Smith takes swipe at Carney after Liberal leader jabs Alberta premier on the stump

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is fighting back after federal Liberal Leader Mark Carney mocked her during an election campaign stop, accusing him of being intimidated by a “strong conservative woman.”

Carney joked on the weekend about premiers appearing on Fox News, saying it would be a “bad idea” to put Smith on the U.S. network to advocate for cross-border diplomacy.

Smith says Carney’s jab contradicts his support for women and that she won’t “shut up.”

Carney and Smith’s relationship has been on rough footing since he was sworn in last month as prime minister, with the premier threatening a national unity crisis if the next federal government doesn’t meet a list of Alberta demands.

Discussions around western grievances have since gained steam, with former federal Opposition leader Preston Manning writing in the Globe and Mail last week that a Carney government would fuel a western secession movement.

Smith says there’s frustration among Albertans with the past decade of Liberal governance and she has committed to a “What’s Next” panel if her demands aren’t met six months after the April 28 federal vote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2025.

The Canadian Press