New ‘Sovereigntist’ Alberta Premier to Assert Independence from Federal Trudeau Govt
The ruling United Conservative Party in the Canadian province of Alberta has selected a new leader known for her sovereigntist stance toward the Canadian federal government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Danielle Smith was elected the new leader of the United Conservatives and will become Alberta’s new Premier and head of the provincial government after succeeding former Premier Jason Kenney, who stepped down earlier this year after three years in office.
Alberta’s lieutenant governor Salma Lakhani, a Uganda-born Muslim appointed to her post on Trudeau’s advice, has threatened to block the act, however, using veto powers derived from the monarchy which are seldom exercised in Canadian politics. Following her victory, Smith made it clear that she supports an Alberta free from interference from the federal government led by Prime Minister Trudeau, saying: “No longer will Alberta ask permission from Ottawa to be prosperous and free. We will not have our voices silenced or censored. We will not be told what we must put in our bodies in order that we may work or travel,” the CBC reports. “We will not have our resources landlocked or our energy phased out of existence by virtue-signalling prime ministers. Albertans, not Ottawa, will chart our own destiny on our terms, and will work with our fellow Canadians to build the most free and prosperous country on earth,” Smith added.