By Canadian Press

Alberta Premier Smith meeting face-to-face today with Prime Minister Trudeau

Mar 13, 2024 | 2:03 AM

CALGARY — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet up face-to-face in Calgary today.

Smith’s office says the two will meet in the morning, and Smith will head to Edmonton to speak to reporters at a subsequent news conference.

The two leaders have not met in person since last summer at the Calgary Stampede festival.

Smith’s office did not say what is on the agenda for the meeting.

However, her government has taken issue with Ottawa on a range of issues, including energy development, pharmacare, child-care funding and the federal consumer carbon price.

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Trudeau was in Alberta just three weeks ago, making a housing announcement in Edmonton, but the two leaders did not meet up at that time.

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley issued the following statement in response to Premier Danielle Smith’s meeting with the Prime Minister:

“Danielle Smith is deliberately misleading Albertans about the national pharmacare program. She claims about 75 percent of people have drug coverage but neglects to note people must pay for that coverage through copays and premiums.

“For diabetes patients, the costs of medication are enormous. For women accessing contraception, the costs can be big barriers to care. Albertans not enrolled in a prescription drug program are often forced to choose between buying food for their family and buying medication. A pharmacare program would go a long way to make life more affordable.

“A national public pharmacare program is proven to be the most cost-effective way of ensuring Albertans have access to the medication they need, and Smith’s predictable rejection of this program will only result in everyday Albertans spending more on essential medicine.

“Smith is denying Albertans equal access to life-saving medications that other Canadians will have. Signing on to the first steps of a national public pharmacare program would make Alberta more affordable and it makes no sense for the Premier to reject it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press

(With files from rdnewsNOW)