The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - Smith Fires Back on Tariffs & Border

00:00:00.000 Alberta responded to U.S. tariffs with various measures, threats, and said that the province

00:00:16.300 was doing a lot to respond to border issues, but suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump

00:00:21.400 might need to start doing more. The province also introduced compassionate intervention

00:00:25.940 for drug users that will include mandatory drug treatment for those who are an extreme

00:00:30.440 risk to society or themselves. Also, the most recent developments in the Jasper saga showed

00:00:36.820 that Jasper residents are beginning to move into interim housing as the recovery continues.

00:00:42.080 All that and more on today's episode. My name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup,

00:00:47.140 and let's hop into Alberta's response to the tariffs right away. So there's a lot to cover

00:00:51.440 with Alberta's recent response to the U.S. tariffs as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and

00:00:56.020 several of her ministers hosted a nearly hour-long press conference on Wednesday.

00:01:00.680 She said that U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods sold to the United

00:01:06.000 States, with the exception of energy at 10%, was a clear violation of the North American

00:01:10.700 Free Trade Agreement, or COUSMA, that Trump himself signed during his first term.

00:01:15.920 Smith said that this was a betrayal of a deep and abiding friendship built over the 100 years

00:01:21.060 of shared history between Canada and the U.S. Smith introduced four measures in response

00:01:26.360 to the tariffs. Firstly, she directed government agencies to purchase all needed goods and services

00:01:31.760 from Albertan or Canadian companies. Secondly, she said that no further purchases of U.S. alcohol

00:01:37.800 or VLTs would be permitted through AGLC. She didn't go as far as Ontario Premier Doug Ford

00:01:43.240 as pulling already purchased and taxed liquor off the shelves, but still. Third, Smith instructed

00:01:49.580 her government to assist grocers and retailers in labeling Canadian products in stores and

00:01:54.420 asked them to purchase their stocks from vendors in Alberta or Canada. Lastly, Smith said she

00:02:00.100 would enter into free trade and labor mobility agreements with any province willing to do

00:02:04.400 so. The Premier also said she had a trump card. She said the following.

00:02:08.880 I also want to point out that Canada has a secret weapon in this trade conflict with the United

00:02:14.740 States. A trump card, so to speak. And it is located directly under our feet. And it is called Alberta

00:02:21.880 Energy. You see, Alberta happens to have one of the largest deposits of oil and natural gas on the

00:02:28.040 planet. It is significantly larger and far more accessible than the quickly declining oil and gas

00:02:34.640 reserves located in the United States. Whether the U.S. president wishes to admit it or not, the United States

00:02:40.720 not only needs our oil and gas today, they are also going to need it more and more with each passing

00:02:46.680 year. Once they notice their declining domestic reserves and production are wholly insufficient to

00:02:52.660 keep up with the energy demands of U.S. consumers and industry, let alone having anything left over to

00:02:59.260 export as they do today. Smith went on to say that she'd love to send more oil and gas to the U.S. to

00:03:04.420 help them become an energy behemoth. She said that the U.S. cannot be anything close to energy

00:03:09.040 dominant without Alberta's help. Full stop. But she said that Alberta can't partner with the United 0.99

00:03:13.880 States with a 10% tariff on energy, violating an agreement that the country itself signed.

00:03:19.240 Smith said other countries will gladly buy Canada's oil and gas. She made the following threat.

00:03:23.920 So until our U.S. friends come back to reality, we will focus on efforts and financial means to export

00:03:29.220 one of the largest oil and gas deposits in the world elsewhere. We will look to our own nations west

00:03:35.660 and east and north coasts. We will partner with industry, provinces, First Nations, and the federal

00:03:42.200 government to build multiple oil and gas pipelines to all of our coasts for the purpose of dramatically

00:03:47.560 increasing Canadian energy sold to Asia and to Europe. And as soon as the U.S. government is prepared

00:03:53.680 to respect our country and to treat us as allies and partners again, we will welcome the opportunity

00:03:59.300 to partner with them to achieve North American energy dominance. Of course, for this strategy to work in

00:04:04.920 Alberta, we will need to see a significant attitude adjustment from many of our fellow Canadian

00:04:10.680 political leaders with respect to the importance of unlocking and exporting Canadian energy around

00:04:16.260 the world. But I'm confident that Canadians want exactly that right now and that they will elect

00:04:22.040 politicians who share that view regardless of who they may have supported previously. Alberta is

00:04:27.760 counting on it. No nation on earth has more resource wealth per person than Canada. We have the

00:04:34.240 potential to be an energy and economic juggernaut, able to punch well above our weight class and

00:04:39.440 virtually anything from energy to manufacturing to technology to military defence. As Canadians,

00:04:45.760 if we're going to survive this dispute with our neighbours in the short term and win in the long

00:04:49.840 term, we must commit to this strategy. No more excuses. It's time to start building pipe,

00:04:55.800 developing resources and constructing new ports on every coast without further delay.

00:05:00.620 Wow, a lot to get through there, I know. But I didn't expect Smith to make such a serious threat

00:05:05.520 to the US that we would take our oil and gas elsewhere. Let me know what you think of Smith's

00:05:10.020 response in the comments. And I recommend that you watch the whole press conference as there was a

00:05:14.240 lot of good stuff in there. And we definitely don't have enough time to cover on this show.

00:05:19.100 But sticking with the same press conference, but moving to a slightly different aspect, that being

00:05:24.080 the Alberta government touting its recent border security enhancements and successes,

00:05:28.540 while suggesting that the US could do more. Smith said, quote,

00:05:32.760 The issue we're facing in Alberta at our border appears to be drugs coming up from the US into

00:05:37.940 Canada, whether it's cocaine or crystal meth. The issue of migrants seem to be exclusively people 0.99

00:05:43.500 coming across from the United States into Canada. Alberta's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency

00:05:48.580 Services, Mike Ellis, made a similar suggestion when he said, quote,

00:05:52.280 Certainly in Alberta, we are doing our part to secure the border. I would certainly ask that

00:05:56.560 the president do his part to secure the border as well. Ellis said the new Alberta Sheriff

00:06:01.140 Interdiction Patrol team already has 20 members assigned to patrol entry points on Alberta's

00:06:05.720 side of the border. He said that 31 additional members will be assigned to the team in the

00:06:09.580 coming months. He said the team is already making a notable difference and that Alberta's

00:06:13.800 side of the border is secure. He added that Alberta hasn't just been addressing the fentanyl

00:06:18.560 crisis at the border, but working with municipalities to combat crime and fentanyl

00:06:22.880 province-wide, citing the success of Alberta law enforcement response teams in removing fentanyl

00:06:28.540 superlabs. Alberta unveiled its border security plan back in December 2024. Smith said the deployment

00:06:35.080 of interdiction teams, sniffer dogs, vehicle inspections, drones, and Blackhawk helicopters proves

00:06:40.540 that the province is doing its part. She said, quote,

00:06:44.000 That's a demonstration we're doing our part. We're wanting the US to match our efforts as well.

00:06:48.580 Let's stamp out the scourge of fentanyl. We all want to eliminate it, but it's going to take a

00:06:52.800 joint effort working collaboratively, and I think some recognition that it's a two-way street.

00:06:58.320 Smith argued that the opioid crisis originated in the US, pointing to Purdue Pharma's aggressive

00:07:03.820 marketing of OxyContin. She said the US should take responsibility for being a net exporter of

00:07:09.240 cocaine, crystal meth, and other illicit drugs. Smith said, quote,

00:07:13.200 I can't stop all the deaths from happening in the United States. They've got to do some work on

00:07:17.780 that too. We can certainly decrease them as we've demonstrated in Alberta, when she revealed that

00:07:22.740 Alberta's recovery-based approach has reduced opioid deaths by 40%. Alberta's Minister of Justice,

00:07:28.420 Mickey Amory, said that the recently implemented critical border zone, or red zone, is showing early

00:07:33.400 success. However, Amory noted that more needs to be done. He reiterated his call for the federal

00:07:38.540 government to repeal Bill C-5 and reintroduce mandatory minimum sentences for Controlled

00:07:43.300 Drugs and Substance Act offenses. The bill cannot be repealed right now, as Parliament is prorogued

00:07:48.320 until March 24th, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requested as much until the Liberals complete

00:07:53.820 their leadership election on March 9th. An inspector with the Alberta sheriffs, Ken Howdle, revealed that

00:07:59.100 the interdiction patrol team is actively patrolling all access points on Alberta's shared border with the

00:08:04.000 U.S. Howdle revealed some of the key arrests and apprehensions already made. He said three

00:08:09.640 individuals were apprehended with cocaine with intent to traffic. Additionally, one traffic stop

00:08:15.220 revealed human trafficking, and other traffic stops removed 34 impaired drivers from the highways.

00:08:21.440 Four vehicles were also stopped for failing to stop for inspection at the border heading north.

00:08:26.620 Howdle said, quote,

00:08:27.640 These instances are clear proof that the interdiction patrol team's presence in the area is playing an

00:08:32.520 important role in both disrupting cross-border criminal activity and maintaining safety and order

00:08:37.720 that surrounding communities depend on. Now hopping to a different provincial story not related to

00:08:42.420 tariffs, Alberta announced in its 2025 budget that $180 million would be allocated over three years

00:08:48.760 to build two compassionate intervention centers, each with 150 secure beds. Construction is set to

00:08:54.160 begin in 2026 and be completed by 2029. Smith said, quote,

00:08:58.460 For those suffering from addiction, there are two paths. They can let their addiction destroy and

00:09:02.700 take their life, or they can enter recovery. Alberta's government is committed to providing

00:09:07.240 a recovery-oriented system of care to ensure that those suffering from addiction have the

00:09:11.520 opportunity to rebuild their lives. While announcing the measure, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction,

00:09:17.040 Dan Williams, celebrated Alberta's track record in battling the opioid crisis while taking aim at British

00:09:22.240 Columbia. He said that Alberta reported a 39% decline in opioid deaths in the first 10 months of 2024

00:09:28.160 compared to 2023, whereas British Columbia saw an only 13% decrease. Williams said Alberta's opioid death

00:09:35.280 reduction rate was 300% higher than any other jurisdiction in Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said there

00:09:42.100 were two key ways to fight the opioid crisis. She said one is through policing, which she said is being

00:09:47.600 addressed through her border security plan to stop fentanyl flowing over the border. Smith said the second

00:09:52.160 way to focus on the victims is by emphasizing recovery. She said, quote,

00:09:56.560 Compassionate intervention is going to create a process to order those people into care so they

00:10:00.780 can get the treatment that they need, get clear-minded, have their brains heal from their addiction,

00:10:05.040 and hopefully set them up for a lifetime of success in sobriety. Despite Alberta leading the country,

00:10:10.620 Williams said it isn't enough for those who are unwilling or unable to find a way into treatment.

00:10:15.640 He cited a case where an individual overdosed 186 times in one year, a figure he said is likely even 0.98

00:10:21.600 higher as not all overdoses are reported. Williams said, quote,

00:10:25.800 The last thing that I want to see or anybody wants to see is that be one of our family members or

00:10:30.360 friends and it be the 187th time that takes that individual's life. We will not sit back while we

00:10:36.500 watch this happen to Alberta, to our loved ones and our communities, and to the loved ones and our

00:10:41.800 family who are suffering from this deadly disease of addiction. He pointed to the policies promoted by

00:10:46.980 British Columbia's NDP government as an example of what not to do. He said, quote,

00:10:52.540 No more facilitation of failed policies coming out of the West Coast, and activists who think that we

00:10:58.080 shouldn't be trying to help people with health care and heal them, but instead continue and facilitate the harm,

00:11:03.940 those policies have failed. He added, quote,

00:11:06.780 We care for the sense of public safety that is being eroded as well under the policies we see

00:11:11.900 under the Vancouver model. It's time for a different path that restores hope and humanity

00:11:16.580 and dignity to families and individuals. He said that Albertans deserve more than policies that have

00:11:22.280 led to the chaos seen in the Vancouver neighborhood of East Hastings and increasingly across other

00:11:27.180 communities. Two Albertans shared devastating stories of their family members who couldn't overcome

00:11:32.540 addiction. They said that compassionate intervention might have saved them. One of the Albertans,

00:11:37.620 a mother, shared the following.

00:11:39.240 My heart shattered as my son stepped away from the sanctuary of our harm, choosing the grip of drugs

00:11:44.060 over the stability of our home, family, school, and a future. Each night, the silence of his absence

00:11:50.240 pressing down on us as we lay awake, overwhelmed by worry and fear of where he might be and whether he was safe.

00:11:56.800 I found myself making the unbearable call that no parent ever wishes to make. I reported my son missing.

00:12:02.540 The days turned into desperate searches of downtown Calgary, combed through homeless shelters,

00:12:08.660 and chasing down any lead. For agonizing weeks, our lives were engulfed in a suffocating uncertainty,

00:12:15.100 the dread of not knowing if he was even alive. When EMS responded to a young male overdosing on a train

00:12:21.120 is when I finally found him. I picked him up from the hospital and jumped into action again,

00:12:26.360 desperately seeking programs, both familiar and unexplored, grabbing at anything to help him.

00:12:30.720 And yet, we found ourselves trapped in a relentless cycle of setback, each more devastating than the last.

00:12:38.640 He has attended numerous detox centers and residential treatment.

00:12:42.400 It is essential to understand that those suffering from severe addiction may not be able to choose treatment rationally.

00:12:48.600 The notion of choice is almost non-existing as everything important pales in comparison

00:12:53.600 to the pursuit of the next high.

00:12:56.600 What they truly need is compassion and a safe environment to stay in until they are sober and ready to re-engage with their lives.

00:13:03.500 Long-term treatment is necessary for individuals to have the time to regain their cognitive abilities,

00:13:09.440 relearning life's essential skills, and distance themselves from the harmful influences that fuel their addiction.

00:13:15.440 As a mother, I should have the ability to ask for my son to receive secure addiction treatment,

00:13:23.660 as one would for a loved one facing psychiatric challenges.

00:13:27.220 An individual in active addiction typically do not believe they need help.

00:13:32.060 They will insist they are fine and plan to get clean soon,

00:13:34.940 yet this is often not possible without significant intervention.

00:13:38.240 Today, I feel hopeful.

00:13:41.980 I am grateful for Alberta's government because they have acknowledged the growing crisis in Alberta

00:13:46.240 and are committed to proactive programs aimed at saving our loved ones.

00:13:50.600 I believe compassionate intervention could break the cycle of addiction,

00:13:55.060 repeated treatment, incarceration, homelessness, and the ultimate fear of death.

00:13:59.600 We must intervene to help people like my son reclaim their lives.

00:14:03.580 Let me know what you think of this legislation and the mother's story.

00:14:06.380 While Williams was reluctant to discuss the upcoming legislation in great detail before it was implemented,

00:14:11.380 he said this was a health care policy, not a justice policy.

00:14:15.300 He said that family members, guardians, law enforcement, and health care professionals

00:14:19.020 could petition those who are an extreme risk to society or themselves to be forced into care.

00:14:24.420 He added that a commission will be appointed to protect civil liberties.

00:14:28.420 Now, hopping into our last story today on a slightly brighter note,

00:14:31.380 the first wave of Jasper residents displaced by the wildfires began moving into interim housing on Wednesday.

00:14:37.440 They will continue to move back over the next few months.

00:14:40.340 Co-director of the Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre with Parks Canada, Amy Cairns,

00:14:45.080 said that Parks Canada allocated 4.25 hectares of land in the town of Jasper,

00:14:50.020 along with additional land at Marmot Meadows.

00:14:52.980 Parks Canada procured more than 300 units of housing,

00:14:56.460 consisting of 100 duplex trailers and 120 dorm-style trailers.

00:15:00.060 Logan Ireland, the Municipal Recovery Project Manager for the Coordination Centre,

00:15:04.740 and himself a Jasperite, said that the first step was to move the debris from the town.

00:15:09.580 He explained that 98% of demolition permits have been issued to destroy properties,

00:15:13.820 and half of the properties have already had the debris removed.

00:15:17.460 Ireland said that Jasper is on track to begin the rebuild in May 2025,

00:15:21.860 aiming to have the first houses built 8-10 months after that,

00:15:25.080 when some Jasperites can relocate to their previous properties.

00:15:27.820 The Canadian Red Cross is partnering on the project to provide property management services to Jasper.

00:15:33.400 The charitable organization is helping manage and maintain interim housing and sites,

00:15:38.120 administer leases and collect payments, manage utilities and more.

00:15:41.960 Parks Canada revealed that 70 seasonal campsites are reserved for interim housing in 2025,

00:15:46.900 in addition to the interim housing units.

00:15:49.180 While some Jasper residents are finally able to return to their town, many remain displaced.

00:15:53.440 Alberta's municipal elections are set for October 2025.

00:15:56.160 Rick McIver, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, adjusted the province's election rules

00:16:00.940 to allow displaced Jasper residents to vote in the upcoming election.

00:16:04.500 As long as...

00:16:05.300 It's the family and friends event at Shoppers Drug Mart.

00:16:08.740 Get 20% off almost all regular-priced merchandise.

00:16:11.960 Two days only.

00:16:13.040 Tuesday, February 24th.

00:16:14.580 And Wednesday, February 25th.

00:16:16.540 Open your PC Optimum app to get your coupon.

00:16:20.740 If the residents were able to do so before the wildfires,

00:16:24.260 they will be able to vote and run for office,

00:16:26.520 either for a seat on the town council or for their local school board,

00:16:29.740 irrespective of where they are currently living.

00:16:32.600 So hopping into the comment roundup now,

00:16:34.600 the first comment I want to highlight today is a lengthy one that came from

00:16:37.540 at STMCEAD, who said, quote,

00:16:41.080 Yeah, this was in response to my question from last episode about the differing responses

00:17:02.680 from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Jordan Peterson in response to Trump's tariffs.

00:17:06.540 Your comment aligns with what Peterson was saying,

00:17:09.380 that being that Trudeau has to offer Alberta something better than what the United States are.

00:17:13.960 And Smith suggested that Albertans don't want this.

00:17:16.840 I'd be interested to see, via a referendum, how Albertans actually feel,

00:17:20.620 especially if the U.S. was offering the province a clearly better deal than the federal government was.

00:17:25.860 The next comment comes from atperlyq3560, who said, quote,

00:17:29.740 Yeah, this was a recurring theme of people being against this train

00:17:45.600 that I saw pop up in the comments of the last video.

00:17:47.980 It seems that amid our cost-of-living crisis and now tariff threat,

00:17:53.000 that Canadians think our money could be spent better elsewhere,

00:17:55.900 or perhaps even put against our now more than $1.2 trillion in debt.

00:18:00.560 The last comment I'll highlight today comes from at wyvern088, who said, quote,

00:18:05.500 Join the states or not, there's no future for Alberta and Canada.

00:18:08.980 Unless you live in Quebec or Ontario, your vote is worthless.

00:18:12.060 And that's what's baked into our useless constitution.

00:18:14.340 We've never been treated like equal partners in this country, and we never will.

00:18:18.140 I'd prefer the entire West leave and become independent,

00:18:20.700 but if joining America is the only option on the table,

00:18:22.900 there's no reason to stay, and 600 billion reasons to leave.

00:18:26.760 Yeah, I thought it'd be useful to highlight this comment,

00:18:28.980 especially with the federal election potentially coming up.

00:18:31.820 Almost every time in these federal elections I've noticed over my life,

00:18:35.360 I see the same thing, that they call the election

00:18:38.360 before the votes in Western Canada are even counted.

00:18:41.040 So in that sense, we don't really determine our destiny, but Eastern Canada does.

00:18:45.840 Aside from Alberta's separation,

00:18:47.220 do you have any ideas on how that could be changed in the future?

00:18:50.060 Let me know in the comments.

00:18:51.520 That wraps up our comment roundup and this week's show.

00:18:54.040 My name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup.

00:18:56.820 Have a great weekend.

00:18:57.780 Thank you and God bless.

00:18:59.020 May Alberta prosper strong and free.

The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - March 08, 2025

Smith Fires Back on Tariffs & Border

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