EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will move next week to block enforcement of Ottawa’s new firearm legislation, marking one of the strongest sovereignty-based challenges her United Conservative Party has launched against federal authority to date.Speaking to supporters more than an hour late at the UCP AGM in Edmonton, Smith said her government will table a motion under the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act ordering all provincial agencies — including municipalities and police services — to refuse to enforce or prosecute the federal gun grab program. She was met with applause when she said the motion will also direct law-enforcement agencies not to charge Albertans who use firearms in self-defence inside their homes.“Here’s a tip for low-life criminals out there: If you don’t want to get shot, don’t break into someone’s house,” Smith told the crowd, arguing Ottawa has focused on “farmers, ranchers, sport shooters and Albertans defending their families” rather than criminals.Smith’s remarks put the new proposed firearm rules at the centre of her speech, framing the legislation as another example of federal overreach Alberta must resist..The premier also linked the gun debate to her broader fight with Ottawa, accusing previous Liberal and NDP federal leaders of attempting to seize provincial powers over energy, health, education and child care. She said years of federal policies created “dark times” for Alberta, particularly in the energy sector, but insisted the province is now winning key battles.Smith highlighted her government’s recent energy agreement with Ottawa, saying it will repeal the federal emissions cap, suspend net-zero power regulations in Alberta, open the door to billions in AI-related investment, and pave the way for a new 1-million-barrel-per-day bitumen pipeline to Asia. She said the deal represents “the end of the punitive oil and gas emissions cap” and a major victory after what she described as a decade of federal hostility.The deal has received mixed reactions from UCP members throughout the AGM, and Saturday was not different. There was a smattering of boos amid cheers as she discussed the agreement. .UCP members in attendance erupted as Smith noted the abrupt departures of several former federal cabinet ministers, including longtime Liberal environment minister Steven Guilbeault, calling it the end of an era for the “anti-energy movement.”Beyond energy and firearms, Smith used the speech to promise sweeping reforms in immigration, education and health care. She said Alberta will take “primary control” of its immigration system to prioritize economic newcomers and ensure existing Albertans receive first access to job opportunities. To the delight of many members in attendance, Smith also repeated her government’s commitment to parental choice in education, pledged thousands of new classrooms and staff, and promised continued expansion of special-needs programming.On health care, Smith defended the UCP’s multi-year overhaul of Alberta’s system, attacking what she called a “bloated and bureaucratic” national model. .She pointed to falling surgical wait times, more doctors and nurses, and increased use of private screening and after-hours elective surgeries under the province’s new dual-practice legislation.Smith also reiterated her government’s commitment to what she calls “freedom and justice” policies, including mandatory addictions treatment for those who pose a danger to themselves or others, and new legislation she said will protect professionals from punishment for their political views.The topic of Alberta's independence has been controversial throughout the AGM, as members on both sides of the issue have expressed their opinions with cheers or boos during speeches. The premier ended her speech with a pledge that Alberta will remain “strong and free,” repeating her government’s desire to push back on Ottawa while encouraging unity with other provinces now showing support for Alberta’s energy ambitions.She urged supporters not to “throw in the towel” as federal-provincial relations shift, arguing Alberta’s influence is growing and the province must continue pressing its demands.“We will ensure that Alberta remains forever strong and free,” she said.
