Danielle Smith 'missed the landing' during 'awkward' handshake with Justin Trudeau

Pundits weigh in on 'awkward' Smith-Trudeau shake Political scientists say Premier Danielle Smith's awkward handshake with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signals the type of relationship Alberta has with Ottawa.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith admits she and the prime minister "missed the landing" during their much-discussed handshake in Ottawa earlier this week.

The limp and lacklustre clasp during a media availability on Tuesday prompted response from political experts who called it "awkward" and said it seemed Smith was not "altogether comfortable" in that moment.

Asked about the interaction on Thursday, Smith said she had already shaken Justin Trudeau's hand off camera.

"I had walked into the room and I had already shaken his hand, so we had already said our hellos, and then we were going to our respective chairs waiting for the media to come in, so I was taken a bit by surprise that he wanted to shake hands again," Smith laughed.

"We kind of missed the landing.It was a little bit awkward, but we ended up having a really good discussion after that."

She even appeared to make fun of the moment prior to Thursday's news conference, walking up to reporters to shake each one's hand before starting.

Smith said her trip to Ottawa to discuss health care was productive, but while the money Alberta would be getting from the federal government was "significant," it wasn't as much as her government had hoped for.

She said her meeting with the prime minister was "positive overall," but added she doesn't believe Trudeau has shown himself to be a “friend of Alberta" yet.