Premier Danielle Smith says the industrial carbon price will be just as damaging as the consumer tax. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

PROVINCIAL POLITICS

Premier Smith says Carney should immediately call election

Mar 14, 2025 | 5:06 PM

Premier Danielle Smith says new prime minister Mark Carney should immediately call a general election as she argued his cabinet remains as hostile to Alberta as the one assembled by his predecessor.

“I am extremely concerned that this cabinet includes most of same ministers responsible for the most damaging government policies levelled by Ottawa against Alberta in our over 100-year history,” Smith posted Friday.

Smith has clashed with several Liberal ministers who served in Justin Trudeau’s government.

In 2023, Smith accused then-environment minister Steven Guilbeault of “treachery” in one of her many public statements against the minister over the past few years.

Guilbeault was sworn in as the minister of Canadian culture, identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant in Carney’s new, smaller cabinet.

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He was one of many Trudeau cabinet members who got a new role in Carney’s government on Friday.

While Carney’s first action as prime minister was to cut the unpopular consumer carbon price, Smith raised her concerns over the emissions tax on industry.

“We are gravely concerned that plans to significantly increase the industrial carbon tax will be just as damaging to Alberta’s economy as the consumer carbon tax has been,” Smith said.

Th premier listed several other “harmful policies” that impact Alberta including gun bans, border policy, 2035 electric vehicle mandate and clean electricity rules, among others.

Smith said an election will “ensure that whoever is leading this country has a four year mandate from all Canadians, especially in light of the ongoing tariff conflict with the U.S.”

Despite rumours a federal election could be called as early as next week, Carney only said an election would happen before November.

An election must be called by October.

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