Tag: Danielle Smith

Alberta Premier Reiterates Call for Federal Bail Reform Amid Rising Violence

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is once again calling on the federal government to reform what she calls Canada’s “catch-and-release” bail system, saying that Ottawa’s lack of action on the matter is contributing to the rise of violent crime in Alberta’s major cities. “Enough is enough,” Smith said while speaking to reporters in Calgary on April…


Alberta Premier Smith Says UCP Is Paying for Legal Action Against CBC

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith recently deflected many reporter questions on matters related to a defamation lawsuit she is considering against the CBC, but when asked recently who is funding the legal action, she answered, “the party.” She did not elaborate on why the United Conservative Party (UCP) is covering the bill instead of the government,…


Alberta Premier Gives CBC Deadline to Retract, Apologize for Alleged Defamatory Articles

Legal counsel for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has given CBC a deadline of April 28 to retract and apologize for articles alleging she tried to interfere in criminal cases before the courts. The letter, from the law firm Bennett Jones, accuses the media outlet of defamation. The letter says that CBC’s recent articles “seek to…


With Several Closely Contested Seats, Electoral Fate of Alberta in Calgary’s Hands: Pundit

After a tumultuous year that saw Danielle Smith become premier, a spring election is on the horizon for Alberta, and it remains to be seen whether Smith will be returned to power or the NDP’s Rachel Notley will triumph as she did in 2015. One pundit says Calgary will be the deciding battleground. Smith won…


Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s First Budget Has $2.4 Billion Surplus, More Spending on Health Care, Education, Police

Alberta’s United Conservative government delivered the 2023 budget on Feb. 28, the last one before a scheduled May election, and it includes a $2.4 billion surplus by 2024, despite more spending across the board. The budget is balanced, with debt on the decline, according to Finance Minister Travis Toews. He said Albertans pay $20 billion…


Alberta Government Claims Reduced Hospital Wait Times, Faster EMS Response With 90 Day Health Care Update

On the eve of the release of the 2023 Alberta budget, and roughly three months from the next election, Premier Danielle Smith released on Monday 90-day statistics indicating health care wait times in the province are dropping. Alberta first launched a new Health Care Action Plan (HCAP) on Nov. 17, 2022, and vowed to dramatically…


Alberta Announces ‘Record Breaking’ Budget for Addiction, Reports on Recovery-Based Approach

Alberta officials announced “record breaking” spending on addiction recovery in the province’s upcoming budget and a new panel of leading international experts to inform Alberta’s recovery-based approach. “Alberta has emerged as a national leader in building recovery-oriented systems of care for addiction and mental health,” said Nicholas Milliken, minister for mental health and addiction, at…


Brian Giesbrecht: If Canada is Broken, Why Not Fix It?

Commentary Any suggestion that we should consider reopening Canada’s Constitution to solve our increasingly serious problems usually evokes snorts of derision and eye-rolling. The last attempts—Mulroney’s failed Meech Lake Accord in 1990, and Charlottetown in 1992—left the nation with constitutional fatigue. Those failures also left politicians understandably gun-shy of ever opening up that Pandora’s box…


Alberta’s Smith Joins Saskatchewan’s Moe in Rejecting Digital IDs

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she agrees with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe that the “private health information” of the people of their provinces should be protected. “I agree and stand firmly with [Premier Moe] in protecting Albertans’ private health information,” Smith said in a Twitter post on Feb. 10. “I will ensure that any agreements with…


Alberta Begins Health System Reform Despite ‘Disappointment’ With Federal Funding Plan: Smith

Alberta’s premier says the province has begun reforming its health system despite being disappointed with the $196 billion health fund that the federal government has pledged to the provinces and territories over the next 10 years. “Obviously, the premiers were somewhat disappointed with the amount of new funding announced for health care,” Danielle Smith told…