Federal politicians congratulate Alberta’s Danielle Smith on election win

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is congratulating Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her election win, after she called out his “harmful” energy policies in her victory speech.

Smith and her United Conservative Party won a majority government Monday night after a tight race against Rachel Notley’s NDP.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Premier Smith and the provincial government to deliver results for Albertans — including growing the economy, creating good jobs for the middle class, improving health care, continuing to position Alberta as a leader in clean energy, and making life more affordable,” Trudeau wrote in a statement Tuesday. “We will also continue to build on the progress we have made to deliver affordable child care to families in Alberta and move forward on the path of reconciliation.”

Smith in her victory speech took aim at Trudeau and his government’s energy policies, calling them “harmful.”

“Hopefully the prime minister and his caucus are watching tonight,” she said. “Let me be clear: this is not a road we can afford to go down.”

“If he persists, he will be hurting Canadians from coast to coast, and he will strain the patience and goodwill of Albertans in an unprecedented fashion,” she also said.

She called on the federal government to “show it is willing to partner in good faith” to find ways to reduce emissions.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Tuesday he’s “confident” the federal Liberals and Smith’s government in Alberta will be able to “work (their) differences out.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also commented on the election results, saying: “The people of Alberta have spoken, and we recognize that.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre meanwhile congratulated Smith “on bringing home a resounding victory” in a tweet Tuesday morning.

“Last night Albertans rejected the woke NDP-Liberal coalition and instead voted to fight the carbon tax, stand up for our energy sector and unleash the full potential of Alberta’s economy,” he wrote.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also weighed in on Smith’s victory Tuesday, saying he was “disappointed” with the results, calling them “bad for Alberta,” and “bad for Canada.”

But, he added, he’s heartened that his Alberta counterparts have “changed the landscape of politics” in the province, taking it from a one-party province a decade ago to Notley and the NDP being a real contender in this race.