Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he backs Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over her concerns about what she's called Ottawa's anti-oil-and-gas agenda.

Poilievre told reporters Wednesday in Calgary that he discussed health care, public safety and defending Canada's oil sector when he met recently with his Alberta Conservative counterpart in Ottawa.

Smith has voiced her opposition over pending federal legislation, dubbed "just transition," which is billed as helping Canadian workers adapt to the global move toward renewable energy.

Smith has accused the federal Liberal government of imposing discriminatory policies and legislation on non-renewable resource development that she says is frustrating Alberta's energy sector.

In December, her United Conservative Party government passed a sovereignty act that grants Alberta the power to direct its agencies to flout federal laws and initiatives deemed harmful to provincial interests. However, Smith has not committed to using the province's act to rebut the federal “just transition” legislation.

Poilievre said Wednesday that the federal government's agenda would make Canada dependent on foreign, polluting dictatorships and allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue to dominate the European energy market to fund his war against Ukraine.

"I do share Alberta's concern about (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau's anti-energy and anti-resource agenda," Poilievre said. "He has said he wants to phase out our oilsands. He says southern Ontario should move away from manufacturing. He has attacked our mining sector.

"Every time Justin Trudeau attacks our energy sector, a big smile appears on the face of Vladimir Putin.'"

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2023.

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"I do share Alberta's concern about (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau's anti-energy and anti-resource agenda," Poilievre said. "He has said he wants to phase out our oilsands. GOOD, IT IS THE ONLY SANE THING TO DO. He says southern Ontario should move away from manufacturing. SEEMS MIGHTY IMPLAUSIBLE FROM A GUY WHO IS ACTIVELY CHIPPING IN FOR NEW EV AUTO PLANTS AND EV BATTERY FACTORIES. He has attacked our mining sector. PROBABLY MEANS THE LIBERAL GOVT'S MORATORIUM ON DEEP SEE MINING WHICH IS WHAT ANY ENVIRONMENTALLY CONCERNED CITIZEN SHOULD EXPECT. How does P.P. keep a straight face when he casts his purposefully negative red-meat dispersions on Justin Trudeau from the sanctity of Calgary, as if he was a kid blowing dandelion seeds into the summer wind hoping some would travel far and infect the minds of voters across Canada.
But perhaps the least surprising news is that he will stand with Danielle Smith in opposing the soon to be tabled Just Transition. The idea of accepting social justice, the coincidental Just and Justin juxtaposition, this time in a positive light (he'd rather recycle Justinflation) and the idea of green jobs, are all a bridge too far for these two oil and gas industry forever cheerleaders.

Yup!

His funeral. Hang it around his neck. Especially in Quebec.

It's frustrating that the pro-fossil politicians are never pinned down on when the party has to end. What I wouldn't give to see him asked about whether fossil fuels are here to the year 2500? No? 2400? Presumably, he'd not become uncomfortable until 2100.

Asked about how likely it seems that we'd use fossil for cars and power generation in 20 years, given the exponential increases in solar, wind, and batteries in the last 20. Isn't it like looking at the improvements in small computers from 1970 to 1990, and expecting the Big IBM mainframes to remain the dominant source of computing for the next 20?

And what is his pivot, if he guesses wrong and the free market itself is dumping fossil in another 10 years? He'll still have a lot of career time left in politics, and he'll have spent 10 years betting on the wrong horse.

I'm pretty sure that a thoughtful, fact-based interview could make him sweat.

"Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he backs Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over her concerns about what she's called Ottawa's anti-oil-and-gas agenda."

This is laughable.

Poilievre obviously doesn't care to acknowledge Trudeau's own Trans Mountain Pipeline project, an asset Rich Kinder ecstatically goaded the Kid into very quickly buying on behalf of all Canadians. If he did, he'd probably be tempted to knock it for being over budget ... like, really mindblowingly gold-plated costly. It's quickly closing in on $30B.

If Poilievre did pop that criticism into the air, he'd be categorized as a level-headed fiscal conservative, a quadrant of his party he has already chosen to ignore in favour of nutbar populism.