Less than twenty-four hours after Liberal prime minister Mark Carney won Canada’s recent federal election, Danielle Smith, premier of the western province of Alberta, declared herself unhappy with the result. Less than a week after that, she unveiled a plan for Alberta to separate from Canada through a referendum.
To American observers, this might seem like a bizarre turn. After all, Carney’s electoral success has, quite rightly, been attributed to a surge in Canadian patriotism. Canadian voters were justifiably anxious about American president Donald Trump’s tariffs and his threats about turning Canada into the “51st state.” A plurality decided that Carney was the best choice to “stand up to the bully.”
In the midst of this pro-Canada wave, Premier Smith and members of her ruling United Conservative Party (UCP) government have stood apart. They argue that the new prime minister and his government in Ottawa pose a greater threat to Alberta than Trump and his administration in Washington.
The contrast has been stark: while most other provincial premiers were saying “elbows up” and rallying around the Canadian flag, Smith was flying to Mar-a-Lago, polishing her credentials at PragerU fundraisers, and cosplaying as a Republican governor (her stated favorites being Ron DeSantis and Kristi Noem).
Why is Smith so out of step with other Canadians — including the majority of Albertans who oppose separation? The short answer: the UCP leadership sold their souls to MAGA, or at least its Canadian counterparts, in order win political…
Auteur: Gil McGowan
