Smith needs to play on Team Canada, says head of AFL in letter

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on February 4, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, says Premier Danielle Smith needs to get off the sidelines and join Canada to fight against the U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threats.

McGowan sent Smith a strongly-worded letter saying the premier is not fully on Team Canada and needs to stop repeating Trump’s pretexts for attacking the Canadian economy.

“There has never been a more urgent need for Canadian governments to speak and act with one voice,” reads the letter to Smith. “Right now, it’s clear that you are not fully on Team Canada. For the sake of our economy and our sovereignty, that needs to change.”

Monday, Trump paused his plan to levy tariffs on Canada for at least 30 days as the country increases its border security, a $1.3 billion plan launched before the new president was sworn in, and Smith says she is “greatly heartened” by his decision, stating, “Diplomacy has won the day.”

“I am greatly heartened to see that U.S. President Donald Trump and the Government of Canada have agreed to a plan to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and other illegal activities at our shared border,” Smith said.

However, McGowan argues the world’s largest border between two nations is not the problem.

“This isn’t about fentanyl, immigration or even a trade imbalance between the U.S. and Canada. Repeating misinformation gives it more power.”

In his letter, McGowan calls on Smith to follow the lead of other provinces which have been using provincial government procurement policy to send a strong message to the Trump administration.

“We cannot be the only province that refuses to use non-tariff measures to respond to Trump’s attack on our economy and our sovereignty,” said McGowan, who also criticized Smith for not using her public platform to make it clear that Albertans have no interest in becoming the 51st state of the U.S.

“By not forcefully and explicitly ruling out the idea of annexation, you are helping to keep the issue alive.”

McGowan also suggests the premier use the province’s energy sector as leverage to help defend the country from the possibility of tariffs through curtailment of heavy crude.

“We urge you to use that leverage by pointing out publicly that Alberta could and will, if necessary, curtail the export of Alberta heavy crude to refineries in the U.S. Midwest, ” says McGowan. “Mexico played hardball and got Trump to back down. We need to do the same.”

In her statement, Smith says federal government officials and other premiers need to “abandon” any non-tariff measures and focus efforts on negotiations between both countries.

“There are so many win-win solutions on trade and security between our two nations. Let us turn this crisis into an opportunity to fund them for the benefit of Canadians and Americans,” says Smith.

Smith says she is planning to return to Washington, D.C. next week, with other Canadian premiers, to continue negotiations, and she will also attend the National Governors Associations conference.

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