Alberta Premier Danielle Smith clashed with her Ontario counterpart Tuesday after he called on the province to impose tariffs on oil and gas exports.

“Premier Doug Ford said one day Alberta might have to give approval for a federal tax on oil and gas headed from Alberta to the United States. Let me be clear… Alberta will never agree to such an absurd and self destructive idea,” reads a statement from Premier Smith.

A similar tax in the 1980s sent Alberta into a multi-year recession, quadrupling unemployment and costing the province $100 billion in revenue.

Doug Ford calls on Danielle Smith to add an export tax on Albertan oil headed to the US, saying it will "instantly" change negotiations.

Smith immediately rejected the idea. pic.twitter.com/i7Aggxld1c

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 10, 2025

Premier Ford addressed the media yesterday, urging Alberta to follow the “Team Canada approach” and adopt tariffs on energy exports.

“Premier Smith said in her comments, … she has the Trump card. Well, a message to Premier Smith, one day I think you might have to use that Trump card and give approval for an export tax because … that will instantly change the game,” Ford told reporters yesterday.

“When the Americans, all of a sudden, [see] their gas prices go up $90 to $1 a gallon, they will lose their minds.” 

“It’s not an option,” Smith reiterated. “I’m not going to agree to do something that will cost hundreds of thousands of Albertans (and Canadians) their jobs almost overnight.”

Ford then clarified he doesn't direct any of his colleagues. “That's going to be strictly up to Premier Smith to make that decision or not.”

Premier Ford calls on Sask. Premier Scott Moe to stop selling uranium and other rare earth minerals to the US, noting Russia is the only competitor.

Ford accuses Trump of "cozying up to Putin," calling it a "disaster" that he's attacking his "closest friends and neighbours." pic.twitter.com/n3LSvcGxfl

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) March 4, 2025

Premier Ford also advised Saskatchewan to fall in line by shipping Uranium exports anywhere but the United States. Uranium exports account for 25% of the fuel used in U.S. nuclear power plants.

“Everyone wants our—wants his uranium,” he said. Ontario’s Premier followed by stating he did not speak on behalf of Premier Scott Moe, who earlier signed a joint communique on retaliatory tariffs with his fellow premiers this year.

Moe promptly refused, stating it would “rip this country apart.” 

He has consistently advocated for cooler heads to prevail, opposing both dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs and export tariffs of late. “It certainly is a betrayal by the federal government if they are considering any type of an export tax on potash, oil or uranium.”

The federal government introduced a 25% levy on $30 billion worth of American products Wednesday morning. Should the trade war remain unresolved, the Liberal government will expand them to cover another $125 billion in U.S. goods in the coming weeks.

BREAKING: Alberta FLIPS OFF Trudeau over threat of export tariffs

‘Alberta will simply not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these same products,’ says Premier Danielle Smith.https://t.co/DVH2RZUNa5

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 15, 2025

The Liberal government has considered export tariffs since late last year to counter U.S. tariff threats, first made over its porous southern border. “Export tariffs on our own products… is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds,” Moe said at the time.

“The fuel that comes from largely Saskatchewan and Alberta into U.S. refineries, it’s going to cost more. Thus will your groceries, thus will everything,” he told reporters. 

Premier Smith previously said the tariff threat was an “opportunity to correct the misguided direction of this country.” However, the Carney Liberals have rebounded in the polls since prorogation.

She outed the federal government at the time for “publicly and privately” floating the idea, noting that remains the case under Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney.

“We will take whatever actions are needed to protect the livelihoods of Albertans from such destructive federal policies,” Smith said.

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