Last November Danielle Smith said she wasn’t worried about tariffs on oil and gas products (at that time Trump was threatening a 10 to 20% tariff on Canadian goods). Last week after her “constructive” meeting with Trump she did a 180 and said Canada should get ready because tariffs are coming (Trump’s now threatening a 25% tariff across the board).
“Don’t worry” to “Get ready” in less than two months. The fact Smith has any credibility left is remarkable.
Trade war
Trump started this trade war with the specious argument that the 25% tariff was necessary to make Canada stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the US. Then when Canada responded with meaningful measures to address the problem, Trump revealed his real agenda.
He’s prepared to use “economic force” to make Canada give the US whatever it wants, ie minerals and water and whatever else we have that he likes the look of. Apparently deeply discounted oil and natural gas are not enough.
The historian, Timothy Snyder, who’s written extensively on Putin’s expansionist plans, says Trump’s threats should be taken seriously.
Which is why I’m glad the federal government and the provincial/territorial premiers (with the exception of Danielle Smith) are pushing back, hard.
Canada’s response
Experts tell us that Trump’s 25% tariff on everything could throw Canada into a recession. They also say Canada can fight back. Its oil, potash, uranium, and other critical minerals are worth an estimated $1.1 trillion—that’s trillion with a T—and a good chunk of that is shipped across the border to feed the US’s voracious appetite.
Canada’s Natural Resources minister says nothing was off the table. This is consistent with comments by the economist Kevin Milligan who says: “This will be a total trade war and restricting ourselves to putting cutesy tariffs on stuff is a strategic error.”
Got that? Trade war. Canada can’t enter one of the most important negotiations in its history with one hand tied behind its back. But that’s exactly what Smith insists the country should do.
Smith’s response
Smith spent part of her vacation taking selfies with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. She smiled sweetly and made her case for exempting oil and natural gas from Trump’s 25% tariff. She failed.
Nevertheless, when she teleconferenced into the First Ministers meeting to strategize how Canada should respond to the Trump tariff, she refused to support export tariffs or curtailing the supply of Alberta’s oil and natural gas to the US. It should be noted that Alberta is not the only province being asked to make this sacrifice. The rest of the provinces and territories support the Team Canada approach.
But I get it. Smith wants to protect Albertans’ jobs.
Fine, what’s her plan?
She says she’ll be “travelling to Washington DC…for the inauguration, and will be returning to the United States several times over the coming months to meet with US lawmakers and officials to continue to make the case against the imposition of tariffs on Canadian products and to strengthen and grow the trading relationship between our two great and independent nations.”
Ah, she’s deploying the shmooze offensive. The one that was so successful when she hung around the golf course at Mar-a-Lago last week. Brilliant.
This is serious business
The unprovoked 25% tariff is Trump’s shot across our bow. He wants to see what nice, polite Canada will do in response. We must take Trump’s threat of “economic force” seriously.
As Doug Ford said, “You can’t let someone hit you over the head with a sledgehammer without hitting them back twice as hard…Nothing is more important than keeping every tool in our toolbox, no matter if it’s energy, or other commodities like high-grade nickel form Ontario or aluminum from Quebec, [or] potash from Saskatchewan. You don’t negotiate through weakness. You negotiate through strength.”
Smith has more than enough bravado when she’s fighting with Justin Trudeau, but it all goes up in smoke when she’s talking to Trump.
I suppose coming face to face with her hero made Smith go ga-ga, but we’re on the cusp of an existential crisis. It’s time for Smith to stow her MAGA hat and show some real leadership.
Because when you give into a bully, it only gets worse.
Susan on the Soapbox 
Everything she says and everything the UCP does is consistent with them being CIA operatives/fronts. If the CIA is into everything, everywhere, all at once, why would you think they are not active in Canada. It’s not hard to picture the US invading Alberta and just like in Syria, Trump gets to say “we got the oil, folks, we got the oil”. If that happens, the collapse of Canada, such as it is, isn’t too far fetched.
Not CIA operatives, MAGA operatives. Danielle wants to be part of the new Trump-Putin axis of dictators. Along with a bunch of other Conservative members.
Would Trump be so naive as to believe Putin wouldn’t poison him some time in the future. Is Putin foolish enough to partner with and control a crazy person? They’d destroy each other because of their egos
Kelly: Indeed. Smith and so many of the UCP fawn over Trump. It’s as if they think Trump is a kindred spirit. But from what I’ve read Trump is a narcissist, who lacks the ability to recognize and adhere to the norms of society, also. all he wants is to make money. Oh, and have people adore him.
I’ll admit I think very poorly of the UCP, but surely they’re not base as this. (I admit I could be wrong).
Sir: I fear your tinfoil hat may be slipping. This isn’t the CIA. It’s the US-dominated fossil fuels industry and the UCP’s rabid Maple-MAGA base.
I’m as far from a fan of Daniellezebub as one can be, but let’s not lose ourselves down some rabbit hole of conspiracy theories when there are equally threatening explanations that are entirely supported by evidence. You can’t fight a conspiracy theory, but you can fight a genuine threat.
Docpop1 Interesting comment. I’m of the view that Putin is much smarter than Trump and has enough on Trump to snuff out his career any time he feels like it. Trump, being the fool that he is, doesn’t understand this. Putin will cultivate the relationship until it’s no longer useful to him, and then there will be trouble in the bro-sphere.
Putin is the only adult in the room and has basically rescued Russia from the Collective West. He also showed Russia that it could survive/thrive without Europe tho’ that alternative was kinda foisted upon him. With PT Barnum in the White House now, it will be the Deep State that does him (Trump) in – not Putin, Iran, or any other aggrieved enemy of the US.
Jerrymacgp: I agree what we’re seeing isn’t the CIA but the big money players and the MAGA cultists. It’s funny that even when Trump threatens to impose tariffs on everything, a decision that would threaten the UCP’s very existence, they’re still all in on Trump.
Maybe it’s a simple as bullies will always fall into line when a bigger bully comes into the playground.
Putin is the only adult in the room?
Is the normalization of megalomania and lunacy becoming the new normal?
Both Putin and Trump will end up assassinated.
I disagree with your comment Rob.
Rob, as Jerry points out, what we’re seeing may not be the CIA, however a pernicious., ideologically driven right-wing party who blindly follow their cult leaders. Watching the US sink so low is truly disturbing.
You are correct in watching the US sink – this is end-of-Empire stuff and is pretty erratic with lots of thrashing. I think back to Ed Stelmach – he was going to review the royalty agreements and poof, the Wild Rose was born. That kind of stuff doesn’t just pop out of the woodwork without lots of backing and organization – OilCo certainly wouldn’t have this expertise in-house hence the suspicion that the unaccountable CIA is involved. It also doesn’t make sense to dismiss this idea as “conspiracy” since meddling in other countries is what they do – it’s pretty naive to think that Canada is the exception to this practice.
The United States and Russia will sink as they deserve. Their colonial meddling in the name of freedom is now very well understood. China wants to be a replacement but the world has changed and they will also suffer the consequences of meddling with other countries weaknesses.
Canada has always been a colony of the US and we are naïve if we do not understand that. Trump wants to take the last step.
There’s a reason why geopolitical actions such as Trump’s tariff threat are called a “trade WAR”. Most every modern day conflict has an economic component to it. These days, not only do you shoot at the enemy, you try cripple them economically so they can’t fight back and so civilians suffer hardship enough to put pressure on the their gov’t to surrender to the aggressors. Sanctions against Putin’s leaders and Russia are another example of an economic weapon. What Trump did was declare an economic war on Canada, Mexico and China. But as we’ve come to see in Alberta with our Premier and her supporters, they don’t always handle reality very well, and the preference is to just ignore any real threats in favor of pretend threats like vaccines and chem trails
Because the Conservative plan is the usual; do nothing, then when bad things happen scream and blame it on the Liberals and the NDP.
Kelly Miller: That was certainly Smith’s plan for dealing with tariffs. Smile and flatter Trump and he’ll magnanimously spare Alberta’s oil and natural gas from the blanket tariffs. Bullies don’t respect appeasers. It’s as simple as that.
It’s certainly the only thing remotely resembling a plan that has come from Pierre.
docpop1: I did some reading about trade wars over the weekend before I posted my piece. The writers pointed out that the war usually starts when one party attacks another party with no provocation. Given that Canad has not provoked the US on EVERYTHING the blanket tariff threat was totally uncalled for. I’m pleased to see that Trump is now talking about putting together a committee to help him sort through this mess. I sincerely hope that Smith and the rest of the premiers will work closely with the feds so Canada’s response is effective. I was reading an article in the Globe this morning in which the author (an American) said there are only two ways to go with Trump (1) flatter and appease him while at the same time trying to distract him with something else or (2) fight back, inflict pain. Frankly I’m in the fight back camp.
It’s bad enough that Alberta taxpayers are paying for Smith’s extended winter vacation. Smith, as the self-appointed ruler of the state of Alberta, has thrown all Canadians under the bus by her embarrassing groveling at the feet of Trump. And then to make it even worse, she doesn’t even bother showing up with the other premiers, instead phoning it in from her taxpayer-funded vacation on a beach somewhere. She is a disgrace to the office. I know there are many Albertans who think it’s perfectly fine for her to continue with her Trudeau bashing in her role as chief fossil fuel lobbyist, but it is now time for unity among Canadians. Unfortunately, she would rather act on behalf of her fossil fuel masters than for Albertans.
Public Servant I agree 100%. The damage Smith has done to Alberta’s reputation in Canada is incalculable. My three sisters all live in BC. They are crystal clear in what Smith is trying to do: save the oil and gas industry by throwing the rest of Canada under the bus. It is shameful and I don’t understand why Albertans don’t see that. You can only ride the grievance train for so long before it gets stale.
Your last comment says it all. I don’t understand where she thinks Trump is going to pardon Alberta because Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful himself) got her a 15 minute meeting with Mr. MAGA. Trump is an business bully who will railroad as much as he can.
I think Albertans would also blanch at the amount money she is spending “smoozing” in the states in the last three weeks and during the inauguration.
We are the Pariahs of the country by not working as a team with our fellow provinces and providing a united front. When did Strength in Numbers become obsolete???
Kimberlee: I agree 100%. As I understand it O’Leary (who lives in the US) wants to buy TikTok hence all the grovelling. Today I read that Trump wants the US (I don’t know if he means government or an American business) to own 51% of TikTok. We’ll see if that comes to pass. We’ll also see if O’Leary can Inveigle himself into Trump’s good graces. Let’s face it O’Leary has some pretty tough competition from multi-billionaires who have way more money to throw Trump’s way.
First and foremost I’m a CANADIAN. I reside in Calgary which happens to be located in Alberta but my loyalty is to my nation —always!
As a very proud Canadian I consider Premier Smith to be a traitor to our country. Pity we do not have an equivalent of the ‘traitor’s gate’ at the Tower of London.
Peter Usher: I smiled when I read your comment. I was thinking about linking this blog to the I am Canadian ad. So here it is: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=I+am+canadian+molson#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:97c4d549,vid:WMxGVfk09lU,st:0
I love the line “the beaver is a truly proud animal!”
As a libertarian, Smith is incapable of leadership. She lacks the fundamental requirement of actually caring about her fellow citizens, even when we disagree with her ideology. Libertarian’s blow a fuse when they have do some real heavy lifting to maintain a democratic society.
If Alberta oil has to be shut off to the Americans, it will be Trudeau with his hand on the tap. Smith will rant & rave impotently, like a fool upon the stage, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Gerald: You’re right. Smith lobbed out the “unity crisis” threat and then a few days later said it was Trudeau, not her, who was threatening Canadian unity.
In her press release commending Trump for not implementing blanket tariffs immediately she lists 6 things Canada should go to avert a tariff.
The feds are already doing 3: (increasing our contribution to NATO, fixing immigration policy, tightening the border) so that’s nothing new.
The other two are (1) be nice and don’t threaten retaliatory tariffs (frankly it’s the threat of retaliatory tariffs that caused Trump to pause) and (2) agree to sell more to the US (which is what got us into this jam in the first place) and (3) cancel all “anti-energy policies” and “fast track Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines. Both projects are dead, Enbridge and TC Energy have moved on, so there’s nothing left to fast track. Also both of those ran into trouble with First Nations and Quebec and BC. So what she’s really asking the feds to do is nock the FN, Quebec and BC into line. That would violate the constitution, but hey, we’re talking about Danielle.
Danielle,Danielle,Danielle what are you thinking having your meeting with the autocrat who thinks he is now the King of America. I’m sure he didn’t remember your name 30 seconds after the meeting ended. Turning your back on the rest of Canada,makes you look foolish and small minded. What ever happened to united we stand and divided we fall. Trying to appease the greatest huckster of all time usually leads to failure. Good luck Danielle your marching down the slippery slope.
Im not a fan of Doug Ford, but what he said, resonated with me. He said, “every province has it’s own industry it’s trying to protect.” (For BC it’s timber.) “But you always, in these circumstances put country above personal interests.” Many speculate that Danielle Smith was trying to cut a side deal. I was hoping you would cover this topic.
Joanna Vandervlugt: I agree. I’m not a DoFo fan either, but have to give him credit for rising to the challenge of Trump instead of trying to ingratiate herself with a tyrant.
I’ve heard people say she’d cut a special deal for Alberta, but today’s announcement that Trump is going to hold off with the blanket tariffs shows she failed to pull it off, if that was, indeed, what she was up to.
Very silly woman.
Paul Pearlman: Exactly! I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you!
She wasn’t thinking….It’s obvious she is trying to set up her next career move – envoy to Panama or Greenland, maybe a spot in the cabinet. But let’s face it, she’s not the Orange Scourge’s type.
sjhundert: I smiled at your last sentence. Those photos of Smith smiling into Trump’s face said it all. She’s small potatoes for Trump, but she doesn’t appear to know it. As people have said before “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Smith’s pinned herself in a corner. Her power, what she cares about the most, depends on being contrarian, at least as long as Trudeau’s still in. Though I don’t think Poilievre would’ve done much better here, assuming he ever found enough spine to stand up to his Orange Hero. Kenney didn’t get kicked out by the people of Alberta but by the TBA faction in the party he founded. Smith also didn’t get into power initially by the will of the Alberta public but by that same faction. The TBA couldn’t care less about the rest of Canada or in many cases even the province outside of their own parochial constituencies. And they’ll toss Smith out in a moment if she seems to be caving into the rest of the country in any way, or that’s what Smith seems to think. So she’ll remain the national stumbling block to unity.
Also, Smith’s much more sympathetic in the end to the US than Canada. I once commented when comparing Smith to Kenney that Smith at least wants to be Premier of Alberta. What I should’ve said is that Smith wants to be Governor of Alberta.
Jason: You make a very good point.
Smith went to Mar-a-Lago to convince Trump that Alberta’s oil is valuable to him. He already knows that. That’s not his issue. He wants to put Canada in its place and threatening a blanket tariff is a good way to do it.
She still doesn’t get it. In her press release commending Trump on holding off on imposing the tariff she says: “strong and consistent diplomacy and working in good faith towards shared priorities” will make Trump back off for good. What nonsense. Trump respects people who fight back, if we threaten to impose retaliatory tariffs that hit hard at his base, he’ll come around. He did with NAFTA 2.0 and he will again.
She can’t see this because she’s MAGA-struck.
Because she is an IDIOT
Ha! MAGA-struck. That’s a good one. It really sums up the situation concisely.
MAGA-struck!
https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM?si=IbN7OjeNFQo_z4JJ
I want to see the real proof that we really care about Canada and the famous rule of law that we sing about every 5 minutes. Trump is a felon and cannot enter Canada without a special permit from the Canadian Government.
Are we going to give him a special permit? France has already shown us that they care more about appearances than the rule of law by inviting him to the re-opening of Notre Dame. It just went under the carpet as usual.
I hope we are better than that but I will not put a penny on it. After all he is rich and money talks.
How come in the country that brags about its power and again the rule of law, a president is a felon and has been spared to go to court on the all litigations he is under currently. Trump just pardoned all convicts that tried to replace their own government and even kill some of their Congress people.
We do not have political relationships with Venezuela or Iran, so why do we have it with a country that has declared their intention to force us into annexation with them?
ARE WE AFRAID OF THEM? We had the courage to burn their Congress in the 1800s – are we now cowards?
Maybe reinforcing our border with the US is not to stop illegal immigration, but rather to avoid being overrun by the US army.
If we believe in democracy we should reevaluate our jazzy relationship with the US.
I wonder on which side we will be when they invade Panama or Greenland or us? The only excuse Trump used not to invade Canada was because ‘They are great people up there’.
I see – I FEEL BETTER !!!!
If we are proud of ourselves it is time that our prime minister and our ambassador in the US replies to these insults as a real adult in the room.
We are not a Trump shithole!!!
Enough of this crap as if he owns us. He can believe in his Manifest Destiny and that God saved him from assassination to save the US but I could not careless about his arrogance and his lack of respect for Canada.
First of all BAN him from entering Canada, just like we do to the Ayatollahs and the government of Venezuela.
He is not our friend and he certainly does not like Canada or Mexico which apparently are staining the US with drugs and rapists.
I am really not sure what we are waiting for to give this guy an indication we have had enough.
Gulf of America hmmm – I prefer the Mexican alternative – Change the US into the Mexican America.
Danielle Smith has very little substance. She thinks she can smile and charm her way into negotiations with a snake. The worst and most dangerous kind of leader is the one who thinks they know everything, instead of building a team of experts who actually do.
For a person so focused image over substance, she can’t even get that right. Tousled-hair pillow talk — really? Messy hair to hobnob at Republican events on the eve of the inauguration? Ever the starry-eyed school girl who can’t get enough of her Republican idols, Smith is oblivious to the people of Alberta and Canada. “Look at me, I’m in the Big Leagues,” she seems to say. She should have just gotten an Instagram account and become an influencer. My local doughnut shop had an influencer day. Think about it, madam premier: free doughnuts, photos! Oh, snap, Canada.
Albertarian “starry-eyed school girl” is right. But despite the charm offensive she still didn’t get a seat at the Inauguration and had to watch it on TV with the rest of us. (not that I watched it, but you know what I mean).
All that taxpayer money to send her down on her special mission and she comes back with no more than the rest of the premiers in this country who stayed home.
I suppose the selfies with Trump will play well with her Maple-MAGA base though.
Oh I am sure the UCP gurus will go
ugh ugh she is something hey ! rally something ugh – oh man our girl is smart
What is she thinking?
Nothing, Danielle Smith cannot think. She just sends us the messages coming from Take Back Alberta and her Oil Landlords. She is a puppet on strings.
She is not alone in ‘No Thinking’ – here is the slogan guy that seems to be losing momentum.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/01/20/analysis/slogans-trump-tariffs-risk-poilievre
Poor Pierre. His entire campaign from the minute he won the Conservative Leadership has been “Trudeau sucks! Vote for me instead!”, and now he’s not running against Trudeau… So now he has to figure out a way to continue bashing Trudeau while facing another opponent…
Pierre’s luck is going to run out soon. Just wait until Carney starts making him look like the idiot eating an apple in a video we all have seen.
Carlos: everything we’ve seen from Smith on the blanket tariff supports your comment. Be nice to the Orange King, be nice to the Fossil Fuel industry and they’ll take care of you. But they won’t.
And watching Poilievre dance around this issue has been fascinating. Between not knowing how to handle Trump and not knowing how to handle Trudeau’s resignation, the poor man is falling apart.
I have always said and repeat, Poilievre is a fake and as soon as reality hits and the slogans no longer work, he will look like a dead duck.
For someone who wants to run her own show … It doesn’t look good that her second choice is to go to an event at the CANADIAN embassy since she couldn’t get a ring side seat at the inauguration!
Dale: my husband believes in ultimate justice (karma, if you will) and I’ve got to say ultimate justice had a heyday with Smith this week.
Such fun to watch!
“Smith has more than enough bravado when she’s fighting with Justin Trudeau, but it all goes up in smoke when she’s talking to Trump.”
This is one of the things that is bothering me the most. Danielle Smith (and her caucus) is ALL FIGHT, ALL THE TIME when it comes to the federal government and anyone else who questions them (ie. Nate Horner’s response to why EAs should not be given a raise). She and the rest of her crew are always contrary, always belligerent, always cocky, always angry. But with Trump and his threats, she is so conciliatory, so willing to use diplomacy, so willing to be subservient. I read somewhere that Scott Moe made a promise to turn down (or turn off) the rhetoric after the SK election. I wish Smith and her government would do the same.
And, on another note, by not signing that agreement, she has completely insulted and disrespected her provincial/territorial counterparts. Where is the diplomatic, conciliatory response to her peers? I guess she blew her load with Trump.
When she talks to Trump , she is adoringly talking to a fascist , narcisist of her kind that can in a sec tell her to drop dead. She venerates a man that threatens to use the economy to force Canada to join the US. This is who she respects and she insults our own prime minister.
She is a DISGRACE and more but …..enough.
k15551212 and Carlos: as you both point out Smith’s negotiating stance with Trump is a far cry from Smith’s negotiating stance with Trudeau.
I’m pretty sure she’ll be just as fawning with Poilievre if he becomes PM, which will be interesting because Poilievre has already said he doesn’t support Alberta leaving CPP and he’s not interested in changing the equalization formula to make it more advantageous to Alberta. What he’s signaling loud and clear is that he will do what it takes to keep Ontario and Quebec happy, and if that upsets Alberta so be it.
That wont’ play with Smith’s base. Which means we may be rid of her sooner that she thinks..
I think it would be fun for us to do some very selective tariffs as part of the mix. Aim them specifically at all the billionaires that he depends on so much. Example, 200% tariff on Tesla and starlink satellite equipment (Elon would be pissed ! ). tax on Amazon transactions, twitter sign ups. software such as google and Facebook. heck, all computer and electronic stuff. and announce reviews of regulatory approval of all of the same. maybe even the my pillow guy, Murdoch and Fox News. hurt the ones he needs. Or go personal, tax crypto coin stuff, gold sneakers, MAGA hats, even fees for hotel management companies and selling your name as a brand.
Might as well make it obvious that this is personal nonsense by T. Rump, get personal in return.
PS as well as oil gas lumber eggs, car parts etc.
Watty
Watty: These are excellent suggestions and entirely consistent with what I’ve been reading in the Globe and Mail by people who say the best way to negotiate with bullies is when they hit you, you hit them back.
Looks like I am not the only one thinking on this line, Check out the Tree opinion piece from the day after I posted my comment
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025/01/22/There-Is-Only-One-Way-Fight-Bully/
watty
Watty Thanks for the link to a great article and Carlos for the great Churchill quote. I agree with you both. The idea that Trump will go away if we give him what he wants is ludicrous given that what he wants is Canada. It seems to me it’s time for a letter writing campaign, starting with Danielle Smith (cc Naheed Nenshi) and ending with Melanie Joly and Dominic LeBlanc.
It’s mindboggling that we’re in this situation, but here we are.
PS what has Poilievre had to say about this?
Watty I am 100% with you. Unfortunately we Canadians are not good at dealing with bullies. But they can form a commission of people like you , me and others willing to give these people what they deserve and go from there.
The only premier that is offering resistance is Ford and I am not a big fan of him but we certainly agree on this one.
Your suggestions are absolutely bullseye. Trump never talks about the fact that in services we are subsidizing the US.
I doubt either Pierre Poilievre or even Carney will do it but time will tell.
Like Churchill said many moons ago – ‘Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. ‘
We should not fear this bully at all. The world is waking up to what this guy really wants.
‘PS what has Poilievre had to say about this?’
Oh you have to give him an apple first. Then you get ‘Axe the Tax’ – he seems to be the first parrot AI politician in Canada.
This is how we run our democracy – just give the baroness in Australia access to everything we have and she will give us a penny a ton.
This is ridiculous and done under the table so no one knows about it.
https://albertapolitics.ca/2025/01/dig-baby-dig-energy-minister-brian-jean-lifts-ban-on-coal-exploration-on-the-eastern-slopes-of-the-rockies/
Susan if we tariff water oil and gas do you think that the USA could regard this as a threat to their national security?
If they do, it is their creation so not sure what they expect. It is the American people who will be paying the tariffs that Trump is imposing on our oil or gas.
As always this is the answers from our leader of the Conservative/Fascist party of Canada
‘Poilievre refused to say when asked by reporters three times last week if oil and gas exports should be part of Canada’s response to Trump’s tariffs.’
Does he ever reply to any question other than say ‘Axe the Tax’ – sounds like Canadians are about to vote in a parrot. Think Twice about it.
Carlos: I suspect Poilievre is stymied because he’s being asked about policy. It’s a difficult problem that can’t be answered by ranting and raving and spewing anti-Trudeau slogans.
He may be a career politician but he’s nowhere ready to become PM.
I could not agree more with you Susan. Pierre Poilievre thought that he was going to be prime minister with a friend in the US government and an ‘Axe the Tax’ slogan. Of course one has to be quite naive to have such dreams but the slogan worked so well, he became a believer.
Reality hits and now I want to see the new story. His platform ‘Axe the Tax’ is over, his ideological friend in the US wants to destroy and annex Canada and he does not even know what he actually believes in rather than so far to say that as far as he knows there are two genders.
I know for sure what is going to happen in one front. All the weapons he used to destroy Justin Trudeau will now turn to him. His propaganda machine may not be able to protect him much longer. He has no content – he is hollow.
Jim, you make a good point. As I understand it, they’ve already played the national security card with the 25% tariff saying the influx of illegal migrants and drugs are a threat to their national security. The same goes for the wall on the Mexican border.
I can’t imagine the rhetoric we’ll hear if we put a tariff or curtail oil and gas or cut their supply of electricity and water.
It’s horrible to think of such things, but understandable given that Trump is trying to bring Canada to its knees with the 25% tariff on everything.
Another worth reading article I think will be important for people on this blog to read. This is something we have to fight along with the people that will be affected directly. The idea that an Australian billionaire just comes in here, buys our politicians and does whatever she wants, is not just abhorrent but it is a disgrace to our province which is being transformed into a third world basket case.
Lets show Madam Australia that we care. Lets email Brian JOKE and tell him to pack it in and move.
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/01/22/Anger-Alberta-Lifts-Ban-Rockies-Coal-Mining/
perhaps you could say Trump was driving the karma which ran over over Smith’s dogma …
vibrante8… “kar” “dog”. That was clever. Thanks.
It is interesting that Danielle Smith and the UCP treat Albertans like enemies and bully our doctors and teachers to an extreme and then when it comes to Trump and the US, here is what she says:
‘ “It is a far wiser approach, and a much more Canadian one I might add, to diplomatically identify their concerns through face-to-face engagement and work with them on negotiating a win-win for both the U.S. and Canada.”’
No comment.
Much more Canadian? hmmm Canadian seems to be used when convenient. Just a absolute zero below zero intelligence. Considering the other side maybe this attitude is the correct one.
Carlos: Smith’s comment indicates she doesn’t understand this is not a normal negotiation with a sane party. I was talking to a friend who used to head up trade negotiations for the UN. He said if one country wanted to increase a tariff, they would (eventually) agree to lower another tariff to offset the increased tariff’s impact.
Trump wants to increase the tariff on everything. This isn’t retaliation against Canada for flooding the US with oil and gas (we’re selling it to them at a discount), this is an all out attack on our economy.
He wants Canada and we’re not going to let him have it.
The vacation to the American Oracle continues. I just wonder why people like Danielle Smith that seem to be more in love with the US than her homeland, do not move there and practice the lunatic views that seem to thrive in the US ?
Looking at the people she talked to we can predict what is coming to Alberta.
https://albertapolitics.ca/2025/01/danielle-smith-undermined-canadas-bargaining-position-in-face-of-trump-tariffs-says-former-chief-trade-negotiator/
Considering that we will be annexed whether we like or not, she is already preparing for State status which I am sure will involve some basic standards like
Replace evolution with creation
Poison all gay people
Make sure immigrants are kept in a concentration camp so they do not rape our women
Create private health care. After all doctors need to become millionaires as well to enter their oligarch class
Create a KKK branch
And so on …..
Carlos good question: Why don’t people who want us to be like the US simply move to the US. The answer is unless they can offer something the US wants they’re not allowed to immigrate there. They can be desperately poor and willing to work for slave wages or they can be highly skilled or they can be ridiculously rich. Otherwise the US has no interest in them.
So the next best alternative is to stay in Canada and let Trump take us over. Which would be the worst of all possible worlds. And one that the majority of Canadians would fight tooth and nail.
Susan: I will try and see if I can post on here again. I will offer my thoughts on this. Danielle Smith had absolutely no authority to meet with Donald Trump. She isn’t the Prime Minister of Canada.
It was known prior to Danielle Smith going to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Donald Trump, that it would produce no tangible results. Danielle Smith had to conclude this. Also, Danielle Smith lied and said she was on vacation.
It’s clear that Danielle Smith doesn’t support Canada. At Mar-a-Lago, Danielle Smith also met with Kevin O’Leary, and with Tucker Carlson. Kevin O’Leary was in the media recently, being interviewed, and he was clearly expressing very anti Canadian sentiments. When Danielle Smith was interviewing Tucker Carlson, a year ago, she asked him if he could remove Justin Trudeau from power.
On Danielle Smith’s social media logo, as well as on a provincial government logo, with Danielle Smith’s name on it, the United States flag is featured, and it is on top, and it is very prominent, while the Canadian flag is on the bottom of the logo, and is obscured.
Danielle Smith also supports the Firewall Agenda, and the Free Alberta Strategy. This is very dangerous. Furthermore, Danielle Smith is doing what she would accuse Alison Redford for doing, when Danielle Smith was the Wildrose party leader, and Alison Redford was the premier of Alberta, with these very costly plane flights, to various places, that offered no tangible results, but what Danielle Smith is wasting money for plane flights, is much worse.
I’ll share some more fitting music. This is a Mick Jagger and Keith Richards composition, from The Rolling Stones, called You Can’t Always Get What You Want. The Rolling Stones performed this song when I saw them live in 1997. Jimmy Miller, who was the producer of this album, played drums on this track. I have this in my music collection.
Hey Dwayne – Nice to know you are around again. While you listen to Let it bleed read this very good article by Linda Mcquaig about our populist Pierre and the tragedy that he lost his platform ‘Axe the Tax’ and looking for another one.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/trump-and-the-liberals-have-left-poilievre-with-an-axe-but-nothing-to-wield-it/article_2361b814-d8da-11ef-a794-bf0bd3e2ba61.html
Dwayne! It’s good to have you back! I’m glad that whatever it was that was messing up your ability to post has sorted itself out.
It’s a shame we can’t sort out Smith and the UCP as easily. As you said, despite all of Smith’s efforts, she achieved nothing but a few photo ops. Her friend, Kevin O’Leary was no help whatsoever. So now we wait to see when Trump will impose the tariff and whether he’ll take it as high as the 25% he’s been promising.
Now is the time for Smith to work as hard as she can with the rest of the premiers and Trudeau to be ready when the axe falls because Trump promised to take over Canada by “economic force” and the threat of the 25% tariff is the first step.
This is not a time for appeasement. It’s time to show Trump Canada is not a patsy.
Dwayne, I also wanted to thank you for the Rolling Stones clip. I’ve missed your musical comments. 🙂
Another UCP 2 million dollar report and as always only they can understand it. It seems we are not smart enough to reach this level of intelligence
https://albertapolitics.ca/2025/01/alberta-government-task-force-report-on-response-to-covid-19-calls-for-vaccine-use-to-be-halted-pumps-quack-cures-and-conspiracy-theories/
I know I am sending too many posts but I am so concerned with our coming election and the emptiness of Pierre Poilievre who just wants to be prime minister without having any qualifications other than slogans. Here is an article from New Zealand who is always ahead of us in political experiments.
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/01/27/Whoa-Canada-Mistake-New-Zealand/
Well enough sadness and no common sense here is a Beaverton article that I think will make all of you laugh. Gosh did I ever
Danielle Smith applies for refugee status in USA – The Beaverton
LOL. Now, if only the rest of the Oilberduh MAGAts would fly south with her.
City compost center is cheaper
Aaaw. Someone should tell her that silk pillowcases can prevent that bedraggled look. But then that would start an annoyingly protracted argument about pillows v. cushions and who can stand any more of that?
No one is looking forward to Saturday and the 25% tariffs more than Premier D., I’m sure. Either she’ll be able to crow that she alone got a carve-out for oil and gas, which is either good or bad depending on the day, or she’ll be able to blame everything on PM Justin Trudeau one more time, which is always good. Surely she’ll be the governor of the 51st state in no time at all, so does it really matter? She’s probably already shopping for couches and pillows for 24 Sussex as we speak: shabby chic.
Love it , we need some comedy these days – 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you to David Climenhaga for protecting us from this awful UCP daily propaganda of lies and the manufacture of 2 million dollar documents that are just a bunch of TBA ideology that serves no one other than the psychopaths that are now running this province.
This is embarrassing. Write to the premier and tell her to shove it. What a horrible way of lying to people about something so serious. Then again with their maga friends down south firing anyone that investigated Trump, preparing to take over Greenland and Panama and force us into submission by economic means what do we expect? FASCISTS and proud of it. Elon Musk gave a speech to the AFD (Nazi party) in Germany and praised them as if 9 million murdered Jews is still not enough.
We better start fighting back harder if we do not want to have a second coming of violence and destruction. Trump is vile and a bully and Danielle Smith is his friend and collaborator. PERIOD. She is disgusting.
https://albertapolitics.ca/2025/01/its-addled-report-assailed-by-expert-critics-ucp-covid-task-force-quickly-descends-into-a-task-farce/
I apologize for the error of the total number of Jews killed by Nazi Germany. I believe it was 6 million not 9 as I stated. How did that happen under our noses and we pretended nothing was happening and even after finding this horrible fact we did not give them refuge when they were trying to flee. We do not have an excuse this time. There are already reports (not proven yet) that certain Navajo Indians in the US have been apprehended and forced to prove citizenship. Remember Hitler started the same way and then evolved into mass murder.