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Is This an Olive Branch or Just More Smoke and Mirrors? Alberta Reacts to Carney's New Environment Minister
Premier Danielle Smith’s press conference on Tuesday, May 6th, 2025, felt less like a calm discussion and more like a hockey brawl right after the opening face-off. The day before, she’d been voicing her hopes for a better relationship with Prime Minister Mark Carney, a stark improvement from the perceived failings of the Trudeau era. But that optimism was short-lived.
The Julie Dabrusin Earthquake
The morning brought a bombshell. Rob Anderson, Smith’s chief of staff, took to X to express his outrage at Carney's choice for Environment Minister: Julie Dabrusin, representing a decidedly left-leaning Toronto riding. Anderson highlighted Dabrusin's public support for a carbon tax, opposition to oilsands expansion, and her advocacy for a swift transition away from fossil fuels – sentiments that echo those of Steven Guilbeault, Trudeau's controversial former environment minister, who remains in Carney's inner circle albeit in a different portfolio. The Alberta reaction was swift and intense; the question on everyone's lips was, "What was Carney thinking?"
- Anderson's X post ended with the stark warning: "Fire...meet gas."
By lunchtime, Premier Smith herself entered the fray. She stated that Dabrusin's appointment represented another step in the wrong direction, suggesting that the new minister is another "anti-oil and gas, keep-it-in-the-ground type." Smith had previously given Carney six months to meet Alberta’s demands, including scrapping the cap on oil and gas emissions and facilitating pipeline construction. The appointment of Dabrusin, she implied, threatened to derail these negotiations.
- Smith's key demands include: Removing the cap on oil and gas emissions, building pipelines, ending the tanker ban on the west coast, and eliminating Trudeau's net-zero power regulations.
Later that day, CTV's Vassy Kapelos interviewed Carney. While Carney's response was filled with vague promises of change for major projects, his words offered little concrete reassurance. Would he scrap Trudeau's pipeline restrictions? Would the emissions cap be lifted? Carney’s ambiguous answers left many wondering if he was being sincere or simply playing political games.
- Carney’s tendency to say different things to different people in different contexts adds to the uncertainty.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who will be facing a by-election in rural Alberta, weighed in, highlighting the decade-long perceived attack on the oil and gas industry. He powerfully stated, “You can’t tell Albertans to just pay up and shut up.” His comment resonated deeply with many Albertans feeling disregarded by the federal government.
A Crossroads for Alberta and Canada
The appointment of Julie Dabrusin has ignited a firestorm of controversy, highlighting the ongoing tensions between Alberta and Ottawa. While Prime Minister Carney’s comments suggest a potential for compromise, the uncertainty surrounding his intentions leaves Alberta's future hanging in the balance. Whether this is a genuine olive branch or just another political manoeuvre remains to be seen. In Alberta, the sentiment is clear: "Elbows Up."
