EDMONTON — Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi says Premier Danielle Smith is alone by not standing with other Canadian leaders amid Canada's trade war with the U.S., claiming that Smith has provided U.S. President Donald Trump with ammunition. "I stand with Team Canada, with the prime minister, with every other premier, with every conservative leader, even with Jason Kenney, in saying we've got to be united and we've got to be strong," said Nenshi in a video posted on Sunday. "There's only one person who says we don't, and that's Danielle Smith." .Nenshi's comments came in reference to Canada's and the U.S.'s inability to reach a new trade agreement prior to Friday's deadline, leading to Trump placing a 50% tariff on select Canadian goods, and Prime Minister Mark Carney saying he intends to match the tariffs "dollar-for-dollar."Many Canadian leaders on both sides of the political spectrum have applauded Carney's response, saying Canada must fight back against Trump. Though she agrees that the U.S.'s offer was unacceptable, Smith is not praising retaliation. "We shouldn't be cheering if our farmers have to pay 50% more for all the equipment that they need to produce our food," said Smith during her radio show on Saturday. "That's not a success for us.""It's not something we should be cheering on. It's something we should be lamenting. This is why I don't love tariff wars, because they hurt everybody. They hurt us producers, and they hurt our consumers.".Smith's deputy chief of staff, Patrick Malkin, criticized Carney's decision to cut off trade negotiations and impose retaliatory tariffs, arguing that standing up for Canada does not mean "picking a fight we’re more exposed to" and ending discussions. "Negotiate hard. Retaliate smart. Diversify fast. But never confuse walking away with winning," wrote Malkin in an X post. The premier wants Ottawa and the U.S. to resume negotiations. Nenshi said her response shows disunity among Canadian leaders. "Canada is only as strong as our weakest link, and once again, Danielle Smith has proven that she is exactly that," Nenshi said. Nenshi claims Smith has spent tax dollars on diplomatic relations with Trump and his officials, elected not to join other provinces by banning U.S. alcohol from Alberta stores, and wasted time and resources on the October referendum. "These are all signs of weakness, and they are signs that Trump will exploit," Nenshi said. "We know that Trump cannot be trusted. This is no way to negotiate, especially not with a bully." .Energy has been seen as a key Canadian bargaining chip in negotiations with the U.S. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other leaders have called on Carney to leverage Canada's energy supply, but Carney has been reluctant to even threaten to do so. Smith has taken a hardline approach on the matter, saying that she will try to prevent Canada from making a "very dumb decision" by dragging energy, especially Alberta's oil and gas, into negotiations. Progressive Tory Party of Alberta leader Peter Guthrie disagrees with Smith's approach, claiming that the largest bargaining tool should never be officially taken off the table, even if you never intend to use it. "Alberta shouldn't diminish Canada's negotiating position by declaring our options off limits from the start," reads a letter from Guthrie. "The objective isn't a trade war; it's fair trade. We should exhaust every reasonable avenue to reach an agreement, but there comes a point when enough is enough.""If the United States is prepared to use its economic strength to advance its interests, Canada must be prepared to defend ours. We shouldn't limit our options simply because Washington may not like it." Let Alberta Decide co-leader Keith Wilson, who has become a primary player in the Alberta independence debate, posted a collection of charts on social media on Saturday, showing that only 1% of Alberta's economy will be affected by the tariffs, despite 86% of its exports going to the U.S.Wilson and other Alberta independence leaders have said the U.S. will be key to the economic success of an independent Alberta.
