How does Danielle Smith's tariff strategy measure up to that of other premiers?
CBC
Premier Danielle Smith is once again headed to the U.S. later this month to continue her diplomatic approach to tariff talks amid a trade war with the United States.
Smith will travel to South Florida at taxpayers' expense to talk about tariffs with conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro. Their conversation is part of a fundraiser for a non-profit organization called PragerU.
The Alberta premier's strategy contrasts with the approach of provincial leaders like Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose aggressive actions include ripping up a $100-million internet service deal with Elon Musk's Starlink and threatening to tax electricity exports to the U.S. On Tuesday, he agreed to suspend that action pending upcoming talks with U.S. officials.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump was elected in November, Smith has stressed diplomacy as a key political strategy. She visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago in mid-January, the first premier to do so after he threatened tariffs on Canadian goods.
This week, Smith is in Houston for the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference, which has been described as the Super Bowl of energy. According to the conservative media outlet Breitbart News Network, Smith spoke with its Washington bureau chief on the radio Saturday about trade, tariffs and Canada's response.
Although Smith has recently supported Canada's response, her efforts have been criticized in the past as flouting the "Team Canada" approach.
The two types of strategy — Smith's diplomacy versus Ford's direct actions — both have merits, said Greg Anderson, a political science professor at the University of Alberta.
And both have caught the attention of Americans.
Smith has made it a point to appear in media — like Breitbart and Fox News — that Republicans, including Trump, are watching. Anderson said that strategy is something that has been part of the Alberta playbook for decades to tout the importance of the province's energy sector.
On top of that, Smith has also made it a point to make regular trips to the U.S., Anderson said in an interview Tuesday.
"Sometimes these things pay dividends, just in terms of 'Hey, people are aware of what's going on here and what people are trying to do."
The South Florida event is a gala fundraiser for Prager University Foundation (PragerU), which — despite its name — is not an accredited university and does not hold classes or grant degrees.
The U.S. non-profit describes itself on its website as promoting "American values through short educational videos for people of all ages."
"Young Americans are being fed poisonous lies about the greatest country on Earth by our media, culture, and especially our education establishment," reads its 2024 annual report. "PragerU is medicine for the mind, educating young people with the truth about America's unparalleled liberty, endless opportunities, and moral goodness."
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