EDMONTON — Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis explained a pro-Canada pin he was wearing on Wednesday, saying he believes Alberta should remain in Canada. "The premier, and I have been very clear that we believe in a strong Alberta within a united Canada," said Ellis when a reporter asked him to explain why he feels the need to wear a pin of the Canada and Alberta flags. "I'm a Calgarian, I'm an Albertan, and I am a Canadian, and so I'm proud to let people know that I'm a proud Albertan and a proud Canadian."The comments were promoted by a reporter who said it was Ellis's first time wearing the pin. To which Ellis cheekily responded by saying the reporter needs to watch the legislature more, because he always wears the pin. Premier Danielle Smith, who was standing with Ellis during the press conference to announce $4.1 million in funding to support victims of dangerous crimes, chimed in by holding up his binder and pointing to the cover, which featured pictures of the Alberta and Canada flags. .Throughout the last year and the accompanying Alberta independence movement, the UCP caucus has consistently said they are in favour of a "sovereign Alberta within a united Canada." That is why Smith said she is working hard to build a pipeline from Alberta to the Northern BC coast and to secure other federal changes that would give Alberta more control over its own jurisdiction. "What I would say is we're looking for partners so that we can get the country working the way it was always supposed to," Smith said on Wednesday. These efforts include a joint letter from Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, calling on the federal government to give the provinces greater say in the selection of provincial judges. "We find that there's actually, there's a lot of common cause with our fellow provinces and a lot of frustration that the country isn't working as well as it should, but we believe that with these kind of incremental changes, we can get back to the spirit of the Constitution as it was written," Smith said. "That's part of the reason why we proudly support a sovereign Alberta within the united Canada."
