Smith declares Alberta’s pipeline deal with feds ‘a clear win’ at UCP convention

Alberta's watershed pipeline deal with Ottawa wasn't front and centre Friday when Premier Danielle Smith spoke with United Conservative Party faithful at their annual convention.

Smith took the stage in Edmonton for the first of many addresses planned for the weekend.

It wasn't until after she spoke on issues including rural policing, new federal legislation and even separatism that someone in the crowd asked for clarification on Alberta's commitments in the deal, prompting her to address it.

"I think it's a clear win," Smith said of the accord. "It's a clear win for Alberta and for my incredible ministers who did a lot of work on that."

There was some applause, but the premier was later met with a chorus of boos when she asked party supporters if they feel more confident in Canada than they did a few days ago.

The deal, signed by Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday, commits Alberta and Ottawa to working together toward a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast. Carney also walked back many of the nine federal laws Smith has long blamed for stalling energy investments in the province.

"I would say seven out of nine isn't bad," Smith told the UCP crowd, listing off the looming oil and gas emissions cap and clean electricity regulations that Carney agreed to back off of, at least for Alberta.

But the deal also binds Alberta to a future framework of higher industrial carbon pricing, which one UCP constituency association president said is reason enough to toss the agreement.

Mitch Sylvestre, the constituency association president for a rural riding northeast of Edmonton and a leader in Alberta's separatist movement, said he thinks the deal with Carney will be a hard sell for some, if not most, party members.

"I literally think it's insane," Sylvestre said of the carbon tax pledge.

“I cannot see anybody being on side of this. I'm absolutely blown away."

The deal also doesn't outright guarantee a pipeline, he said, so Smith might be in for a "rough ride" once party members get a better understanding of the details.

"The only way Alberta's getting the pipeline built is if we leave Canada."

Some in the crowd perked up at talk of separatism as candidates made their cases for board positions. The party estimates about 4,000 members will be attending the conference, which wraps Sunday.