Alberta Premier Danielle Smith admits 'bumpy' first days in office while addressing Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
Lisa Johnson - Yesterday
Addressing Edmonton’s Chamber of Commerce for the first time as Alberta premier Thursday, Danielle Smith admitted her first days in office have been “bumpy.”
Premier Danielle Smith speaks at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, at the Edmonton Convention Centre.© Provided by Edmonton Journal
The quip came during a question and answer session and got a laugh from the crowd of business leaders at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
“It’s going to be a bit bumpy for the next 90 days. Any time you’re changing a major area of government, there’s going to be some bumpiness,” Smith warned, referring to her plans to rapidly restructure management of the provincial health authority even as multiple groups representing Alberta health workers call for stability in the system.
“I would hope that there’s a bit of goodwill, that some of the successes get reported as well as when we’re making some mistakes along the way. Just be patient and gentle with us because we know that we have to do this for Albertans,” said Smith.
Smith’s appearance comes after a tumultuous start to her tenure. Following her first news conference as premier last Monday, she offered a clarification on her statement that unvaccinated people are the most discriminated-against group she’s seen, and earlier this week apologized for controversial past social media posts about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
‘Fair warning’: Smith reiterates plan to legally protect unvaccinated
During her keynote address to chamber members Thursday, Smith talked about her dislike of vaccine passports and her plans to amend the Alberta Human Rights Act to add protections for people who have chosen to not get vaccinated against COVID-19 — a move that she recognized will change the landscape for some businesses and organizations across the province this fall.
“I just wanted to give you a fair warning that we are going to be making a serious pivot in that regard,” said Smith, who asked that businesses get in line with the government’s new direction.
“We want to send the message to the community and to the world investment markets that this is a place that is open for business. This is a place that believes in freedom. This is a place that believes in free enterprise, and this is a place where we’re not going to be making arbitrary decisions that are going to disproportionately impact small and medium businesses,” said Smith to a smattering of applause.
“I’m very aware that our hardest hit sector of our economy was the tourism sector, the hospitality sector, restaurants, hotels, and I’d love to get some feedback from you today,” said Smith.
While Smith did not take questions from reporters at the event,
Lisa Johnson - Yesterday
Addressing Edmonton’s Chamber of Commerce for the first time as Alberta premier Thursday, Danielle Smith admitted her first days in office have been “bumpy.”
Premier Danielle Smith speaks at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, at the Edmonton Convention Centre.© Provided by Edmonton Journal
The quip came during a question and answer session and got a laugh from the crowd of business leaders at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
“It’s going to be a bit bumpy for the next 90 days. Any time you’re changing a major area of government, there’s going to be some bumpiness,” Smith warned, referring to her plans to rapidly restructure management of the provincial health authority even as multiple groups representing Alberta health workers call for stability in the system.
“I would hope that there’s a bit of goodwill, that some of the successes get reported as well as when we’re making some mistakes along the way. Just be patient and gentle with us because we know that we have to do this for Albertans,” said Smith.
Smith’s appearance comes after a tumultuous start to her tenure. Following her first news conference as premier last Monday, she offered a clarification on her statement that unvaccinated people are the most discriminated-against group she’s seen, and earlier this week apologized for controversial past social media posts about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
‘Fair warning’: Smith reiterates plan to legally protect unvaccinated
During her keynote address to chamber members Thursday, Smith talked about her dislike of vaccine passports and her plans to amend the Alberta Human Rights Act to add protections for people who have chosen to not get vaccinated against COVID-19 — a move that she recognized will change the landscape for some businesses and organizations across the province this fall.
“I just wanted to give you a fair warning that we are going to be making a serious pivot in that regard,” said Smith, who asked that businesses get in line with the government’s new direction.
“We want to send the message to the community and to the world investment markets that this is a place that is open for business. This is a place that believes in freedom. This is a place that believes in free enterprise, and this is a place where we’re not going to be making arbitrary decisions that are going to disproportionately impact small and medium businesses,” said Smith to a smattering of applause.
“I’m very aware that our hardest hit sector of our economy was the tourism sector, the hospitality sector, restaurants, hotels, and I’d love to get some feedback from you today,” said Smith.
While Smith did not take questions from reporters at the event,
UCP POLICY UNCHALLENGED BY THE FACILE GROVELING MEDIA
she did touch on a wide variety of issues, including encouraging electric vehicle infrastructure, and working with municipalities to change their fleets to hydrogen.
“The government can take the lead on creating the supply and building the infrastructure, and once we do that, then others will be able to follow suit — but there has to be some catalyst that’s going to push that forward,” said Smith, who also emphasized her plans to better talk about Alberta’s oil and gas sector on the international stage.
Smith has said she will send a provincial delegation to COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in November.
On Thursday, she promised further announcements soon on the mental health and addiction file after having touted the UCP government’s recent $187-million commitment towards fighting homelessness with emergency shelters and fighting addiction with recovery facilities.
Smith is expected to announce her new cabinet Friday following a team-building caucus retreat in Sylvan Lake this week. She has said her cabinet will include some ministers who served under previous premier Jason Kenney, but will bring more rural voices to the table.
“The government can take the lead on creating the supply and building the infrastructure, and once we do that, then others will be able to follow suit — but there has to be some catalyst that’s going to push that forward,” said Smith, who also emphasized her plans to better talk about Alberta’s oil and gas sector on the international stage.
Smith has said she will send a provincial delegation to COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in November.
On Thursday, she promised further announcements soon on the mental health and addiction file after having touted the UCP government’s recent $187-million commitment towards fighting homelessness with emergency shelters and fighting addiction with recovery facilities.
Smith is expected to announce her new cabinet Friday following a team-building caucus retreat in Sylvan Lake this week. She has said her cabinet will include some ministers who served under previous premier Jason Kenney, but will bring more rural voices to the table.
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