Alberta premier suggests Mark Carney has issues with strong conservative women

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith provides an update on what steps the government is taking related to allegations by former Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, in Calgary, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith responded Monday to Liberal Leader Mark Carney using her as a stump speech punchline, saying Carney has issues with assertive women of opposing ideologies.

“I’ve noticed this with progressive men and how much they talk about how much they support women until they meet a strong conservative woman,” Smith said in Edmonton, responding to questions at an unrelated news conference. 

“This is a pretty consistent type of approach that I’ve seen, not only from the current prime minister, but the former one as well.”

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The spat is the latest chapter of acrimony between Smith and Carney, whose relationship soured almost immediately after he was sworn in last month as prime minister.

On the stump in Victoria on the weekend, Carney joked about Canadian premiers appearing on Fox News, the conservative U.S media outlet, saying it would be a “bad idea” to put Smith on the network to advocate for cross-border diplomacy.

“We’re sending (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford on to Fox News to show them that we’re not messing around up here,” Carney said.

“And we’re going to send Danielle next, we’re … well, no, maybe we won’t send Danielle,” the Liberal leader said. “No, maybe we won’t. We won’t send Danielle. We’re going to keep her. No, it was a bad idea.”

Smith’s comments hearken back to a recent speech in the legislature in which she suggested criticism of her efforts to curtail U.S. tariffs is rooted in sexism.

“They want this lady and Alberta to just sit down and shut up,” Smith told Alberta legislators in late March.

As the election campaign nears the midpoint, Carney’s Liberal party has mined from Smith comments. It recently published an ad featuring her comments that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre would be “very much in sync” with America’s direction under President Donald Trump. Smith on Monday said Poilievre and Trump’s alignment is a question for Poilievre to answer, adding she doesn’t see parallels between the two.

“I’m focused on provincial politics and provincial policy, and I let the two political leaders who are front-runners battle it out with themselves,” Smith said.

The relationship has been frosty from the start.

Prior to election call, during Carney’s first week as prime minister, they met in Edmonton, but no customary photo of the two was taken.

Shortly after the meeting, Smith laid out a list of demands for the next federal government and threatened a national unity crisis if they’re not met.

Smith has expressed frustration with Carney’s unwillingness to end the proposed cap on oil and gas emissions. Carney publicly said in his Alberta visit that he wasn’t in favour of the cap, and has since confirmed his government would keep it.

Discussions around western grievances have gained steam as polls show the Liberals remain competitive under Carney. 

Former federal Reform Party leader Preston Manning wrote in the Globe and Mail last week that a Carney government would fuel a western secession movement. Recent polls suggest minority support in the province for severing Alberta’s relationship with Canada.

Responding to a question about Manning’s piece, Smith said there’s frustration among Albertans with the past decade of Liberal governance and she has committed to a “What’s Next” panel if her pre-election demands aren’t met six months after the April 28 federal vote.

Smith has said she isn’t advocating for separation, but has noted there is a citizen-led process for initiating referendums.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2025.

By Matthew Scace