Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her disappointment with the appointment of Toronto MP Julie Dabrusin as the new environment minister.

“I am very concerned the prime minister has appointed what appears to be yet another anti-oil and gas environment minister," Smith told the National Post on Carney’s cabinet picks.

"Not only is [Dabrusin] a self-proclaimed architect of the designation of plastics as toxic, but she is a staunch advocate against oil sands expansion (and) proponent of phasing out oil and gas."

Smith stated her discomfort Tuesday with Dabrusin's close association with Guilbeault, her long-time adversary, for whom Dabrusin had been a parliamentary secretary for four years.

In 2020, Dabrusin aired grievances on the environmental impact of a major Alberta oil sands mining project.

She earlier condemned Guilbeault as an "ideologue" complicit in national disunity. "He doesn't listen. He doesn't honour the Constitution. He ignores court judgments, and he continues barrelling ahead even though his actions are illegal." 

A federal judge deemed the cabinet's "toxic" designation of all plastics overly broad, "unreasonable," and "unconstitutional," finding it wasn't limited to harmful plastics.

Ottawa filed an appeal of the ruling in late 2023.

Smith criticized Carney for promoting Dabrusin, viewing it as Ottawa's continued conflict with Alberta over 'net-zero' policies. He continues to defend the Impact Assessment Act and the oil and gas cap, key climate policies straining relations.

"How optimistic are you [about] a new relationship between Alberta and Ottawa?" a reporter asked Smith in March. "Well, [that] very much depends," she replied, noting the federal cabinet remains "exactly the same" from 10 years of economic devastation. 

Carney's cabinet shuffle yesterday kept familiar faces on board from the Trudeau government, including Guilbeault, who shuffled to the Canadian Heritage portfolio.

Smith clarified that Albertans "expect to be treated with fairness and respect, just like any other province in this country."

"We will not accept the reckless and dangerous policies, policies that will harm our economy, stifle our energy industry, jeopardize the reliability of our electricity grid, and raise electricity prices for Albertans."

Smith has tabled two sovereignty act motions as premier, one to counter the electricity regulations and another to oppose the oil and gas production cap.

Alberta's latest motion proposed an immediate constitutional challenge if the cap becomes law, and later filed a challenge to the electricity regulations.

A court challenge to a federal bill can only occur after it passes Parliament. The legality of Alberta's sovereignty act has not yet been court-tested.

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