The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - February 08, 2025


Did Danielle Smith save Canada？


Episode Stats

Length

14 minutes

Words per Minute

161.1932

Word Count

2,320

Sentence Count

129


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would receive a one-month reprieve
00:00:15.640 from President Donald Trump's tariff threats.
00:00:18.560 The pause comes thanks to some concessions made by Trudeau on the border.
00:00:22.520 And if you've been following along, which I'm sure you have,
00:00:24.680 you'll know that Trudeau implemented some of Alberta Premier Daniel Smith's recommendations.
00:00:30.000 Edmonton's City Council passed a bylaw that will prohibit knives being sold in convenience stores,
00:00:35.340 which they said come in response to concerns of local business owners and residents.
00:00:39.920 The Alberta government is making some legislative amendments so that Jasperites,
00:00:44.140 who have been displaced from their homes, are able to participate in the upcoming municipal election,
00:00:49.000 even if they haven't returned to Jasper yet.
00:00:51.600 Also, the Alberta government has followed through on their electric vehicle tax that they promised last year.
00:00:57.700 While there hasn't been as much news in Alberta as we're used to this week,
00:01:01.580 the first story has about five stories within it on its own.
00:01:04.760 My name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the show, and let's hop into that first story now.
00:01:09.060 So you may recall that our lead story last week was actually Smith calling on the Liberals to appoint a border czar
00:01:14.400 to work with U.S. counterpart Tom Homan to avoid the incoming tariffs that the Trump administration was proposing.
00:01:20.700 She said the appointment of a border czar was the best way to avoid the tariffs
00:01:24.660 after she had met with dozens of U.S. representatives, administrative officials, and Trump himself.
00:01:30.840 And when Trudeau made the announcement that Canada narrowly avoided the tariffs,
00:01:34.480 given the threat was paused for 30 days at the 11th hour,
00:01:37.860 Yeah, so this announcement actually made me laugh a bit because
00:01:58.940 I wondered whether he named this incoming official a fentanyl czar instead of a border czar
00:02:04.560 to avoid giving Smith too much credit.
00:02:07.800 Let me know in the comments what you think about that.
00:02:10.040 Additionally, Trudeau announced that his $1.3 billion border plan
00:02:14.640 would include new helicopters, technology, and personnel.
00:02:18.720 He said that 10,000 personnel would be working on protecting the border,
00:02:22.080 but it's not clear how many of those are new hires
00:02:24.700 and whether they are CBSA officers, police officers, or what their background is.
00:02:30.080 Smith said that diplomacy had won for now, but that there were still more to do.
00:02:34.560 She said, quote,
00:02:36.300 I once again call on our federal government officials and my fellow premiers
00:02:40.100 to de-escalate rhetoric, abandon any non-tariff measures for the time being,
00:02:44.440 and turn our efforts entirely to advocacy and good faith negotiation.
00:02:49.380 There are so many win-win solutions on trade and security between our two nations.
00:02:53.760 Let us turn this crisis into an opportunity to fine them
00:02:56.880 for the benefit of Canadians and Americans.
00:02:59.600 The premiers generally answered her call and removed their non-tariff measures.
00:03:03.560 I wrote an article about how each premier reacted to the news of the one-month pause,
00:03:08.340 and you can read it at tnc.news.
00:03:11.480 Smith also said she'd be returning to Washington, D.C. next week to continue diplomacy
00:03:16.420 because, remember, the tariff is only paused for a month, not gone altogether.
00:03:20.780 Also, Smith said she'd be returning to America's capital later in the month
00:03:24.480 to attend the National Governors' Association conference.
00:03:27.800 She also met with every premier and the prime minister on Wednesday morning
00:03:31.440 to discuss how to move the border's security plan forward.
00:03:35.220 Smith issued a statement following the meeting, perhaps most notably calling for a federal election
00:03:40.680 immediately after the Liberal Party internal election concludes, which I'll remind you is on March 9th.
00:03:46.460 She said that a new Canada-U.S. trade agreement needs to be negotiated by a prime minister with a public mandate.
00:03:52.800 Smith said, quote,
00:03:54.320 Yeah, let me know if you think we'll be getting an election after the Liberal Party race,
00:04:06.720 or whether we're in for a long summer.
00:04:08.900 Moving to a story now that might help Edmontonians feel more at ease.
00:04:13.140 As knife-related crimes have been on the rise in Edmonton, despite other weapon-related offenses declining,
00:04:18.220 Edmonton City Council has passed a bylaw prohibiting the sale of knives in convenience stores,
00:04:23.740 an idea previously floated in the spring.
00:04:26.560 The announcement was made Tuesday in response to concerns of local business owners and residents.
00:04:32.000 Keith Johnson, superintendent of EPS Crime Suppression and Community Operations Division, said, quote,
00:04:38.340 Incidents involving edged weapons, in particular knives, continue to be an ongoing issue in Edmonton.
00:04:45.100 We're pleased with the city's decision to proceed with this bylaw and are hopeful it will have positive impacts on community safety city-wide.
00:04:53.080 The Edmonton Police Service released 2024 crime statistics at the end of January.
00:04:58.260 The stats show that while firearm and pepper spray incidents declined between 2023 and 2024,
00:05:05.000 knife-related violent crimes rose from 949 to 979.
00:05:10.060 Businesses will need to comply with the new bylaws when they apply for a new business license or renew their existing one.
00:05:16.400 However, the city has encouraged businesses to voluntarily comply before their licenses are up for renewal.
00:05:22.460 The city said that the bylaw cannot be enforced retroactively, therefore it will only be applied when licenses are renewed.
00:05:29.240 And as for enforcement, when the bylaw is applied, the city said it will primarily be complaint-based.
00:05:35.380 The city added that it would be focused more so on education, but that enforcement would follow where necessary.
00:05:41.860 The news release from the city said,
00:05:44.060 EPS will have the authority to enforce the new operating requirements and seize weapons when required.
00:05:49.260 When the bylaw was initially proposed, local councillors heard from children who described how common knives, brass knuckles, and bear spray had become.
00:05:57.000 Many of the lethal knives were revealed to have been bought in convenience stores.
00:06:00.840 Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said,
00:06:03.040 Quote,
00:06:03.340 Convenient and quick access to knives makes our community less safe.
00:06:07.120 Building a city that's safer for everyone is our top priority,
00:06:10.100 and by removing these easily accessible potential weapons from convenience stores, all Edmontonians will feel more safe.
00:06:15.920 The city said that the bylaw will take up to two years to fully implement, because that's how long business licenses last.
00:06:22.280 Now, some interesting news out of Jasper for our next story.
00:06:25.320 Minister of Municipal Affairs Rick McIver provided an update on the upcoming municipal election and what it will mean for Jasper residents.
00:06:32.100 He said that many Jasperites have returned home, however unfortunately, many lost their homes and remain displaced.
00:06:38.480 McIver said,
00:06:39.160 He said that no matter where a Jasper resident might be displaced to, they will be able to vote in the upcoming municipal election and even run for office,
00:06:54.840 either for a seat on the town council or for their local school board.
00:06:58.220 McIver proposed amendments to the Local Authorities Election Act so that Jasper residents retain their residency and eligibility to vote and campaign as long as they were eligible to do so immediately before the wildfire,
00:07:10.280 that they intend to return to live in the community, and that they are not disqualified for other reasons.
00:07:15.860 McIver said,
00:07:16.560 Alberta also announced new funding for Jasper,
00:07:39.100 so the provincial government said it has provided over $170 million in support of Jasper residents and businesses since the wildfires began.
00:07:47.320 The provincial government is said to provide an additional $8 million to fund property tax relief,
00:07:52.300 to develop regional transit services, and to help recover lost municipal revenues.
00:07:57.640 McIver said,
00:07:58.500 quote,
00:07:59.460 Wildfires don't just destroy homes and businesses, they change lives in ways that last much longer than the flames.
00:08:05.720 That's why we are providing an additional $8 million to the more than $170 million that has already been provided to the municipality of Jasper during and after the wildfire.
00:08:16.240 Our additional support will provide residents and business owners with some much-needed relief,
00:08:20.860 help maintain public services,
00:08:22.620 and connect communities through transit service for workers and residents who are still displaced.
00:08:27.560 The now $178 million that's been provided from the Alberta government
00:08:31.240 consists of up to $149 million in disaster recovery program funding,
00:08:36.140 $7.5 million in emergency evacuation payments to more than 6,500 Jasperites,
00:08:41.840 $12.9 million in matching funds to support the Canadian Red Cross in providing support to residents and business owners in Jasper,
00:08:49.100 and more.
00:08:50.080 The newly allocated $8 million consists of $1.9 million in property tax relief,
00:08:54.820 $1.12 million in education tax levy offset,
00:08:58.740 and $3.1 million for 2024 revenue losses for the municipality of Jasper.
00:09:03.680 Additionally, a one-time $2 million transit grant is to support contracted transit services,
00:09:09.660 not capital costs will be provided.
00:09:11.920 Our last story will be a brief update that might affect your wallet if you happen to drive an electric vehicle.
00:09:17.140 And if you do, let me know how that's going,
00:09:19.880 given the fact that we just experienced minus 30 degrees.
00:09:22.660 I'm wondering how the car held up.
00:09:24.040 You may remember that I reported back in February 2024
00:09:26.920 that Alberta was planning to begin taxing electric vehicles at $200 a year beginning as early as January 2025.
00:09:34.440 The tax rate was said to be in line with the annual fuel tax paid by drivers of gas vehicles,
00:09:39.620 but would not apply to hybrid vehicles.
00:09:41.760 Additionally, electric motorcycles and ATVs will not be subject to the tax.
00:09:45.920 At the time, the Alberta government said,
00:09:47.620 EVs tend to be heavier than similar internal combustion vehicles and cause more wear and tear on provincial roadways while their owners pay no fuel tax.
00:09:56.220 Now, the provincial government has followed through on their promise,
00:09:59.400 and starting February 13th, Albertans will be charged a $200 tax when registering their electric vehicles.
00:10:05.300 So if you do own an electric vehicle, try and see if you can fast track your registration to save yourself $200.
00:10:11.680 Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta, said,
00:10:14.220 quote,
00:10:14.520 That wraps up our stories for the week.
00:10:26.720 Let's hop in to the comment roundup.
00:10:28.940 Yeah, so firstly, I just want to thank everyone for their comments last week.
00:10:31.640 People keep asking me,
00:10:32.860 Isaac, how do you do it?
00:10:33.940 How do you read through all of the hundreds of comments each week?
00:10:37.020 And what can I say?
00:10:38.080 You guys make it easy with such insightful insights.
00:10:41.120 So the first comment comes from at Tina dash TZ2UD, who said,
00:10:46.280 quote,
00:10:46.940 They should all be in prison for what they did.
00:10:49.280 Seniors died alone and afraid away from their families.
00:10:52.500 Beyond cruel.
00:10:53.700 Yeah, Tina, I wanted to start off with this comment to do my small part in the social mission of making sure we never forget what they took from us.
00:11:02.920 You're right.
00:11:03.800 Seniors died alone.
00:11:05.080 Families were torn apart.
00:11:06.200 The list of terrible things that happened on a social level due to the lockdowns is a lengthy list that goes on and on and on.
00:11:14.060 And society's memories seem rather fickle, especially when it comes to government.
00:11:19.320 If we stop talking about the realities of the pandemic and what Canadians lost, then we'll certainly forget.
00:11:24.980 So thank you, Tina, in helping me do my part and for doing yours.
00:11:29.060 The next comment comes from Artno7088.
00:11:33.420 I'm not sure how to pronounce that.
00:11:34.660 In fact, my first boss's name was Arno, but anyways.
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00:12:08.360 Artno, he said, quote,
00:12:10.120 What a great thing Alberta government just did.
00:12:12.520 Very proud of them for putting this out.
00:12:15.200 Everybody knows, but no other government has the guts to say it.
00:12:18.320 Yeah, I agree, Artno.
00:12:19.740 Especially, I mean, I shared your surprise when I first saw the report and the actual evidence that they were reporting on.
00:12:26.360 Of course, we've seen the reaction from the legacy media and mainstream medical organizations.
00:12:31.740 We'll remember, the Alberta Medical Association called the report, quote,
00:12:35.360 anti-science and anti-evidence, as if a 269-page report filled with data and evidence from esteemed medical professionals who were previously suppressed could be anti-science.
00:12:48.680 It's through brave scientists and organizations publishing stuff like this that will bring us eventually closer to the truth.
00:12:55.360 And your comment also reminded me of another, made by Ensign Redshirt Ricky, who said, quote,
00:13:01.460 These experts are afraid that they are one step closer to being held accountable.
00:13:07.220 And many of the other comments seemed to agree with the sentiment and were thankful for the report.
00:13:12.300 The last comment comes from at Paul Wines 5918, who said, quote,
00:13:17.000 Smith is correct about what the borders are.
00:13:19.780 This position needs military-style operations.
00:13:22.520 We need armed personnel at our borders.
00:13:24.480 Right, Paul.
00:13:25.380 So, yeah, I actually reached out to the federal government and Public Safety Canada,
00:13:29.380 asking them about what the Tsar would look like, and more specifically, what these 10,000 personnel would look like.
00:13:35.020 For example, would they be CBSA officers, police, intelligence officers, or otherwise?
00:13:40.480 And I didn't receive a reply, but I am interested to see in the future, firstly,
00:13:44.680 whether Trudeau will heed Smith's advice to make her deputy minister, Paul Winnick,
00:13:49.060 a former lieutenant general who served in the army for 38 years, the borders are.
00:13:52.980 I am also curious to see what these 10,000 border personnel look like,
00:13:57.200 and how many of them are new hires, whether they'll be armed, how they'll be trained, and what else.
00:14:03.640 Let me know what you guys expect, and more importantly,
00:14:05.920 whether you think Trump will be appeased once this month-long reprieve is over,
00:14:10.180 or whether new threats will emerge.
00:14:12.700 That wraps up our comment roundup in this week's show.
00:14:16.040 My name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup.
00:14:19.160 Have a great weekend.
00:14:20.220 Thank you and God bless.
00:14:21.420 May Alberta prosper, strong and free.