Alberta Premier Smith says U.S. midterms ‘vindication’ of her approach to tariffs

EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says sweeping Democrat wins in the U.S. midterm elections prove her province was on the right path in the cross-border trade war.

“It is a vindication of our approach when it comes to tariffs,” Smith told the house during question period Wednesday.

“We always have objected to tariffs. We know it hurts us. It hurts the Americans.”

The Democrats on Tuesday took control of both houses of Congress and flipped long-held Republican Senate seats and state-level positions.

The results are seen as a widespread rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump and his policies, including his treatment of trading partners like Canada.

Smith said she hopes the midterm results are an opportunity to improve the relationship between Canada and the U.S.

She pointed to her government’s efforts to build relationships across the aisle, including with Adam Schiff, a Democrat senator from California.

Smith’s government has stood apart from other provinces in the trade dispute. Alberta has for the most part resisted retaliatory tariffs or trade action while encouraging continued diplomacy.

Alberta only briefly halted sales of U.S. liquor in 2025, and Smith has steadfastly opposed the idea of leveraging oil and gas exports as an economic weapon in the fight.

But earlier Wednesday, as a result of the ongoing trade dispute, her government announced a new policy to prioritize Albertan and Canadian companies for small government contracts.

“We’re putting local businesses first, supporting Canadian suppliers and making sure more of our government spending helps create opportunities and jobs here at home,” Smith said in a news release.

The new measures apply to future contracts but existing deals are also to be reviewed when they come up for renewal.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said it gives qualified local companies a better shot at bidding on about $350 million in government spending, or five per cent of procurement contracts. 

He said 95 per cent of government contracts already land with Canadian companies.

“This is just a practical, common-sense way that we can help businesses that we know could be struggling or impacted because of the current tariffs,” Nally said in an interview.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi told reporters that the United Conservative Party government is two years too late.

“We’ve been asking for this exact thing for over two years, from the day Trump was re-elected,” Nenshi said.

“Imagine the wealth you could have created and the jobs you could have created in Alberta, if you had just done it two years ago when everyone else did.”

Nenshi said that beyond tariffs, he feels the U.S. midterm results were a sign that voters everywhere are tired of “culture war” politics — which he accused Smith of championing.

In question period, he pointed to a government bill tabled this week that would require post-secondary schools to develop neutrality policies.

“Who exactly asked the premier for this, and what difference is it going to make to a single student?” he asked.

Smith, in response, said her government was only trying to counteract NDP policies and influence. “They bring in the wokeism and the cancel culture. They create a hostile environment for free speech,” the premier said.

“We’re undoing their culture war.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2026.

— With files from Lisa Johnson