We’re jumping ahead a few steps but let’s give you the play.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has nine demands, nine U-turns she wants the federal government to take.
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She gives the new federal government, when it is elected, six months to move on these issues.
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Or else.
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Or else?
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Smith says if Alberta is brushed off on these demands she will ask Albertans what they want to do. It will be a Next Steps panel and she will likely be on it.
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If the feds tell Alberta where to go on these issues, Albertans will have a say where things go from there.
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And yes, it could lead to something that would make headline news near and far.
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“I believe in direct democracy,” says Smith.
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“I always feel like big important decisions need to be put to a referendum of all Albertans.”
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A vote!
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Then …
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“Is there some referendum question the public wants us to ask?” says Smith.
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Hmmm … Is there some question the public wants to put on a ballot? Let me think.
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“This is something Albertans are going to have to be very engaged in over the next number of weeks and months.”
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No kidding. The Alberta premier says there is an “historic opportunity” for Canada to reverse policies hurting Alberta, hurting oil and gas.
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On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with the premiers.
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When he emerges he is asked about a made-in-Ottawa emissions cap on the oilpatch, more than once.
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Carney dances around it but finally says there will be an emissions cap on oil and gas after telling Smith on Thursday there would be no emission cap on oil and gas.
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On Friday, in French and English, Carney did say the Liberal government will keep the emissions cap in place.
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One thing about Carney. He does a lot of explaining but sometimes he doesn’t explain a lot.
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In some answers, you are less clear about where he stands than when the question was asked.
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Beware of slippery-as-an-eel Liberalism.
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You want a silver lining.
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One of Smith’s demands is to get an oil and gas corridor going east, west and north.
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It seems there was agreement around the table from Carney and the premiers.
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A national corridor from sea to sea to sea to transport export oil and gas and other goods is a priority requiring further discussion.
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Permit Albertans to be skeptical until they see something concrete. After all, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
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What if you’ve been fooled a whole bunch of times?
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There is also Carney’s promise to speed up approvals of major projects.
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As you know, Smith met Carney Thursday. There were no photos.
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