Premiers from Western Canada are coming together in Alberta for their yearly meeting, while discussions about whether the province should leave Canada heat up.
The leaders from western provinces and northern territories will meet Monday and Tuesday at a hotel in Kananaskis, Alta., which is around 100 kilometres west of Calgary. They’ll talk about trade, the economy, energy security, defense, and nation-building projects, according to Sam Blackett, a spokesperson for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office.
This meeting follows Smith’s announcement last Thursday that she intends to include a question on her government’s fall referendum ballot asking Albertans if they want the province to stay in Canada or if they prefer a future binding referendum on separation.
During a news conference on Friday, Smith reaffirmed her federalist viewpoint regarding Alberta’s independence but acknowledged the hundreds of thousands of people who signed petitions pushing for a vote on the matter.
British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed his disapproval of Smith’s approach to the separatist discussion in Alberta and mentioned that it creates some tension at the western premiers’ gathering.
At an event hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Smith remarked that the meeting could be uncomfortable due to recent developments concerning an energy deal her province has reached with the federal government.
Tensions have been rising between Smith and Eby over a proposal for a new pipeline intended to transport oil to the B. C. coast. Eby has criticized both the pipeline concept and the agreement that supports it.
“As a country, it’s time to stop rewarding bad behaviour. It cannot be the case that the projects that get prioritized in Canada are those where a premier threatens to leave the country,” Eby stated in a news release earlier this month.
In contrast, Smith declared earlier this month that she views signing the energy agreement between Alberta and Ottawa as “a good day for Alberta and a good day for Canada.”
In an online town hall on Saturday, Smith mentioned she also plans to bring up equalization payments during this week’s premiers meeting-a long-standing concern for Alberta regarding its relationship with Ottawa.
Source link
Source link
