Olivia Woods
On Friday, Danielle Smith became the premier of Canada’s largest oil-producing province, promising financial support, tax cuts, and a fight against federal climate legislation she claims would hurt the province’s fossil fuel economy.
United Conservative Party leader Smith won her first election last month, keeping her in power for additional four years with 49 members in Alberta’s 87-seat legislature after they narrowly defeated the left-leaning New Democratic Party.
The win marked an even greater move to the right in the province’s conservative leadership and set the Premier on a collision course with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over climate targets.
“Today marks the start of an exciting future,” said Smith at a swearing-in ceremony in Edmonton. “Over the next four years, we will improve on the affordability measures we already have in place such as fuel tax relief and electricity and natural gas rebates.”
In addition, Smith reiterated that the oil and gas industry, which accounts for over 20% of Alberta’s annual GDP, will lose tens of thousands of jobs due to Trudeau’s climate policy.
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