Danielle Smith took the podium Monday night to celebrate her victory in the Alberta election, she had a message for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.“Hopefully the prime minister and his caucus are watching tonight,” the newly re-elected premier told a raucous crowd of supporters in Calgary.Indeed, all eyes will be on Alberta as Smith begins her second term, which political watchers say will have implications not just for the province but for the rest of Canada as well.Alberta has always had a testy relationship with the federal government and even other provinces as it defends its profitable energy industry and other interests.But the past four years under the United Conservative Party and during the COVID-19 pandemic have seen Edmonton’s relations with Ottawa grow particularly tempestuous.The question now is whether a fresh start is on the horizon — though experts have doubts.“It’s gospel that the federal government ignores Alberta, and to a degree that is correct,” said Allan Tupper, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia who spent decades teaching in Alberta. “There’s a great deal of resentment.”“At the end of the day, (Smith) has to recognize that she has to deal with the federal government.
No matter what kinds of laws she passes, provinces have to work with Ottawa.”Global News and others projected a Smith victory Monday night after a race beset by slow tabulations.
It was a race that saw both Smith and Notley trying to frame themselves as someone voters could trust.It remains to be seen whether Smith continues to pursue the often-tense approach with Ottawa she demonstrated during her short premiership.