News

While Ottawa has made it clear that its ambitious climate agenda is a top priority, Premier Danielle Smith's new Cabinet makes it clear that fighting back is her top priority.

The new Cabinet will likely come face to face with the federal government sooner, rather than later, given the federal government’s plans. 

Now that we’ve had a chance to sit down and digest last week’s election results, it strikes us just how big of a whirlwind the past twelve months have really been.

Since Danielle Smith made our Alberta Sovereignty Act proposal the centrepiece of her campaign to replace Jason Kenney as Premier of Alberta, our small team has worked tirelessly to defend and promote our proposed package of reforms. 

And we’ll continue to do so.

Less Ottawa, More Alberta.

That idea was a major theme throughout the premierships of both Jason Kenney and Danielle Smith over the last four years.

It’s also a phrase that has been used as a rallying cry on the campaign trail for generations - for good reason.

Last night saw the long-anticipated Alberta Election 2023 debate between NDP leader Rachel Notley and UCP leader Danielle Smith.

While the whole thing was interesting (and you can watch a replay here), one moment that particularly stood out to us was an exchange about capping oil and gas emissions.

There’s been a lot of misinformation swirling around Alberta politics in the last few months, and with the election now underway, it’s only ramped up even further.

Perhaps no issue, though, has been as misrepresented as the idea of an Alberta Pension Plan.

As of right now, the UCP says they are still studying the issue, and that any actual implementation of an Alberta Pensions Plan would be conditional on the holding of a referendum after all the research has been done and the reports that have been commissioned have been received and publicised.

The NDP, meanwhile, has completely dismissed the idea entirely, before the research has even been finished, and has spread some pretty crazy ideas around about what a provincial pension plan would mean.

Congratulations are in order!

From one province to another, we tip our caps to our neighbours to the east.

Last week, the Saskatchewan Firearms Act - legislation designed to enhance public safety and protect the rights of law-abiding firearms owners - was passed in Regina.

“This legislation will create a strong, consistent framework to enhance public safety and support the proud tradition of responsible firearms use and ownership in this province,” said Saskatchewan Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell.

The Free Alberta Strategy is back in the news again!

This time though, it’s thanks to an attack piece, which we thought we'd take some time to respond to.

In a new article published in the federal-government-funded “The Conversation” publication, Robert L. Ascah, a researcher at the also-federal-government-funded Parkland Institute, attempts to lay the hatchet to the Free Alberta Strategy.

The Alberta Sovereignty Within A United Canada Act - the new full name for the Sovereignty Act - was introduced to the Alberta Legislature on Tuesday.

Now that we've had a short while to digest it, we're confident in saying that when it comes to protecting the interests of Alberta on the national stage, the Act is right on the money.

The Free Alberta Strategy is working!

Of course, the introduction of the Sovereignty Act to the legislature next week is an obvious example, but there are many others.

If you're reading this, Jason Kenney thinks you're a "far-right extremist".

Yes, seriously.

As ridiculous as it sounds, Jason Kenney says that our Free Alberta Strategy group and our supporters (i.e. you!) are "far-right extremists", simply for wanting Alberta to have the same sovereignty rights that Quebec already has!

Presumably, that means he also thinks the 10 MLAs who endorsed our plan are far-right extremists.

And let's not forget that all seven candidates running for UCP leader participated in our Free Alberta Strategy Town Hall event, and all seven said that they agree with at least parts of our strategy - are they all far-right extremists to him too?

(More on that later.)

Calling us all "far right" is just co-opting the talking points of angry blue check marks on Twitter who seem to believe that painting anything you don’t like as "far right" is a good way to discredit an idea without having to thoughtfully engage with it.

It’s nothing more than a scare tactic.

The real question is, how on earth did we get to this point?

Is this even the same Jason Kenney that was elected in 2019 on a promise to fight for Alberta?

Has the Premier been abducted by aliens?

Jokes aside, many of our supporters have told us about how they used to be big Kenney supporters - donating money, volunteering time, and voting for him for years - but that they barely recognize him anymore.