It was a good week for Premier Danielle Smith on the global energy stage. And Alberta..Starting in Calgary at the World Petroleum Congress, the premier was omnipresent on the convention floor, greeting delegates and taking time to sit in on sessions with an open mind and open ear..She even made a favourable impression on the Saudis — who only agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Canada in May after withdrawing its ambassador five years ago — who aren’t known for dealing with strong women leaders..In fact, she made such a hit with the world’s leading oil producer they took to calling Smith “Her Excellency.” So much so, she joked at an international business forum in Banff on Friday people could call her “E” for short..I’d argue the title is appropriate for an altogether different reason. That’s because the premier is truly ‘Engaged’ on the energy file..She’s shown a remarkable ability to grasp complex technical issues and communicate them in a way her federal counterparts are unable — or simply unwilling — to do. In fact, they’re not even willing to put in the time or the effort to do their homework the way Smith has..From Federal Resource Minister Jonathan Wilkinson’s abrupt departure to dole out $3 billion for Romania to buy CANDU nuclear reactors — while Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz was announcing a study into small nuclear reactors in the oil sands — to Steven Guilbeault’s conspicuous absence from the proceedings..Not that he would have been granted a particularly warm welcome, but he might have learned a thing or two. Not just about the most environmentally friendly oil on Earth, but also on true leadership as exemplified by both Smith and Schulz on the climate file..Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might have at least wanted to welcome the first Saudi delegation to Canada in half a decade. He left that to Smith who greeted the Saudi oil minister — a real royal — at the airport on his arrival. Even Jason Kenney wouldn’t have gone to such lengths..Knowing how the Saudis like to feel important, I think the gesture was truly appreciated. A lot more than Wilkinson’s clueless lecture at the opening ceremony. “You could just feel the energy leave the room and you could just feel the investment dollars leave the room,” Smith recalled of his speech..And Smith is perfectly correct in arguing Alberta can’t trust the federal government to promote Alberta’s interests on the world stage — such as the upcoming COP-28 summit in Dubai this winter, where Guilbeault is widely expected to tout an emissions cap on oil and gas among other pointless and prurient pet projects..“After hearing how the natural resources minister talks about our industry, after hearing how the federal environment minister talks about our industry, we can’t afford to let them carry our message,” Smith told a cheering audience at the Global Business Forum in Banff. “We can’t afford not to be there.”.Not after that pathetic display..Delegates at the forum, including Canada West Foundation president Gary Mar, who chaired Smith’s presentation, commented on how she’s grown into the role as premier and become a true champion, not just for the energy sector, but the province as a whole..“Let me say I'm glad you're premier, because I don't relish the idea of spending my time fishing turds out of a punch bowl. I mean, this is a hard job, and I mean, Alberta has, I think has a role, Canada has a role in this.”.If there’s one criticism — albeit a small one — of Smith by the GBF attendees, it’s that she doesn’t have a strong supporting cast at the cabinet table, apart from Schulz who has the unenviable task of dealing with Monsieur Guilbeault. That’s a full-time position on its own..But people of all political stripes — including this reporter — are pleasantly surprised with how engaged and optimistic, quite frankly, she is in the role..And yes. ‘Excellent’ indeed.
It was a good week for Premier Danielle Smith on the global energy stage. And Alberta..Starting in Calgary at the World Petroleum Congress, the premier was omnipresent on the convention floor, greeting delegates and taking time to sit in on sessions with an open mind and open ear..She even made a favourable impression on the Saudis — who only agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Canada in May after withdrawing its ambassador five years ago — who aren’t known for dealing with strong women leaders..In fact, she made such a hit with the world’s leading oil producer they took to calling Smith “Her Excellency.” So much so, she joked at an international business forum in Banff on Friday people could call her “E” for short..I’d argue the title is appropriate for an altogether different reason. That’s because the premier is truly ‘Engaged’ on the energy file..She’s shown a remarkable ability to grasp complex technical issues and communicate them in a way her federal counterparts are unable — or simply unwilling — to do. In fact, they’re not even willing to put in the time or the effort to do their homework the way Smith has..From Federal Resource Minister Jonathan Wilkinson’s abrupt departure to dole out $3 billion for Romania to buy CANDU nuclear reactors — while Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz was announcing a study into small nuclear reactors in the oil sands — to Steven Guilbeault’s conspicuous absence from the proceedings..Not that he would have been granted a particularly warm welcome, but he might have learned a thing or two. Not just about the most environmentally friendly oil on Earth, but also on true leadership as exemplified by both Smith and Schulz on the climate file..Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might have at least wanted to welcome the first Saudi delegation to Canada in half a decade. He left that to Smith who greeted the Saudi oil minister — a real royal — at the airport on his arrival. Even Jason Kenney wouldn’t have gone to such lengths..Knowing how the Saudis like to feel important, I think the gesture was truly appreciated. A lot more than Wilkinson’s clueless lecture at the opening ceremony. “You could just feel the energy leave the room and you could just feel the investment dollars leave the room,” Smith recalled of his speech..And Smith is perfectly correct in arguing Alberta can’t trust the federal government to promote Alberta’s interests on the world stage — such as the upcoming COP-28 summit in Dubai this winter, where Guilbeault is widely expected to tout an emissions cap on oil and gas among other pointless and prurient pet projects..“After hearing how the natural resources minister talks about our industry, after hearing how the federal environment minister talks about our industry, we can’t afford to let them carry our message,” Smith told a cheering audience at the Global Business Forum in Banff. “We can’t afford not to be there.”.Not after that pathetic display..Delegates at the forum, including Canada West Foundation president Gary Mar, who chaired Smith’s presentation, commented on how she’s grown into the role as premier and become a true champion, not just for the energy sector, but the province as a whole..“Let me say I'm glad you're premier, because I don't relish the idea of spending my time fishing turds out of a punch bowl. I mean, this is a hard job, and I mean, Alberta has, I think has a role, Canada has a role in this.”.If there’s one criticism — albeit a small one — of Smith by the GBF attendees, it’s that she doesn’t have a strong supporting cast at the cabinet table, apart from Schulz who has the unenviable task of dealing with Monsieur Guilbeault. That’s a full-time position on its own..But people of all political stripes — including this reporter — are pleasantly surprised with how engaged and optimistic, quite frankly, she is in the role..And yes. ‘Excellent’ indeed.
