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‘The ball is in Prime Minister Carney’s court,’ says Premier Danielle Smith
By Rick Bell – This Article and More by Rick Bell Here
Let’s throw out a tidbit, a little appetizer to start things off.
There is a very strong and a very persistent rumour Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Calgary next week.
Then a little bird comes down and says don’t miss work next Thursday.
Next Thursday, just before Premier Danielle Smith attends the convention of UCP members in Calgary where, if all goes well, she can claim a win.
When you hear such scuttlebutt again and again and nobody laughs you out of the room and you know Carney and Premier Danielle Smith are said to be close, close, close, close to a deal, a so-called memorandum of understanding outlining a way forward for a bitumen pipeline to the west coast, it is hard not to give into the temptation to connect those dots.
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On Friday, Smith is in Calgary talking about tackling classroom complexity, a real challenge for teachers.
But the premier also fields questions about pipeline complexity, a real challenge of a different sort.
There is no deal between Alberta and Ottawa yet, but the gloves have come off.
It’s like having a bench-clearing brawl in hockey before the referee has dropped the puck at the opening faceoff.
B.C. Premier David Eby is sabre-rattling, whining about how he isn’t at the table with Smith and Carney, saying he was caught off-guard by these talks between Alberta and Ottawa.
Premier Eby, you really should get a subscription to Postmedia newspapers.
This time last week the scribbler filed a column saying Smith could smell victory for Alberta and the oilpatch as a deal was very close between Alberta and the Carney government.
Eby said Smith didn’t know what she was talking about, she was like a clueless sandal-wearing tourist wandering in the B.C. woods thinking she knows where she is going.
He said Smith was going through a public relations exercise and is in political trouble. He says Smith was putting B.C. projects in jeopardy.
Eby talked about Alberta’s sense of entitlement and how it could not continue.
“There just comes a time when we have to say enough is enough,” said an obviously agitated Eby.
Smith scoops up the rebound from that shot.
In recent months all we hear about is Team Canada. Canadians united as Team Canada.
Smith smiles. She seems in good spirits.
The premier tells us she wants to find out how much of that is talk and how much of that is walk.
“I believe in Team Canada and I hope they all do too.
“This is what Team Canada looks like. When you’ve got provinces that don’t have access to a shoreline we cooperate so we can get our products to market,” says the Alberta premier.
“We haven’t been able to do that in recent years.”
Smith says the federal election was about being Team Canada and building a stronger economy and becoming an energy superpower.
“We’re testing it to see if everybody is serious,” she says.
“A lot of people wrap themselves in the flag, talking about how much they support Canada and want to work together. But when it comes down to it not everybody lives up to that commitment.”
I could hear that ouch all the way to Victoria.
Days ago, Smith made comments some newshounds didn’t pick up but they are important words on this occasion.
The premier points out Carney was the Bank of England governor during Brexit, a vote on whether the United Kingdom would remain in the European Union or leave.
The self-styled smart set, the look-down-their-noses elite across the pond, thought voters would opt to remain in the European Union. That’s how they wanted the vote to go.
Premier Danielle Smith has repeated called for a new oil pipeline to be included on the federal government’s list of nation-building projects. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia Network
“But emotions ended up, I think, taking over the conversation and it went different than anybody anticipated,” says Smith.
Here is the line.
“So I am quite sure he doesn’t want to see a repeat of that any more than I do.”
Smith continues.
“The way you show Albertans the country works again is you ensure their product isn’t landlocked and there aren’t unfair rules preventing investment.”
On Friday, Smith says we all saw a lot of sabre-rattling by a past B.C. government over the Trans Mountain pipeline. She doesn’t seem to be worried about Eby.
Smith says Alberta has made “a very, very strong case” for a bitumen pipeline to the northwest B.C coast and putting product on ships to Asian markets to be in the national interest.
The premier says she is seeing “some receptivity” on the part of Carney.
“In the end, the decision is the federal government’s to make. The ball is in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s court.”
We’ll see you in Calgary next week, Mr. Prime Minister.
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