The Daily Populous Monday March 24th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by globalnews.ca and submitted by joe4942

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is facing criticism over comments made earlier in March during an interview with an American right-wing news outlet.

Smith recently told syndicated news and commentary website Breitbart that she has asked the Donald Trump administration to put tariffs on pause until after Canada’s federal election, because the trade war is benefiting the Liberals in the polls.

Speaking to Matthew Boyle from Breitbart on March 8, Smith commented that she believes the tariffs imposed by the U.S. are hurting Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre’s chances of being elected prime minister.

“Because of what we see as unjust and unfair tariffs, it’s actually caused an increase in support for the Liberals. And so that’s what I fear — is that the longer this dispute goes on, politicians posture and it seems to be benefiting the Liberals right now,” Smith said in the telephone interview.

“‘I would hope that we could put things on pause, is what I’ve told administration officials: ‘Let’s just put things on pause so we can get through an election. Let’s have the best person at the table make the argument for how they would deal with that,’ and I think that’s Pierre Poilievre.”

“I would say, on balance, the perspective that Pierre would bring would be very much in sync with, I think, the new direction in America.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I would say, on balance, the perspective that Pierre would bring would be very much in sync with, I think, the new direction in America."

Poilievre has been working to distance himself from the Republicans and President Trump, but an Alberta political analyst said Smith did him no favours.

“We know that Danielle Smith has the potential to be a big liability for Pierre Poilievre. That’s been the case since she became premier and perhaps even before that,” said Lori Williams, a political analyst at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

“Danielle Smith has made Pierre Poilievre’s ability to appeal to moderate Conservatives, or moderate Canadians or swing voters, a bit more difficult.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Danielle Smith has made Pierre Poilievre's ability to appeal to moderate Conservatives, or moderate Canadians or swing voters, a bit more difficult."

Asked about Smith’s comments on Sunday, Poilievre avoided directly responding to anything she said but pointed out that Trump recently told Fox News he thought it would be easier to deal with a Liberal.

2:48 Trump claims ‘a Liberal’ would be ‘easier to deal with’ than Poilievre

The Conservatives have seen their lead in the polls evaporate in recent weeks as Trump and his trade war have become a top issue for voters, according to a recent Ipsos poll.

The poll, published last week by Ipsos Public Affairs exclusively for Global News, found if a federal election were held now, the Liberals would secure 42 per cent of decided voter support, compared with 36 per cent for the Conservatives — widening their lead over the Tories by seven points in just three weeks.

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Poilievre has shifted his overall messages as Canadian pride surged in the face of Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada.

He’s putting less emphasis on the notion that “Canada is broken” and striking a more positive tone, vowing to “restore Canada’s promise” — the notion, he said, that “anyone from anywhere can achieve anything.”

2:01 Liberal party support rebounds as election looms, new polls show

In the Breitbart interview, Smith also discussed how she felt former prime minister Justin Trudeau got Canada “into a ditch” after his trip to Trump’s Florida estate Mar-A-Lago following the U.S. Election in November.

Smith said Trudeau made two blunders: by not ensuring Canada was meeting the two per cent military spending target for NATO, and making Canada appear fragile economically.

“He said that tariffs would result in Canada collapsing and I think that was the wrong message to convey because it made us sound very, very weak.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "He said that tariffs would result in Canada collapsing and I think that was the wrong message to convey because it made us sound very, very weak."

Williams said the comments in the interview are another bad move by the premier.

“Now that she has essentially suggested that the administration just pause the tariffs during the election — I think that in itself is problematic.

“But to also say that Pierre Poilievre aligns with the values of the Trump administration — I think that becomes quite difficult for Pierre Poilievre,” Williams said, adding it it undermines his claim that Donald Trump wouldn’t want him as prime minister.

2:01 Alberta’s premier defends co-headlining Florida event with Ben Shapiro

Alberta Opposition leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith is putting politics ahead of Canadian unity.

“Danielle Smith is more than happy to placate Trump during the worst economic crisis facing our country than she is willing to work with Canadians,” Nenshi said in a post on X Sunday afternoon.

“Calling for a pause on tariffs to politically benefit one party or another isn’t the right approach. But standing firm for Canada is.”

With the federal election campaign officially beginning on Sunday, the Liberals are already using it against the federal Conservatives.

“With respect to the premier’s comments: I take note of her alignment of Mr. Poilievre with Mr. Trump and would note that that’s one of the decisions that Canadians will have to make,” said Liberal Leader Mark Carney.

“Whether they want a government that is unified, standing up for Canada, and is taking focused action to build a better economy or they want division and Americanism.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Whether they want a government that is unified, standing up for Canada, and is taking focused action to build a better economy or they want division and Americanism."

2:00 Alberta premier embarks on U.S. TV blitz amid tariff pause

In a statement to Global News on Sunday, the premier’s office said any suggestion Smith is asking the U.S. to interfere in Canada’s election is offensive and false.

Smith added she has been working with other premiers in order to convey to American officials how damaging tariffs could be – and how they need to be put on hold until after an election in order to properly renegotiate CUSMA.

“Now that an election has been called I would reiterate my hope that the United States would refrain from placing tariffs on their closest ally and largest trading partner during the middle of the election,” Smith said in her statement on Sunday.

Smith was scheduled to speak at the University of Alberta for an unrelated announcement on Monday. That event was postponed on Sunday afternoon.

— with files from Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press, and Drew Stremick, Global News

QueenBeeKeeper88 on March 23rd, 2025 at 23:56 UTC »

She’s a dipshit. And I’m from Saskatchewan so that says a lot about her.

M_Lykins on March 23rd, 2025 at 23:53 UTC »

She is clearly asking for foreign interference in our upcoming federal election and needs to be reported for her actions.

Canadians should file a complaint with Elections Canada (for non-Canadians, this is the governing body in charge of our elections.) HERE.

This falls under:

"To Report A Potential Contravention" > "Foreign Interference" > "Undue Influence By Foreigners"

Edit: You can find the article on Breitbart in which she admitted to it HERE

You will need to copy and paste the link to the article in the complaint and/or include links to the audio of her interview.

The_Bat_Voice on March 23rd, 2025 at 23:53 UTC »

The headline is doing a massive disservice to highlight the illegal act Danielle Smith just committed. It's not that she asked to pause the tariffs. It's that she asked to pause them so that the more favorable to Trump candidates, Pierre Pollievre and the Conservative Party, would be more likely to win. Danielle Smith was quoted as saying Her, Pierre Pollievre, and Trump see eye to eye on Trumps vision of North America. It is extremely illegal to ask a foreign entity, never mind a foreign government, to assist in an election, even more so once an election is imminent.

Edit: I want to take the attention this post is getting to highlight Danielle Marlaina Smiths resume and tenure of the UCP in office.

She doubled the cost of healthcare by forcing contracts onto private organizations, all while reducing the amount of service provided.

She spent $5,800 per bottle on children's tylenol. Wasting millions of taxpayers dollars.

She intimidated and fired AHS board members who were investigating the questionable private healthcare contracts to privatized surgeons. She then fired all of them on the day they were to hand their investigation to the RCMP. She then enstated a single person in place of the board, the deputy chief of staff to the health minister.

She handed healthcare deals to the wife of the former health ministers wife.

That same former health minister showed up drunk on the front lawn of a surgeons private residence who criticized him online in an attempt to intimidate him.

She handed the same minister and other former UCP members control rural hospitals after they left party due to losing their seats in the election.

She has spent tax payer money to undercut the unity of Canada to go speak and attend MAGA rallies and events.

Her minister of justice was caught trying to make a deal with a chief of police to get out of speeding tickets.

Her former minister of education said she didn't believe in public education. She was then made the health minister, and yes, she is the one caught up in the current scandals.

Smith has also sided with Alberta sepratists according to statements directly from the sepratists.

She is backed by the religious organization Take Back Alberta, who are also under investigation for tax evasion and illegal foreign donations.

She contracted out the medical industry lab testing to Dynalife. They then turned around and filed for insolvency after only 90 days with the contract. Then, Smith paid to buy the company and gave the board of the failing company cushy bonuses for it. All of this after she paid for the cancelation of the construction of a new modern medical public super lab.

One of her members called trans kids the "shit nuggets that ruin the cookies for everyone". Who she let stay as a member even after she proved she still stood by her remarks after "sensitivity training".

She is attempting to pull Alberta's pension plans out of the joint Canadian Pension Plan, the best performing pension plan in the world.

She wants to create a provincial police force that answers to her office so she can kick out the RCMP. Coincidentally, the same police force that is in charge of the numerous investigations of scandals she is involved in.

She tried to get the Justice Minister to pull strings over the criminal case of a religious nut who was involved in the trucker convoy, and had to apologize to the legislature after the ethics commission found she had contravened the Conflicts of Interest Act.

She has promoted anti-vax policies and dedicated funding to alternative snake oil health options.

She canceled fines for those who broke covid restriction laws.

She passed laws that made it law that teachers have to out trans and gay kids to their parents.

She made it illegal for trans kids to receive healthcare.