logo
Alberta premier faces criticism, anger at Edmonton panel town hall

Alberta premier faces criticism, anger at Edmonton panel town hall

CBC7 days ago
After receiving a warm welcome and widespread support just 24 hours earlier, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith faced a more vocally critical and frustrated crowd as she and her hand-picked panel members assembled in Edmonton for the second of a series of summer town halls.
"We sound like bratty children," said Roberta Stasyk, a resident of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., who was one of many speakers who showed up to voice their frustration.
Smith launched the panel to address public concerns over Prime Minister Mark Carney's election win — concerns that have pushed some to want Alberta to separate from Confederation.
The premier's staff said some 500 people attended the Edmonton town hall on Wednesday.
Unlike in Red Deer the night before, at least one-third of the Edmonton crowd was there to challenge Smith and the other 15 panel members on topics like creating a provincial police force, amending the constitution, and taking greater control over immigration.
WATCH | The Alberta Next panel makes stop in Edmonton:
The Alberta Next panel makes stop in Edmonton
38 minutes ago
Creating a provincial pension plan was a hot-button issue, with most of those who stood up to share their opinion saying Smith needed to drop the idea once and for all.
Stasyk called it a "horrible idea," while others challenged the benefits touted in a government-produced video that played before the topic was discussed.
"A much smaller jurisdiction ... would make it much more liable to the ups and downs of the market, for one thing," said Hans Smit, a professor emeritus from the University of Calgary, who also asked the panel for a guarantee that a provincial pension plan wouldn't be used for ideological means.
Another speaker, who only identified himself as Todd, told the panel that at the end of the day, he just wanted a pension, but he didn't trust Smith's government to manage it.
"I can stick with the [Canadian Pension Plan], which is one of the most effective things in the world, or I can gamble with you idiots."
'Alberta's grievances'
While the majority of speakers who lined up to discuss pension plans said they wanted to maintain the status quo, a show of hands showed the majority of the crowd was in favour.
The same occurred when the idea of a provincial police force came up — many spoke against it, but a show of hands had those in favour in a clear majority.
"We really need to have a police force that lives in our community, works with our people, and grows and works with the communities," said one supporter, Brian.
The divide in the room was clear, with attendees competing at every chance to make sure their boos or cheers came out on top.
While it was less of a regular occurrence than Tuesday's town hall in Red Deer, some speakers in Edmonton did use the opportunity to push for separation.
"Alberta's grievances with Ottawa predate our becoming a province," said one speaker, Cathy.
"Let's just move forward with a referendum on independence, force that constitution open, and see where those talks take us."
Other Alberta independence supporters gathered outside, making sure those who attended saw a large "Alberta Sovereignty Now" banner as they walked to their cars.
Also in the parking lot were two protesters, one holding a sign saying "I love [U.S. President Donald] Trump" and wearing a large papier mache head that was a caricature of Smith.
'Punching down'
Back inside the Edmonton hotel ballroom where the town hall took place, Smith, at times, was forced to defend the topics her panel was assembled to discuss.
One proposal, that Alberta create its own immigration permitting system and cut off immigrants it didn't approve from health care and other provincially-run services, led a speaker to ask why the premier was "punching down on immigrants."
Smith quickly spoke up to say that wasn't the case, adding that her government was just trying to find a solution to high housing costs and "increasing pressure on our social programs."
"There has to be a reasonable amount of newcomers that are able to come here, fit into the economy, be able to be self-supporting," Smith said.
"That is, I think, a bit high at the moment."
Panel member Sumita Anand, who also serves as co-chair on Smith's council for multiculturalism, agreed with the premier, and at one point pleaded with the crowd for support on the proposal.
"Please instruct us to put reasonable check stops," said Anand, an executive at a Calgary-based non-profit that provides support to those with disabilities.
"All we are asking for are check stops so that we can make a better future for our children and our grandchildren here."
Jennifer Long, an anthropology professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, challenged the premier and the panel, saying they were giving more "fodder" to issues that are already dividing Albertans.
"If we're worried about having affordable housing, why aren't we putting more policies to make landlords who own empty houses to make them come on the market?" Long said.
Earlier in the day, Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi told reporters in Red Deer that the premier's panel was conjuring up unreliable data to support things her government already wants to do.
"What a debacle. This thing is such a sham," Nenshi said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Should Canada follow U.K.'s lead and lower voting age to 16?
Should Canada follow U.K.'s lead and lower voting age to 16?

CTV News

time16 minutes ago

  • CTV News

Should Canada follow U.K.'s lead and lower voting age to 16?

For years, some student groups have pushed for Canada to drop the voting age to 16. And with the United Kingdom last week indicating it will make the shift, calls to do the same here are being renewed. Among those making the pitch are 18-year-old West Vancouver podcasting twins Jason and Jerry Song, who recently shared their perspective with a B.C. parliamentary committee looking into this issue. 'What the U.K. has done is really set a pace for democratic reform,' Jerry Song told CTV News on Wednesday. 'So, Canada has two options right now. It can keep up, or it can explain to the youth why they've been left out again.' The Song twins say it doesn't have to be all or nothing, indicating there could be a phased approach in which 16-year-olds vote for school board trustees, but not necessarily members of the legislature or parliament. And they push back on the idea 16 is too young to vote. 'We never test adults for their political knowledge before letting them vote,' Jason Song added. 'What we do is give people the opportunity to learn by participating. Lowering the voting age actually builds political literacy.' Austria, Brazil and Argentina are among the countries that have already dropped the voting age to 16. According to UBC political scientist Stewart Prest, there can be long term benefits for a democracy when people vote early in life. 'We have substantial research that suggests when people are in, if you like, a supportive environment, where they are encouraged to take their early adulthood political experiences seriously, that can create a habit of voting that can last a lifetime,' Prest said Wednesday. CTV News asked Premier David Eby if it's something his government would consider. 'We are not currently looking at changing the voting (age),' Eby said. 'We will, obviously, watch what happens in the U.K. carefully.' But at least one local mayor is a vocal supporter of allowing younger people to vote, pointing out how much 16-year-olds in B.C. are already allowed to do. 'We trust 16-year-olds to drive cars in British Columbia,' New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone told CTV News. 'They can do most kinds of supervised work. They can pay income taxes at the age of 16. The legal age of consent is 16.' While the premier says he's not considering it, a parliamentary committee on democratic and electoral reform has been looking at this issue in recent weeks, with various stops around the province.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store