Western premiers conference wraps with promise to co-operate

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]We all understand that this is Canada's moment and that we need to work together to make the most of it. To achieve the prosperity and change we want to see in this great country, we need unity, certainty, and stability that enables each province and territory to develop their economies and to export their resources to the world. We are all stronger members of a united Canada. We are committed to working together and with the federal government through challenging issues that have created frustration for many Western Canadians to create a more prosperous future. The way we're going to seek clarity is through the court. Uh we think that the duty to consult is uh meant to be looked at through a lens of major projects and we take that very seriously. We had an an indigenous round table yesterday where we I shared with the premiers how we're using our Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to help uh underwrite major project participation to give uh revenues to indigenous uh nations and how we want to continue uh engaging with indigenous nations on that. But the the issue, I think, in the court is whether that duty to consult should apply to citizen-initiated petitions. And that's where I I think that the court erred in judgment and I think it's also anti-democratic, the decision that they made.

[00:01:12]>> It is not up to the petition gatherers to fulfill the duty to consult. It is up to you as the Alberta government to fulfill the duty to consult.

[00:01:20]And in this case when there is clearly going to be an impact on well-established existing hunting and fishing rights by putting up uh an international border if some would have their way, the judge ruled and I would agree with the judge's ruling that that is going to infringe on rights.

[00:01:38]And so there is a duty to consult.

[00:01:40]Now, to take a step further for the Albertan who's been frustrated over the lack of progress on pipelines you've got the premier of BC announcing LNG, we're working on Churchill, we're working on northern uh trade corridors.

[00:01:56]This is a moment to get big things built in Manitoba. And I would say now is the time to work together. I disagree profoundly with Premier Smith's referendum. I think it is a huge mistake. Um, and Premier Smith disagrees with me profoundly about, uh, issues related to a pipeline in the North Coast and the North Coast tanker ban. That's okay. Uh, we can disagree with each other and, uh, and, uh, she can still give me a real nice pair of boots, uh, and I can come here and say what an amazing province you have. Uh, we got to find a way to work these things out together at the table. Uh, and, uh, we have to be at the table to be able to do that, uh, and we will.