BELL: Danielle Smith is playing nice with Carney, Poilievre is not
Alberta premier plays ball with Carney unless or until he screws over her province
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Pierre Poilievre figures he’s got Prime Minister Mark Carney’s number.
If an Albertan dials it, they will almost certainly not get what they want.
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On Monday, Poilievre raises the curtain on who he believes is the real Mark Carney.
The Conservative leader says Carney recently made “a very troubling comment.” He only heard it in French.
“The premiers will have a veto on pipelines.”
B.C.’s NDP Premier David Eby is standing in the way of the bitumen pipeline Alberta Premier Danielle Smith would like to see going to the west coast, with product heading to ready and willing Asian customers.
“Is the prime minister effectively saying we’re not going to get any pipelines built?” asks Poilievre.
“If you wait until everyone agrees on everything nothing will happen. We can’t wait any longer. We have to get things done. It’s going to take some backbone.
“We, as Conservatives, believe in pushing ahead with pipelines.”
Poilievre adds the shortest and easiest pipeline route is through northern B.C. to the west coast and the port of Prince Rupert.
The Conservative leader says it is insane almost all the Alberta oil is sold to the U.S. at a discount “to the exclusive benefit of American refineries and commodity traders.”
He says “giant leaps” are needed on this file and Liberal anti-oil policies also must be punted.
Meanwhile, Premier Danielle Smith plays nice with Carney, at least for now.
In fact, she has had many kind words for the prime minister even when newshounds push the premier to see if she will dish some dirt on Carney.
Smith feels Carney wants to do the right thing. To Smith, he appears sincere. She believes Alberta is making progress with him. He is moving in the right direction.
Yes, Smith says Carney is far better than former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A sea of change.
She says many people are telling her to give this Liberal prime minister a chance. A recent nose count showed even some federal Conservative voters in Alberta are moderately impressed with Carney.
Believe it or not!
The premier goes further. She thinks Carney realizes he has to change course from the Trudeau years if he wants to survive politically.
Smith thinks Carney is taking seriously the sentiment for Alberta independence.
Yes, Smith has had phone calls and returned texts from Carney.
She feels if Alberta demonstrates the pipeline to the west coast is in the national interest the province will be able to get pipeline approval.
On weekend TV, Smith is confronted with the fact Carney believes a pipeline thumbs-up will need the “consensus” of the provinces.
If a province doesn’t want a pipeline you’re out of luck and the B.C. government doesn’t want Smith’s pipeline to the west coast.
When faced with Carney handing the B.C. government what amounts to a veto, the Alberta premier does not go after the prime minister.
Smith figures Team Canada is going to prevail.
She will try to convince the B.C. NDP premier to support the pipeline.
Smith says she knows Eby is on Team Canada and she doesn’t think Eby will go off Team Canada.
We will know pretty soon where the chips will fall.
The good news for Carney is Smith is not being a public thorn in the side of the prime minister.
She is prepared to work with him at this time.
No doubt she is trusting in the one thing we know about Liberals.
They do not really believe in anything,
One day they will give you the impression they stand for something. It is their principle. Here they stand.
The next day, if the wind switches direction, they will stand for the exact opposite of where they stood and sound so sincere when they are advocating what they had previously attacked.
That’s why they can take much of the Conservative policy and say it is Liberal.
That’s why they can do the fear-mongering Elbows Up and then drop it when they no longer need to whip people up. They got their votes. Mission accomplished.
Smith thinks Canadians are with Alberta on pipelines and Carney knows it.
So Smith will play nice with Carney.
If it all works out, and there are many who bet it will not work out, the Alberta premier can take a victory lap.
If it doesn’t work out, there is always a return to the old script. Another Liberal shafts Alberta.
Then all hell will break loose.
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