From ‘killing the golden goose’ to better than ever: Has Alberta's relationship with Ottawa changed?
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relationship → kill → Ottawa
Premier praises recent moves; separatist leader says they’re nothing but ‘political platitudes’
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they → praise → platitudes
The relationship between Alberta and the federal government has faced its share of political and economic conflict over the years.
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relationship → face → years
Some Albertans would argue more than its fair share.
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Albertans → argue → share
From the drawing of the province’s boundaries to natural resource control to the creation of the National Energy Program to pipeline cancellations and political representation, generations of Albertans have expressed feelings of alienation.
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generations → express → alienation
Last year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith added to the litany of rebukes of Ottawa from Alberta leaders over the years.
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Smith → add → years
(Her predecessor, Jason Kenney, once said the federal government was "killing the golden goose".)
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government → say → goose
After launching a panel tour to hear citizens' frustrations, Smith said, “You know what Ottawa can't help but be fixated on? ... Punishing our energy sector and layering on policies to keep it in the ground."
She made those remarks nearly two months after the Liberals won a fourth-consecutive election under new leader Mark Carney.
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Liberals → launch → Carney
Members of the Alberta Next panel gathered for a public town hall meeting in Red Deer at the Westerner Park grounds on July 25, 2025.
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Members → gather → July
Fast forward to this fall, with Albertans poised to go to the polls in a referendum that could ultimately lead to a separation vote, and Smith is expressing a very different view.
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Smith → fast → view
“I do think Canada is working better than it ever has,” Smith told CBC News, noting she will be voting for the province to stay put.
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province → think → News
The remarks follow months of Smith saying that, in her view, working out the differences between Alberta and Ottawa would be the key to quelling separatist sentiment, a blueprint she said is shared by Carney.
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she → follow → Carney
So what changed in the relationship between the province and Ottawa?
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what → change → province
For her part, Smith said that Alberta has “finally” found a government willing to move swiftly on major projects, such as the Pacific Link pipeline, while not “standing in the way” of Alberta developing its resources.
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Alberta → say → resources
Carney, the premier said, is a “different type of leader.”
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premier → say → leader
“I think he understands the Constitution.
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he → think → Constitution
I think he respects the constitutional division of powers,” she said.
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she → think → powers
“There’s areas that are federal jurisdiction, and areas of provincial jurisdiction.
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that → ’ → jurisdiction
That’s why, the premier argued, Albertans should vote to remain in Canada, with a newfound belief that federation can function fairly.
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federation → ’ → belief
But those who say the province needs to go its own way to realize its true potential see Carney’s promises as mere window dressing after years of policy that stymied economic growth and personal freedoms.
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that → say → growth
Constitutional lawyer Keith Wilson argued in favour of Alberta independence at a debate in Calgary held in late May.
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Wilson → argue → May
“They’re just saying, 'Hey, we’re getting along.'
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we → say → ?
Well, what if they stop getting along?” said Keith Wilson, one of the most prominent leaders in the Alberta separatist movement.
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Wilson → stop → movement
“I am not satisfied to have the future of my children’s success and prosperity hinge upon whether the prime minister and a premier have a good personal relationship.”
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minister → have → relationship
No to the nine ('bad laws')
In addition to the proposed Pacific Link pipeline and other federal investments, Smith has praised federal movement around what she calls the “nine bad laws” that she demanded be addressed in order to avoid an “unprecedented national unity crisis.”
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she → propose → crisis
As detailed by Smith in March 2025, they were, in brief:
- the oil and gas emissions cap;
- returning oversight of the industrial carbon tax to the provinces;
- the net-zero power regulations;
- the EV mandate;
- repealing Bill C-69, otherwise known as the Impact Assessment Act;
- guaranteeing Alberta “full access” to oil and gas corridors;
- lifting the B.C. tanker ban;
- ending the prohibition on single-use plastics; and
- “halting the federal censorship” of energy companies.
A spokesperson in the premiers’ office said it considers seven of the nine “scrapped or reformed.
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seven → detail → nine
“Investment is soaring and major projects are moving forward again.
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projects → soar → ?
This is proof of progress and a more collaborative relationship,” Ryan Fournier wrote in an email.
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Fournier → write → email
The federal government revised those policies amid criticism from some that the moves would claw back environmental protections and concern from others surrounding Indigenous consultation.
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moves → revise → consultation
Wilson isn’t satisfied with progress to date, citing, among other developments, a recent Alberta Court of Appeal ruling that stated the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act is still unconstitutional.
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Act → cite → ruling
“I’m sorry, but this is just … political platitudes, absent substantive action.
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this → ’m → action
If the prime minister was serious about these things, he would offer to change equalization,” he said.
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he → offer → equalization
“He would announce that he’s going to follow the court decision, and repeal Bill C-69 [the Impact Assessment Act].
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he → announce → Bill
The Alberta Court of Appeal in Calgary is seen in this file photo.
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Court → see → photo
Earlier this month, it ruled the federal government's Impact Assessment Act is still unconstitutional.
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Act → rule → ?
Heather Exner-Pirot, director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa, said that Canada had a “terrible reputation” for investment due to policies implemented under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
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Canada → say → Trudeau
“The corrections to the ‘nine bad laws’ … those are all meaningful, in that they have attracted investment,” she said.
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she → attract → investment
“You can always say that things aren’t perfect, or there’s things we can still do to improve competitiveness, but I don’t think anyone would have anticipated two years ago that we could be where we are here today.”
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we → say → competitiveness
Earlier this month, the federal and Alberta governments announced that the proposed Pacific Link pipeline, which would carry one million barrels of oil a day from Alberta to the B.C. coast, had become the first project designated in the national interest.
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which → announce → interest
That classification means that federal approvals and regulatory reviews will be fast-tracked.
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approvals → mean → ?
…and 44 more, not listed.
The Aporia
