3 days ago
Bell: Premier Smith says Trudeau lives in Carney's camp and that's a problem
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Smith says she recognizes 'a real challenge' for Carney in 'climbing down' on some of the nasty laws and regulations the Trudeau Liberal government put in place, nastiness that amounted to an attack on Alberta oil and gas and on Albertans.
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'The challenge is he has a lot of people in his caucus who still believe those policies are the right way to go.'
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Smith is walking on the sunny side of the street.
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She says Carney 'demonstrated pragmatism' on rolling the consumer carbon tax back to zero.
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No, he didn't.
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He knew the consumer carbon tax would kill his chances to be prime minister so he deep-sixed it.
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Does Carney really think if he doesn't give the Alberta government what it wants it kills his chances to stay on as prime minister?
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While we wait for the next chapter in The Mystery of the Prime Minister Who Wouldn't Give Straight Answers Smith is working with oilpatch types on a pitch for a pipeline to the west coast.
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Smith feels strongest about a pipeline to the B.C. port of Prince Rupert and 'some of the American options.'
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But a pipeline can't get built with Liberal policies making it impossible to get a pipeline built.
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She mentions nine nasty Liberal brainwaves such as the cap on oil and gas emissions and the tanker ban off the west coast and the so-called No More Pipelines law.
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'That's my short list. I have a much longer list of things we need to fix.'
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The energy crowd erupts in applause.
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Smith tells Albertans thinking of Alberta independence the province has to 'give it one more shot' to get a new deal for Alberta.
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As for those wagging their finger and saying separatist talk is hurting investment, Smith fires back.
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'As compared to what? Compared to half a trillion dollars worth of investment we lost because of terrible federal policy that scared away investment.
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'There could have been pipelines, LNG projects, the Teck Frontier Mine.'
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