00:14:57.600 He added, quote,

00:14:59.440 Alberta's top marginal tax rate is 15%

00:15:02.280 and it kicks in at a relatively high threshold of $267,724.

00:15:08.980 By contrast, it is 21% in Nova Scotia

00:15:12.200 and it kicks in at $124,650.

00:15:16.820 PEI's rate isn't that high at 18.37%,

00:15:19.920 but it kicks in at just $53,158.

00:15:23.440 Let me know in the comments if you think I missed any key ways

00:15:27.660 that Alberta took a stance for freedom in 2024.

00:15:31.600 Before we finish, we'll hop into our comment roundup from last week.

00:15:35.360 Most of the comments focused on Jyoti Gondek winning mayor of the year,

00:15:39.100 so we'll start off with that.

00:15:40.440 Atcorvette2007 said, quote,

00:15:42.700 The magazine made a mistake.

00:15:44.080 It was supposed to be for the worst mayor in Canada.

00:15:47.120 Well, funny enough, based on polling,

00:15:49.440 that would be a much more accurate statement, wouldn't it?

00:15:52.280 Atstu7544 said, quote,

00:15:54.820 Had the bar been realistic,

00:15:56.140 she would have been recalled and no longer be our mayor. 1.00

00:15:58.780 That delves into a subtopic I covered in my article,

00:16:01.800 so I thought I'd mention that quickly.

00:16:03.360 We'll remember that Gondek was subject to recall legislation

00:16:06.400 that did not meet the legal threshold.

00:16:08.800 However, in seeing that the process was more or less impossible to accomplish,

00:16:13.280 Smith pledged to review it.

00:16:15.680 Let me know in the comments what you think that review might consist of

00:16:18.840 and if changes could be made to make it not easy,

00:16:21.840 but realistic that a mayor with such disapproval could be recalled in the future.

00:16:26.000 Atjordanyoung8445 also said, quote,

00:16:29.920 Lived in Calgary my whole life.

00:16:31.720 It has never been so unsafe.

00:16:33.960 Yeah, Jordan, I'm guessing that most of us can relate

00:16:36.060 because this feeling of unease and unsafeness

00:16:38.520 is not just in Calgary, but across the country.

00:16:41.340 Hopping into a different subject,

00:16:42.820 Atjafo49 said, quote,

00:16:44.600 With all the energy resources Alberta has,

00:16:47.160 it should be a powerhouse industry of the world.

00:16:49.920 So I wanted to cover this quick and also provide you with another sneak peek,

00:16:53.320 so I'm planning to have a future episode of the Alberta Roundup over the holiday break

00:16:57.120 to be an interview with Alberta's energy minister.

00:17:00.320 I'm still getting that lined up, but keep your eye out

00:17:03.100 because we're going to discuss Alberta's and Canada's energy future

00:17:06.420 with Polly Offer and Trump at the helm.

00:17:08.920 The last comment today comes from at

00:17:10.560 Yeah, I agree, Faye, and this sort of ties in with the last comment.

00:17:22.020 O'Leary has repeatedly complained that the electricity providers

00:17:25.280 are handcuffing him in the United States.

00:17:28.020 Smith decided to do the opposite

00:17:29.460 and provide him with all the natural gas and electricity he could dream of,

00:17:33.340 another opportunity that Alberta and Canada could take

00:17:36.440 to become a worldwide leader in.

00:17:38.480 Speaking on Fox News as well,

00:17:41.060 O'Leary himself went on there and praised Smith

00:17:43.980 for allowing him the opportunity to invest $70 billion in the Albertan economy

00:17:48.720 by building his data center and the energy park to support it.

00:17:52.280 So that wraps up our comment roundup and this week's show.

00:17:55.020 Once again, my name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup.

00:17:59.060 Have a great weekend.

00:18:00.080 Thank you and God bless.

00:18:01.220 May Alberta prosper strong and free.

00:18:03.560 And also Merry Christmas.

00:18:04.660 I hope that you all have a wonderful holidays

00:18:07.240 and hopefully you get to spend some time with your loved ones.

Juno News - December 21, 2024

Smith steps up while Trudeau government implodes

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