The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - 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.

00:00:22.740 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.

00:00:40.440 My name's Isaac Lameru, your host of the Alberta Roundup. Let's hop into some of the weekly news now.

00:00:52.580 So we'll start off here looking at an interview of Smith on Fox Businesses Varney & Co. with Stuart Varney.

00:01:03.780 Smith began by noting her concerns about the 25% tariff threat from President-elect Donald Trump.

00:01:10.520 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.

00:01:22.800 Alberta was, of course, the first province to reveal its border security plan on December 12th.

00:01:28.220 The 298-kilometer border, shared between Alberta and Montana, will be monitored for drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal immigration.

00:01:37.800 A two-kilometer red zone will be created.

00:01:40.880 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.

00:01:51.800 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,

00:02:01.640 but that someone wandering in the middle of nowhere with something illicit would be subject to investigation by law enforcement.

00:02:08.580 The interdiction patrol team will consist of 51 officers, 10 support staff, 4 patrol dogs, 10 surveillance drones, and 4 narcotics analyzers.

00:02:18.900 The team will also monitor major provincial highways and interprovincial travel routes to and from the border.

00:02:26.120 The officers will be trained to inspect commercial vehicles, which are a common vessel for human trafficking.

00:02:31.440 Alberta was the first province to act because Smith said that the border enhancements are not in response to Trump's proposed tariffs.

00:02:38.200 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.

00:02:50.800 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.

00:02:59.320 Smith said that Alberta will be collaborating closely with the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency to secure the border effectively.

00:03:07.600 The province is investing $29 million to create the new unit.

00:03:12.640 Smith said she would not mirror Ontario Premier Doug Ford's threat to cut off energy production to the U.S.

00:03:19.480 She said, quote,

00:03:20.420 Under no circumstances will Alberta agree to cut off oil and gas exports.

00:03:25.540 Our approach is one of diplomacy, not threats.

00:03:28.340 She added that approximately $133 billion in oil and gas is traded across the border.

00:03:35.220 A 25% tariff would equal an additional dollar per gallon of gas that Americans purchase.

00:03:40.280 The Alberta government is hoping to have the 24-hour operation up and running by early 2025.

00:03:46.840 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.

00:03:54.660 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.

00:04:04.360 That's what we're doing in Alberta and we're hoping other provinces follow suit.

00:04:07.680 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.

00:04:16.040 Smith said that despite implementing her border policy before Trump's proposed tariffs, that she hears his concerns and takes him seriously.

00:04:25.280 She said the following.

00:04:26.420 I'm doing my best to try to convince my colleagues that a tariff war is one we cannot win.

00:04:31.660 The American economy is $27 trillion.

00:04:34.100 The Alberta or the Canadian economy is about $2.7 trillion.

00:04:37.620 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.

00:04:47.980 And so we're trying to talk in terms of American interests.

00:04:51.220 We know there's a lot of energy that comes down to the U.S.

00:04:53.580 It means you have cheaper gasoline.

00:04:55.460 We calculate a 25% tariff would increase the cost of your gasoline by a buck a gallon.

00:05:00.340 We also on the East Coast have a lot of electricity that comes down.

00:05:03.400 That will increase your power prices if it goes up 25%.

00:05:06.920 Auto parts go back and forth across our border about six or seven times.

00:05:10.840 And so it'll just increase the cost of cars.

00:05:12.560 And so we've got such a positive relationship, an integrated economy.

00:05:16.360 We both benefit from it.

00:05:18.320 And so let's address the issues that are irritants and then maybe we can talk about a more constructive trade relationship.

00:05:23.240 Smith also replied to a post from Trump that he made on Truth Social on Wednesday.

00:05:28.480 Trump was asking why the United States subsidizes Canada to the tune of $100 million a year and added that, quote,

00:05:36.060 many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state.

00:05:39.580 They would save massively on taxes and military protection.

00:05:43.000 I think it is a great idea.

00:05:44.780 51st state.

00:05:46.120 That's what Trump said.

00:05:46.960 Smith explained that Canada sends billions of raw materials like oil, gas, minerals, grain, and others to U.S. refining and factories, which are sold worldwide.

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

00:06:04.020 Smith said, quote,

00:06:04.960 As a conservative premier in Canada, I believe we have two of the greatest countries on earth.

00:06:10.420 We have fought and bled together in many wars and built an incredible alliance and partnership.

00:06:15.020 I really hope we can strengthen that partnership throughout your presidency by securing our shared border, as you've requested,

00:06:21.440 and partnering to protect our North American workers from unfair Chinese trade practices.

00:06:26.420 Americans and Canadians will both benefit immensely from this.

00:06:29.580 She added that the province of Alberta, which sends 4.3 million barrels of oil and gas to the U.S. daily,

00:06:36.980 stands ready to work with Trump.

00:06:39.040 She also gave her own sneak peek that she would be attending his inauguration in person in January.

00:06:44.820 Smith's interviews and comments directly follow the conclusion of the Council of the Federation meeting,

00:06:50.100 commonly referred to as Canada's premiers.

00:06:52.680 The premiers met in Ontario on Monday and highlighted how they could best address their top concerns,

00:06:57.740 which were Canada-U.S. relations, energy security, and health care.

00:07:02.200 The premiers issued a press release following the meeting.

00:07:05.460 They called for greater federal consultation on immigration policy changes,

00:07:09.300 including any targets, and proper funding to support asylum seekers.

00:07:13.800 The premiers also called on the Liberals to take bail reform seriously,

00:07:17.760 address auto theft, and counter illegal gun smuggling into Canada.

00:07:21.400 The release reads, quote,

00:07:23.360 Premiers remain concerned about illegal immigration, money laundering,

00:07:27.100 and the cross-border flow of firearms, fentanyl, and precursors.

00:07:31.060 The premiers highlighted that the U.S. sells more goods to Canada than to China, Japan, and Germany combined.

00:07:37.040 The release said, quote,

00:07:38.680 The imposition of tariffs by the U.S. would be a significant failure on the part of the government of Canada.

00:07:45.280 The premiers said they would support appropriate action by the federal government in response to the U.S. tariffs,

00:07:50.300 but said that the solutions need to be regionally fair.

00:07:54.720 They also said that the Liberals' plan needs to include measures that tighten the visa issuance policy

00:07:59.980 to present people immigrating to Canada under false pretenses.

00:08:04.260 The premiers also discussed energy security.

00:08:06.460 They said, quote,

00:08:07.760 Federal climate and energy policies must not infringe on provincial and territorial jurisdiction,

00:08:13.080 impact affordability, or compromise the reliability of electrical systems.

00:08:17.280 Premiers discussed the impacts of the proposed clean electricity regulations,

00:08:22.020 clean fuel regulations, the draft oil and gas emissions capped,

00:08:25.800 and the federal carbon tax scheduled to increase on April 1st, 2025.

00:08:31.080 Lastly, the premiers called on the Liberals to collaborate as full partners

00:08:34.880 in the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems across the country.

00:08:38.920 Now hopping into the promised sneak peek of the article highlighting the top ways

00:08:43.260 the Alberta government fought for freedom in 2024.

00:08:46.840 While not necessarily an ordered list, of course, we're starting off with the Sovereignty Act

00:08:51.700 when talking about the Alberta government's fight for its residents' freedoms.

00:08:56.180 The Sovereignty Act was actually implemented for the first time right before the start of this year

00:09:00.040 when it was used on November 27th, 2023,

00:09:03.580 in response to the Liberals' program designed to mandate a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.

00:09:09.160 Almost exactly one year later, Alberta once again invoked the Act on November 26th, 2024,

00:09:16.180 to combat the Liberals' oil and gas emissions cap.

00:09:19.320 Alberta Premier Daniel Smith warned that the cap would cut 1 million barrels of oil daily by 2030

00:09:24.980 and that 150,000 Canadians would lose their job,

00:09:29.320 reducing Canada's GDP by up to $1 trillion between 2030 and 2040.

00:09:35.340 You may remember Smith saying the following.

00:09:37.560 Alberta's energy industry doesn't just provide jobs to Albertans,

00:09:41.620 but to Canadians all across our country.

00:09:44.280 And it doesn't just power Alberta's economy, it powers Canada's.

00:09:48.420 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

00:09:56.400 Hopping into our next story is, of course, the Alberta Bill of Rights.

00:09:59.900 Alberta's United Conservative Party is in the midst of introducing 13 bills this legislative session

00:10:05.200 that are set to protect personal autonomy, property rights, and legal firearm ownership.

00:10:10.080 Among the legislation is the Alberta Bill of Rights Amendment Act.

00:10:14.420 The Alberta Bill of Rights has not been significantly updated since its introduction in 1972.

00:10:20.320 There is some overlap between the Alberta legislation and the federal charter,

00:10:23.900 which was adopted a decade later,

00:10:25.760 but a notable point of divergence is the Alberta Bill of Rights' guarantee of property rights

00:10:30.880 and the right of parents to make informed decisions about their children's education.

00:10:34.920 The 2024 changes include the right for Albertans not to be subjected or coerced

00:10:40.560 into receiving medical care, treatment, or procedure without consent.

00:10:44.880 It includes the right not to be compelled or coerced into taking a vaccine.

00:10:50.140 Freedom of expression rights were expanded beyond written and spoken language

00:10:53.780 to include other expressive activities.

00:10:55.920 Additionally, rights to acquire, keep, and use firearms were added

00:11:00.820 to reinforce the right to lawful firearm ownership.

00:11:04.140 Property rights were also expanded.

00:11:06.060 Other bills were passed in December that strengthen parental rights,

00:11:09.160 promote fairness in sports, and prevent minors from undergoing irreversible gender transitions

00:11:13.700 and are expected to come into effect on September 1st, 2025.

00:11:17.860 The amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights took effect on December 5th, 2024.

00:11:22.220 So the third way that Alberta fought for freedom in 2024 was actually a nationwide push.

00:11:27.640 Some of you may remember this from True North Nation,

00:11:30.520 when Smith called on Pierre Poilievre to follow her lead

00:11:33.300 and amend the Canadian Bill of Rights to strengthen protections

00:11:36.260 that may be absent in the Charter.

00:11:38.440 She said, quote,

00:11:39.420 I think we should stop looking at the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

00:11:42.620 as the full, comprehensive expression of all rights and freedoms we are endowed with.

00:11:47.480 I think we're entering an era now where people are demanding

00:11:50.160 that their government respects them and not treat them the way

00:11:54.020 that they were treated during that terrible COVID era.

00:11:57.440 Smith added that Poilievre could probably make these amendments

00:12:00.460 if he's elected prime minister without having a huge constitutional discussion.

00:12:04.980 The fourth way Alberta fought for freedom in 2024

00:12:07.800 was through changes to its election laws,

00:12:09.960 which will soon be tested for the first time.

00:12:12.440 You may remember that the Alberta government

00:12:13.980 made sweeping changes to its local election laws in April.

00:12:17.360 Some of the changes included the introduction of political parties

00:12:20.800 at the municipal level,

00:12:22.260 which will take place as pilots during the next municipal elections

00:12:25.280 in Edmonton and Calgary in October 2025.

00:12:28.900 Local candidates are not required to join a political party,

00:12:31.920 but are allowed to do so or run as independents.

00:12:34.400 However, no affiliation will be allowed with provincial or federal parties.

00:12:38.560 Another reform was that all automated voting equipment,

00:12:42.320 like electronic tabulators,

00:12:43.720 will be prohibited at municipal elections,

00:12:45.940 with votes being counted by hand.

00:12:48.580 Also, voters will no longer be able to vouch for someone's identity

00:12:51.720 or citizenship if they fail to produce documentation,

00:12:55.240 but they can still vouch for another elector's residence.

00:12:58.420 Another update will allow those waiting in line when polls close

00:13:01.320 to cast their vote.

00:13:02.700 However, nobody will be allowed to join the queue after the polls close.

00:13:06.860 Municipalities will also be able to require a criminal record check for candidates,

00:13:11.220 which will be publicly available data included

00:13:13.660 in the candidates' nomination package.

00:13:15.940 So the fifth and last thing I'll cover for the section on Alberta freedoms

00:13:19.500 wasn't necessarily a way Alberta fought for freedom, 1.00

00:13:22.340 but instead a confirmation that their policies were having a positive effect.

00:13:26.220 A Fraser Institute study confirmed that Alberta was one of the most free places

00:13:30.460 in North America, far exceeding its provincial peers.

00:13:33.440 The study ranked Alberta 12th for economic freedom across North America's sub-national jurisdictions,

00:13:39.940 which are comprised of Canada's 10 provinces,

00:13:42.360 America's 50 states, Mexico's 32 states,

00:13:45.400 and the United States territory of Puerto Rico.

00:13:48.300 Alberta was tied with Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, and South Dakota.

00:13:53.220 While Alberta ranked 12th, being the freest province,

00:13:55.960 the closest provincial runner-up was British Columbia in 43rd place.

00:13:59.980 While British Columbia ranked decently on the freedom scale,

00:14:03.380 it was more than three and a half times less economically free than Alberta.

00:14:07.900 The study measured 10 indicators using 2022 data

00:14:11.300 to measure the impact of provincial, state, and federal policies

00:14:14.200 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,

00:14:21.620 taxes, and labor market freedom.

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

00:14:26.920 sound money, and freedom to trade internationally.

00:14:30.480 So in 2022, government consumption spending in Alberta

00:14:33.460 accounted for 26.8% of provincial income,

00:14:37.200 compared to an average of 30.9% in other provinces.

00:14:40.800 Nova Scotia had the highest spending at 34.2% of its provincial income.

00:14:45.520 Matthew Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and the study's co-author,

00:14:49.480 told True North, quote,

00:14:50.640 Because the government of Alberta spends less,

00:14:53.580 its citizens are allowed to keep more of their money

00:14:55.580 and make more of their own economic choices.

00:14:58.280 He added, quote,

00:14:59.420 Alberta's top marginal tax rate is 15%,

00:15:02.520 and it kicks in at a relatively high threshold of $267,724.

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

00:15:12.360 and it kicks in at $124,650.

00:15:15.600 PEI's rate isn't that high at 18.37%,

00:15:19.960 but it kicks in at just $53,158.

00:15:24.080 Let me know in the comments if you think I missed any key ways

00:15:27.700 that Alberta took a stance for freedom in 2024.

00:15:31.640 Before we finish, we'll hop into our comment roundup from last week.

00:15:35.380 Most of the comments focused on Jyoti Gondek winning mayor of the year,

00:15:39.140 so we'll start off with that.

00:15:40.440 Atcorvette2007 said, quote,

00:15:42.540 The magazine made a mistake.

00:15:44.120 It was supposed to be for the worst mayor in Canada.

00:15:47.160 Well, funny enough, based on polling,

00:15:49.500 that would be a much more accurate statement, wouldn't it?

00:15:53.400 Atstu7544 said, quote,

00:15:54.860 Had the bar been realistic,

00:15:56.180 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,

00:16:01.840 so I thought I'd mention that quickly.

00:16:03.400 We'll remember that Gondek was subject to recall legislation

00:16:06.440 that did not meet the legal threshold.

00:16:08.860 However, in seeing that the process was more or less

00:16:11.440 impossible to accomplish,

00:16:13.320 Smith pledged to review it.

00:16:15.740 Let me know in the comments what you think that review might consist of,

00:16:19.060 and if changes could be made to make it not easy,

00:16:21.880 but realistic that a mayor with such disapproval

00:16:24.340 could be recalled in the future.

00:16:26.280 Atjordanyoung8445 also said, quote,

00:16:29.960 Lived in Calgary my whole life.

00:16:31.740 It has never been so unsafe.

00:16:33.880 Yeah, Jordan, I'm guessing that most of us can relate

00:16:36.100 because this feeling of unease and unsafeness

00:16:38.560 is not just in Calgary, but across the country.

00:16:41.400 Hopping into a different subject,

00:16:42.860 Atjafo49 said, quote,

00:16:44.960 With all the energy resources Alberta has,

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

00:16:49.940 So I wanted to cover this quick

00:16:51.120 and also provide you with another sneak peek,

00:16:53.360 so I'm planning to have a future episode

00:16:55.020 of the Alberta Roundup over the holiday break

00:16:57.160 to be an interview with Alberta's energy minister.

00:17:00.120 I'm still getting that lined up,

00:17:01.680 but keep your eye out

00:17:03.160 because we're going to discuss Alberta's

00:17:05.040 and Canada's energy future

00:17:06.460 with Polyefre and Trump at the helm.

00:17:08.960 The last comment today comes from

00:17:10.340 at Fay Truehamchuk 8002, who said, quote,

00:17:14.260 Kevin O'Leary investing in Alberta is awesome news.

00:17:17.660 Yeah, I agree, Fay.

00:17:18.680 And this sort of ties in with the last comment.

00:17:21.880 O'Leary has repeatedly complained

00:17:23.580 that the electricity providers

00:17:25.320 are handcuffing him in the United States.

00:17:28.040 Smith decided to do the opposite

00:17:29.500 and provide him with all the natural gas

00:17:31.780 and electricity he could dream of,

00:17:33.540 another opportunity that Alberta and Canada

00:17:35.860 could take to become a worldwide leader in.

00:17:39.060 Speaking on Fox News as well,

00:17:41.100 O'Leary himself went on there

00:17:42.800 and praised Smith for allowing him

00:17:44.740 the opportunity to invest $70 billion

00:17:47.180 in the Albertan economy

00:17:48.740 by building his data centre

00:17:50.480 and the energy park to support it.

00:17:52.340 So that wraps up our comment roundup

00:17:53.880 in this week's show.

00:17:55.060 Once again, my name's Isaac Lamoureux,

00:17:57.080 your host of the Alberta Roundup.

00:17:59.100 Have a great weekend.

00:18:00.100 Thank you and God bless.

00:18:01.040 May Alberta prosper strong and free.

00:18:03.700 And also Merry Christmas.

00:18:05.000 I hope that you all have a wonderful holidays

00:18:07.200 and hopefully you get to spend some time

00:18:09.060 with your loved ones.

The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - December 21, 2024

Smith steps up while Trudeau government implodes

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