Critics concerned Danielle Smith could alienate Albertans, Ottawa
While Danielle Smith easily won the leadership of the United Conservative Party Thursday night, critics say it's not an endorsement from the province.
"The fact of the matter is, Danielle Smith essentially got support from about 1 per cent of Albertans," said NDP leader Rachel Notley, who is set to face Smith in a provincial election next spring,
"I would argue it's a fairly extreme group and I would argue that it's just over 50 per cent of the UCP membership."
Smith was chosen leader after six rounds of preferential balloting, gaining the majority of support from the 82,000 people who voted - roughly two-thirds of party membership and just a fraction of the provincial population.
Smith focused much of her campaign on fighting the federal government when it comes to issues and policies she says negatively affect Albertans, a vow she reiterated in her victory speech Thursday night.
She also plans to introduce her proposed "Alberta Sovereignty Act" in the legislature soon, giving her government legal authority to ignore federal laws of its choosing.
Deborah Yedlin, president of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, says while there are some legitimate beefs with decision making in Ottawa, the provincial government needs to practice diplomacy if it wants to attract investment to Alberta.
"There certainly has been some frustration in terms of getting infrastructure projects approved and that's fair," said Yedlin, " but I also think yelling at the federal government is not going to get us to where we need to go, we need to prioritize being solutions-oriented and being collaborative because the approach doesn't work, we've never gotten anywhere by yelling."
Others say Smith cannot speak on behalf of Albertans because she doesn't have a mandate granted by the province's population.
"A UCP party leadership campaign and vote is not the will of the population," said Lars Hallstrom with the University of Lethbridge. "It is the will of the party. She can't really claim to have an electoral mandate because the province has not really validated her as premier.
"She has a brief window of time here in which she has to win that particular election."
Alberta's Official Opposition leader says the support that allowed Smith to assume office is only about one per cent of Alberta's population.
"I would argue it's a fairly extreme group," said Rachel Notley. "And I would argue that it's just over 50 per cent of the UCP membership."
Meanwhile, federal leaders say they're looking forward to working with Smith in the coming days.
"I will be speaking with her, hopefully, in the coming hours, to congratulate her on her victory in the leadership campaign, and to commit to her, as I do to all Canadians, that I am there to work with premiers of the provinces to deliver concretely for Albertans. And indeed, for all Canadians," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Smith will be sworn in on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.