Danielle Smith Re-Elected Premier of Alberta — Now What?

UCP leader Danielle Smith delivers a speech | Photo Credit: Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via The Star

United Conservative Party (UCP) leader Danielle Smith was re-elected as Alberta’s premier on May 29, after one of the closest votes in Alberta’s history.

The race for Alberta’s premier was primarily between Danielle Smith and New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Rachel Notley. Out of 87 seats, the UCP secured 48 seats, the NDP secured 38, and an independent party secured one. xi reports a 59.5 per cent turnout in the 2023 elections, an eight per cent decrease from the 2019 elections.

Both leaders responded differently when outlining their positions on issues in the province during their campaign, one of them being the federal government’s climate plan and the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act.

The act put forth the federal commitment to net-zero by 2050, joining 120 other countries, including all other G7 nations. Countries across the world are being urged to switch to greener technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Climatologists predict that if governments don’t act now, global temperatures will exceed well over 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States. 

The federal Liberal Party released a statement on their website sharing Canada’s climate action plan. They plan to build a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 and decrease oil and gas emissions to meet net-zero emissions by 2050. Smith has expressed her unhappiness with this and has accused Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, of stealing 2.7 million jobs across the country, 187,000 in Alberta’s energy sector, according to The Toronto Star. An Indigenous group in Alberta has already sued to block the legislation, claiming the government failed to consult with them, according to CBC.

When discussing Trudeau’s switch to green energy in Alberta in her re-election speech, Smith’s words were, “I simply can’t and won’t [allow the switch to happen].”

NDP leader Rachel Notley told CBC in January that in order for Ottawa’s “just transition” to work, investment in lower-energy projects, like a hydrogen plant in Edmonton, needs to increase from the $250 million already pledged for the next five years.

NDP leader Rachel Notley | Photo Credit: Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via CTV News

Should Alberta not participate in this country-wide transition to sustainable energy, it could limit Canada from achieving its carbon reduction goals by 2050. However, despite gas and oil production significantly benefiting Alberta’s economy, it also strains it. The Alberta Energy Regulator estimated that in 2022 the total bill to reclaim and clean up oil sands and coal mines is approximately $33 billion. These oil spills can also leak into provinces bordering Alberta, like BC, leading to more money being spent on these spills. 

Smith's decision to not to follow through with the climate action plan will strain the relationship between Alberta and Ottawa, making it harder to solve national issues, like healthcare funding. As such, Smith immediately got to work the night she was elected, to develop an innovative climate strategy for the federal government to sustain Alberta’s relationship with Canada’s capital. 

“When Canadians work together, there’s no challenge that we can’t overcome. I believe that, but it takes two parties acting in good faith to achieve that meaningful partnership,” she stated in her victory speech on May 29.

Smith’s defiance also gives power to provincial leaders across Canada. Manitoba’s elections are scheduled for October of this year. The Globe and Mail reported that Smith's victory may enable opposition parties of the NDP in Manitoba to stand against some federal government plans, including the climate action plan.

While standing for what she believes is appropriate for Albertans, Smith is devising plans to create a suitable and sustainable life for Albertans.

From studying education systems and programs worldwide, Danielle plans to make Alberta one of the top educational provinces worldwide. According to Inclusion Alberta, Smith will fund $126 million over the next three years to hire more educational assistants, provide more staff training, and employ specialists to give “the best education in the world” for children in Alberta. 

In response to healthcare issues in the province, Smith pledged to reduce surgical backlogs and terminate waitlists by the end of the year, according to The Edmonton Journal. She has also made a public health guarantee stating that no Albertan will have to pay for doctor visits and commented on signing a health care transfer agreement that will ensure the province receives $24 billion from Ottawa over ten years. 

The UCP party will still have the power to implement its Alberta Sovereignty Act now that they have gained a majority of seats. According to a statement released by the province, the act will give the province a democratic legislative framework to defend the federal-provincial division of powers. According to the CBC, Smith pushed acts like this to the side. However, after the election, she stated that Albertans are more serious about "defending our jurisdiction." Smith told Global News in an interview that she would use this act to avoid Trudeau’s climate action plan. 

In the past few years, Albertans have faced financial hardship due to COVID-19 and rising inflation. In November 2022, Smith pledged $2.4 billion for all measures required to support seniors and families with children under 18, according to a statement released by the UCP. It also included tax relief for gas and personal income.