Source: Canadian Press

Yesterday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump completed their first face-to-face meeting. After the meeting, the attitudes of the premiers of Ontario and Alberta differed.

Ontario Premier Ford told reporters at Queen's Park that Prime Minister Carney had skillfully handled his first meeting with President Trump and "stuck to his position." "President Trump obviously likes Prime Minister Carney more than Prime Minister Trudeau," he said.

Ford also stated that Canada and the United States "respect each other, which is a warm greeting" and "also the starting point for restoring good relations."

In contrast to Ford's positive evaluation, Premier Smith of Alberta expressed in Edmonton that Prime Minister Carney "is prepared," but focuses more on substantive results.

She hopes that the two leaders can promote the renegotiation of the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) during their closed-door meetings. The agreement will expire in 18 months, and President Trump has indicated "uncertainty about whether renegotiation is necessary." "If negotiations can begin as soon as possible, it will be beneficial for all of us."

She also bluntly attributed the tension in Canada-US relations to the Trudeau government and said, "We all hope they can rebuild the relationship and see if Prime Minister Carney can truly achieve this."

At the same time, Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, urged her counterpart in Ontario, Doug Ford, to mind his own business.

Smith announced this week that she does not wish for Alberta to secede from Canada, but if enough residents sign a petition to hold a referendum, she will ensure that a vote takes place in 2026.

Ford did not mention Smith by name in his remarks on Tuesday but emphasized that national unity is crucial while Canada is engaged in a tariff dispute with the United States.

Ford said, "Now is the time to unite the nation, not when someone says 'oh, I want to leave this country.'"

When asked about Ford's remarks, Smith said she has a good relationship with Ford, but they manage different jurisdictions separately.

"I won't tell him how to govern his province, and I hope he doesn't tell me how to govern mine," she said.

She made these remarks at a press conference on Tuesday, where she answered various questions ranging from the potential economic impact of threats to leave Canada to ongoing concerns from Indigenous leaders.

Last week, the United Conservative Party government led by Smith introduced legislation that, if passed, would significantly lower the threshold for initiating provincial referendums.

Chiefs from over ten Indigenous groups in Alberta held a press conference they called an emergency meeting in Edmonton on Tuesday and condemned any talk of Alberta's separation.

Many Indigenous leaders warned that the treaties they signed with the Crown predate the establishment of the province, and Alberta has no right to challenge these agreements.

Troy Knowlton, chief of the Piikani Nation, said he voted for the United Conservative Party led by Smith but does not support policies similar to those proposed last week.

"The current talk of division and madness in Alberta has actually brought the Indigenous peoples here together, even uniting the whole of Canada from coast to coast," he said.

"We are not leaving. If you think you have problems with the Indigenous peoples, then you can leave."

Allan Adam, chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, called for an immediate halt to all development and exploration activities on traditional lands.

"Our position as Indigenous peoples is that if Alberta wants to separate and no longer be part of Canada, then you cannot enter our traditional lands for exploration anymore, because we don't know who you are exploring for," he said.

Kelsey Jacko, chief of the Cold Lake First Nations, also stated that the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations canceled the planned meeting with Premier Smith.

"This meeting has been canceled unless she changes her tone," Jacko said.

Smith has said she is committed to protecting and maintaining Indigenous communities, but has yet to explain how she plans to do so.

She said on Tuesday that treaty rights cannot be abolished through voting, and she hopes that any referendum question will respect these rights.

"Any discussions we are currently having, including discussions about Alberta expressing its constitutional sovereignty, are related to Alberta's relationship with Ottawa," she said.

When asked whether she had voter authorization to initiate discussions about leaving Canada, Smith pointed out that her party does not formally support separation.

"I do not have authorization," she reiterated, emphasizing that the issue should be raised by citizens.

"What I said is that I will respect this process, and the public clearly knows that we are a direct democracy party."

Smith repeatedly stated that it is premature to speculate on the impact of the referendum question because no formal question has been proposed or drafted yet. However, she confirmed that if a majority votes in favor, she will respect the wishes of Albertans.

Her remarks come as Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada meets with President Donald Trump of the United States in Washington.

When asked about the referendum question that Premier Smith might propose, Carney said at a press conference that Canada is stronger when united.

"As an Albertan, I certainly believe any question can be raised, but I know how I would answer—it's clear," he said.

In Quebec, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Bloc Québécois, said that Smith is merely standing up for her province's autonomy.

Plamondon said on Tuesday that Smith uses the possibility of a referendum to strengthen her bargaining power with the federal government.

Alberta has long had disputes with the federal Liberal government in Ottawa, and Smith has stated that federal policies amount to attacks on Alberta and its ability to develop its oil and gas industry.

Smith's next steps include hosting municipal hall meetings across the province from May to October to listen to the grievances of Albertans, while sending negotiation teams to Ottawa to request concessions favorable to Alberta's economy.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7501879745462731264/

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