Alberta brings distinctive leverage to some of the most consequential debates in Canadian politics. As Canada’s most significant energy producer, its huge contributions to federal revenues, and a province closely tied to the United States through deeply integrated energy markets and cross-border investment, Premier Danielle Smith’s government has both high stakes in the current moment and a clear view of how Canada should respond to it. The conflict in the Middle East has sharpened that picture further, accelerating international interest in North American supply and raising the profile of Canada’s export choices.
How Alberta’s priorities interact with the Carney government’s foreign policy agenda - its assertion of Canadian economic sovereignty, its recalibration of alliances, and its positioning of Canada as a dependable partner for nations rethinking energy dependencies - will do much to shape Canada’s offer to the world. Whether that agenda commands consensus across the federation, and on what terms, remains an open question.
In conversation with Laurel Rapp, Director of Chatham House’s US and North America Programme, Premier Smith discusses Alberta’s vision for Canada’s foreign and energy policy, the USMCA negotiations, the bilateral relationship with Washington, and the pressures - internal and external - currently testing the federation.
