Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Endorses Danielle Smith for Next Alberta Premier

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at a news conference in Calgary on Feb. 15, 2023. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has endorsed Alberta United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith in the provincial election, which will take place May 29.

On May 25, just five days ahead of the election, Poilievre said in a video, “Let’s cut through the noise on the choice between the NDP’s Rachel Notley and Conservative Danielle Smith.”

Poilievre told Albertans to “vote for Alberta. Vote Conservative.”

“Conservatives will fight the carbon tax, stand up for Alberta and its energy sector and unleash the full potential of our Alberta economy in order to grow and prosper in the future. That means more money for schools and hospitals,” Poilievre said.

Alberta Premier and UCP Leader Danielle Smith (L) and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre. The Canadian Press

“Notley will work for Trudeau and Singh, the NDP-Liberal coalition bosses in Ottawa,” he said.

The message follows an April 18 video from former Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking Albertans to “vote Conservative.” He recorded a video message that was sent to Alberta voters by text message that said the Alberta economy was “finally hitting its stride again. And employment is booming.”

Harper warned that this “could all be derailed if the Notley NDP wins.”

“It took years to recover from the last NDP government. We can’t risk going backwards again. Vote for Alberta. Vote Conservative,” said Harper.

In response to Poilievre’s message, Smith said on March 25 that a UCP government “will move Alberta—and Canada—forward,” while the New Democrat Party “will take us backwards.”

On May 24, Smith announced her first act as reelected premier would be to pass an Alberta taxpayers’ protection act to prevent future governments from raising personal or corporate income taxes without a referendum.

The UCP leader also said the party will continue to fight against Ottawa’s carbon tax.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a file photo. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

Other Endorsements

Another high-profile Albertan endorsed Smith and the UCP on May 22. Ted Morton, former Alberta finance minister and energy minister, elected in 1998 as a senator-in-waiting, penned a column in the Western Standard stating that Smith committed to reforms that he had been advocating in favour of for 20 years.

Morton said he supported Smith who had “been part of the long march from the beginning.”

“We have a new leader and a new premier—Danielle Smith—who is committed to these reforms. And we need them just as badly now as we did then,” wrote Morton.

The NDP has also received support. Former MLAs Doug Griffiths and Thomas Lukaszuk, who sat with Progressive Conservative caucuses in the past, have come forward with endorsements for NDP candidates.

A former Alberta attorney general and cabinet minister from the 1970s, Jim Foster, also said on May 23 that he was endorsing the NDP. Foster was an Alberta court judge from 1991 until 2012.

The NDP did not respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.