Western Standard - November 04, 2023


Leader's Address by Danielle Smith at the UCP 2023 AGM...


Episode Stats


Length

17 minutes

Words per minute

139.89726

Word count

2,451

Sentence count

93


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
00:00:00.960 Nate Horner to introduce our leader.
00:00:15.440 Ladies and gentlemen, fellow members of the United Conservative Party, friends, it's an honor and
00:00:21.440 privilege to stand before you to introduce a dedicated public servant, a strong advocate for
00:00:27.200 all albertans the premier of alberta and the leader of our party danielle smith
00:00:57.200 Well, let's hear it for our amazing Minister of Finance, Nate Horner.
00:01:15.880 Boy, I can't even see all of you at the back there.
00:01:18.780 What a crowd.
00:01:20.100 What a party.
00:01:20.780 You know, I am told that we have 3,792 delegates registered at this UCP AGM.
00:01:34.760 And that, my friends, makes this the largest provincial party AGM in Alberta's 118-year history.
00:01:46.380 And it may well be the largest one in Canadian history.
00:01:50.280 Well done, all of you. Thank you so much for being here.
00:01:54.540 But it's because the Conservative movement in Alberta is stronger than it's ever been,
00:01:59.740 and it's growing faster than it ever has.
00:02:02.400 And we are more united as a movement, as a caucus, and as a party than ever before.
00:02:09.060 And oh yeah, since we last gathered as a party last fall,
00:02:12.560 we ran against our NDP socialist friends.
00:02:15.920 and their allies in the union movement in a provincial election and maybe you didn't hear
00:02:22.820 but we won
00:02:23.820 and that and that is that election victory and the growing strength of our party is so critical to
00:02:37.000 the future of our province and to the future of our country because canada needs alberta to be a
00:02:42.500 national leader. Millions across our great nation look to our province to protect and foster the
00:02:47.780 principles of freedom, of civil rights, of free enterprise and economic prosperity. They look to
00:02:54.180 us to demonstrate the power of compassionate conservatism and show why we are creating a
00:03:00.540 powerhouse and a job-creating economy like ours and why that's crucial to delivering the health
00:03:06.000 care and education and public safety and social support programs that our citizens need without
00:03:10.940 mortgaging our children's futures with crushing debt and high taxes.
00:03:20.860 The entire world is looking to us right now to demonstrate that reducing emissions and
00:03:25.740 developing our natural energy resources are not in conflict with each other. In fact,
00:03:30.300 the only way the world will ever meaningfully reduce emissions while avoiding energy poverty
00:03:35.260 for billions is to develop our energy resources using the new and emerging technologies being
00:03:40.140 funded by that very resource development history has shown time and again that economic growth and
00:03:46.380 technology are the keys to solving global poverty and environmental challenges it is the eco extreme
00:03:52.700 dogmas of people like steven gibault eco extreme dogmas such as limiting economic growth energy
00:04:03.660 scarcity and centralized control of people's activities these are failed policies that lead
00:04:09.580 to extreme poverty soaring crime and addiction poor environmental outcomes and the loss of
00:04:15.420 personal freedoms and civil rights and my fellow conservatives alberta is leading and we must
00:04:20.700 continue to lead we must be that shining city on the hill that land of promise that the best and
00:04:32.860 brightest canadians and people from around the world look to and say there is the land of
00:04:38.060 opportunity my family and i want to make our home those are the people i want my family and i to be
00:04:43.900 part of to work with and build a community with we are that place albertans are that people
00:04:51.820 but there are powerful forces on the left in this country including the liberal ndp coalition
00:04:58.220 government who believe that they believe that our province is a problem a threat to their power and
00:05:04.140 world view they believe that we must be forced to change our way of life without delaying or
00:05:09.820 concern for cost these individuals including prime minister justin trudeau
00:05:17.820 and his greens are stephen gibault are set on enforcing this belief by effectively capping
00:05:23.660 production on our provincial natural resources which we know will cost albertans hundreds of
00:05:28.620 thousands of jobs and hundreds of billions in economic investment and provincial revenues
00:05:33.660 in the coming years these same individuals also believe that our province must fundamentally
00:05:38.860 transform our power grid to be net zero within approximately a decade dangerously risking the
00:05:44.460 reliability of alberta's power grid and at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to alberta
00:05:49.100 ratepayers and they seek to impose these policies on our province knowing full well the canadian
00:05:55.180 constitution grants to our province exclusive jurisdiction over the development of our natural
00:05:59.980 resources and the operation of our provincial power grid.
00:06:09.980 And even despite having their unconstitutional Bill C-69, which you know is the No More Pipelines
00:06:15.980 Bill, I've been calling that the Don't Build Anything Anywhere legislation, even despite
00:06:22.140 losing on Bill C-69, that legislation was struck down by the Supreme Court, they are
00:06:26.940 still hell-bent on imposing those destructive leftist policies on the people of Alberta.
00:06:32.140 You know what I say to them? Not a chance. Not as long as I'm, Premier.
00:06:42.300 Our UCP caucus will never waver in defending the rights and livelihoods of the people of Alberta,
00:06:47.840 and we will thwart every effort of the current federal government to do so until that day,
00:06:53.460 hopefully in the not-too-distant future, when we have a government in Ottawa that
00:06:58.680 understands the concepts of nation-building, the Constitution, and
00:07:01.980 empowering provinces to achieve our goals and aspirations. And until that day
00:07:06.900 comes, we will not give the current group an inch. We will never compromise the
00:07:12.160 future of Albertans.
00:07:18.320 And as it appears the Liberal NDP coalition is continuing with its new
00:07:23.260 electricity regulations and emissions cap, our government is currently preparing several
00:07:27.420 motions under the Sovereignty within the United Canada Act detailing the initiatives and legislation
00:07:33.500 needed to protect Albertans from these unconstitutional and harmful policies.
00:07:42.860 I promise you, Albertans will have access to affordable and reliable electricity no matter
00:07:48.220 the season, the weather, or the time of day. And we will not permit the federal government to risk
00:07:52.940 the safety and prosperity of Albertans in this regard.
00:07:56.060 We will hold firm to the knowledge that the world needs more Alberta energy and technology,
00:08:01.880 not less of it, and we intend to empower Albertans to deliver it.
00:08:11.700 Well, my friends, Alberta has not reached the peak of our provincial journey or prosperity,
00:08:17.720 just the opposite.
00:08:19.000 Our province is in the midst of Alberta's century.
00:08:22.020 Alberta is growing faster than at any time in our history.
00:08:25.500 Hundreds of thousands of new and wonderful people are intentionally choosing to call this province home each year.
00:08:31.260 And as we surpass 5 million people in the coming 24 months, our province and government must set our priorities and guide our work through the lens of understanding that by 2050, if we continue at this rate, our province could well be the second largest in the country with a population approaching 10 million people.
00:08:48.800 Now think about that.
00:08:51.520 I can assure you these newcomers are coming here for the same reason people have always come here,
00:08:57.220 to experience the Alberta Advantage.
00:08:59.220 I meet new Albertans all the time, and I can tell you that those moving to our province
00:09:03.340 possess the same strength of character and vision of those that built Alberta into the incredible place that it is today.
00:09:09.120 They are entrepreneurs and builders.
00:09:10.980 They believe in family and personal responsibility.
00:09:13.640 They want law and order and to build strong communities.
00:09:16.540 They are our people.
00:09:17.740 They are Albertans.
00:09:18.700 And let me say this, we must reach out and welcome them so they know that they have a warm and inviting home in this province, in this government, and in this party.
00:09:33.020 But all of this growth presents both incredible opportunities and massive challenges for our province.
00:09:38.560 It means that our economy will be one of the strongest in the world for many decades.
00:09:42.980 It means that all the technology and growth to build flourishing new industries and transforming and growing established ones will occur right in our front yard.
00:09:51.680 It means massive infrastructure improvements and new recreational and entertainment opportunities that will build our quality of life and our culture for decades.
00:10:00.420 But it also means significant challenges born out of high growth and economic activity.
00:10:04.960 And our government and this party must face these challenges head on.
00:10:08.620 Together, we must commit to building an Alberta that will be the envy of the world for decades,
00:10:13.360 that will become the best and brightest, that will welcome the best and brightest people in the world for decades,
00:10:19.400 an Alberta that will lead this country for the rest of this century.
00:10:23.160 The time to build and grow and lead is now.
00:10:27.280 And as our government commences our four-year term in office, I want you to know what we're focusing on to accomplish this.
00:10:33.480 We will focus on keeping Alberta affordable for families and businesses as we grow.
00:10:38.100 We will do that by lowering your personal income taxes by $750 per taxpayer or $1,500 per family.
00:10:49.960 And we've just introduced Bill 1, the Taxpayer Protection Amendment Act,
00:10:53.900 to guarantee there will be no increases in personal or business taxes in this province without approval by Albertans in a referendum.
00:11:01.080 Our government will focus our efforts and those of our municipalities on finding creative solutions to massively increase construction of new houses for sale and rent so that Albertans can find homes that fit their budgets.
00:11:19.360 Over the coming months, our government will also work with industry and consumers on a package of reforms to our electricity system to ensure Albertans have access to much more affordable and reliable power.
00:11:31.080 And to support a power grid that will need to more than double its capacity in the coming decades to allow for high population and economic growth.
00:11:39.740 And when our government lifts the freeze in the new year on auto insurance, we will also be implementing a series of reforms to limit increases to premiums for drivers who have safe driving records.
00:11:50.020 As well as other changes to assist insurers in keeping premiums much more reasonable and competitive with the rest of the country.
00:11:56.720 Affordability will continue to be a top priority as we build Alberta and welcome new families to our province.
00:12:08.520 So, too, we'll be reforming and growing the capacity of our health care system.
00:12:12.660 Despite the excellent work of doctors, nurses, and other frontline staff,
00:12:17.360 more work is needed so Albertans can access world-class health care when and where they need it.
00:12:22.080 So please stay tuned as our government will have more to say on this in the coming weeks
00:12:26.540 on health reforms that will decentralize decision-making and resources
00:12:30.900 from AHS down to the front lines exactly where it should be.
00:12:41.080 And with the substantive growth our province is set to experience in the years ahead,
00:12:45.140 our government must significantly expand the number of spaces in our primary
00:12:48.680 and post-secondary education systems.
00:12:50.820 Not only do we need many more classrooms,
00:12:53.560 teachers, assistance and support staff,
00:12:56.060 we will also need to provide more educational
00:12:58.420 choices to parents by growing capacity and
00:13:00.900 improving the quality of our public and
00:13:03.160 separate charter, independent and
00:13:05.240 homeschooling systems.
00:13:12.780 And I want every parent listening today
00:13:15.520 to hear me loud and clear.
00:13:17.280 Parents are the primary caregivers and
00:13:19.880 and educators of their children we cannot have a successful province or a successful society
00:13:46.120 without strong and nurturing families.
00:13:48.780 And regardless of how often the extreme left undermines the role of parents,
00:13:52.640 I want you to know that parental rights and choice in your child's education
00:13:56.860 is and will continue to be a fundamental core principle of this party and this government,
00:14:01.260 and we will never apologize for it.
00:14:08.180 My friends, if Alberta wishes to maintain and further grow
00:14:11.360 one of the world's most successful economies, we must build on our core strengths.
00:14:15.420 while incentivizing the creation and growth of new industries and opportunities.
00:14:19.380 And as we add another million people over the next five years and grow to 10 million by 2050,
00:14:24.260 we must make substantial investments in our infrastructure,
00:14:27.840 in addition to new health care facilities, schools, and other building infrastructure.
00:14:31.720 We need to increase investment in our municipalities and provincial transportation networks.
00:14:36.500 We need to think big.
00:14:37.760 We are a province of builders.
00:14:40.160 We are not a we can't people.
00:14:42.600 We are a let's get her done people.
00:14:45.420 Over the coming years and decades, we need to build commuter rail links between our two
00:14:54.500 largest cities and their growing neighbouring communities and airports.
00:14:57.660 We need to decongest our highways to Kananaskis and Banff, with a passenger rail tie between
00:15:02.540 the Calgary Airport, downtown Calgary and Canmore and Banff, and yes, we need to start
00:15:07.100 planning for the inevitable need for high-speed rail through the Calgary-Red Deer-Edmonton
00:15:11.180 corridor when six to seven million people call that corridor their home.
00:15:17.260 We can and we will host world-class events and build world-class sporting and recreational venues
00:15:22.700 and an infrastructure that we can all be proud of and benefit from. We will build because that is
00:15:28.220 what Albertans have always done. But we will do so with fiscal discipline. This government will not
00:15:33.580 simply place crushing debt on the back of our future generations of Albertans. Our children
00:15:38.300 and grandchildren deserve so much better and we will give them better we will balance our
00:15:42.780 provincial budget each year we will limit spending increases each year to below inflation plus
00:15:53.420 population growth and we will pay down debt every year until we are debt free once again
00:16:00.060 And when we run surpluses, rather than spend it all on the wants of today, we will build
00:16:10.380 our heritage savings trust fund by the billions and eventually by the tens of billions so that
00:16:14.900 one day our reliance on oil and gas royalties will be eliminated.
00:16:19.240 We will leave future generations of Albertans a legacy of prosperity and opportunity built
00:16:24.100 on fiscal foundation as strong as our Rocky Mountains.
00:16:30.060 So, yes, all of this is ambitious, but so too are Albertans.
00:16:36.380 We have never been content with average.
00:16:38.600 We are not a people to say good enough when there is so much more possibility in front
00:16:43.300 of us.
00:16:44.300 And we do not shy away from a challenge, not when the futures of our families and our friends
00:16:48.620 and our neighbours are at stake.
00:16:50.440 We are indeed a province of innovators, pioneers and visionaries, but we're also a province
00:16:55.720 of teachers and healers and protectors.
00:16:59.200 And we will need the unique strengths and gifts of all of us, of our children and of
00:17:03.740 their children, to realize the limitless possibility and promise of our remarkable home and our
00:17:10.020 remarkable people.
00:17:11.460 And I know that nothing, absolutely nothing, will stand in our way.
00:17:15.320 May Alberta be forever strong and free.
00:17:29.200 You