The next few days.
Very, very close.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith repeats those words often on Friday.
Sure, Alberta didn’t get a mention Thursday when Prime Minister Mark Carney gave his blessing to so-called nation-building projects in B.C. and Ontario and Quebec and New Brunswick and Nunavut.
Smith appears not fazed by the day’s events. Not in the least. In fact, she now appears enthusiastic about the future.
On Friday, Smith tells us Alberta is very, very close to a breakthrough on a deal with Carney, clearing the way for a pipeline to the west coast and the annihilation or neutering of Liberal laws targeting the oilpatch and a major carbon capture project.
She calls it a “comprehensive package.”
“We just need to give it a few more days.”
Smith asks for a little patience realizing full well the battle with Liberal Ottawa has been going on a long, long time.
She was hoping for the announcement of the big win by Grey Cup Sunday.
Smith repeated that timeline often but figures Albertans will be satisfied, even happy, when the waiting ends up with what the UCP government considers a good agreement for Alberta.
The premier says the two sides, Smith and Carney, have been going back and forth over a deal in some detail over many, many hours over the last couple of weeks.
Smith adds she’s told Carney coming to terms and signing off on an agreement is urgent.
How is this all coming to be?
After all, B.C. Premier David Eby craps on Smith’s plans every chance he gets, taking aim at Alberta’s economy and mocking the very thought of a pipeline shipping bitumen to his province’s west coast and then going by ship to Asia.
Within the camp of Carney’s Liberals there are said to be those Trudeau-loving lefties who will do whatever to scuttle any agreement.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a huge supporter of Alberta’s ambitions and this week in Calgary he once again told Carney to get out of the way and let the oilpatch do its thing.
But, unlike Smith, he has zero faith in Carney and thinks if the sides come to an agreement it will be a “memorandum of understanding” and won’t pay the bills.
Smith appears to believe Carney will prevail and that Carney wants an agreement.
There will be Albertans out there who will roll their eyes and think, once the dust settles, Alberta will get the short end of the stick.
“I understand the skepticism. We have had 10 years of bad policy,” says Smith.
The premier figures half a trillion dollars of investment has gone elsewhere and that has meant good-paying jobs and money for the Alberta government coffers.
We have followed Smith when she was even hopeful dealing with the Trudeau Liberals, thinking saner voices might drown out stupidity.
We have followed every step of the way as Alberta again and again and again was screwed over.
“I’ve been involved in this fight directly for the last three years and I can understand people are getting tired and weary and disappointed and frustrated,” says Smith.
No kidding.
But Smith feels Albertans want her to keep trying to get an agreement with Ottawa and do everything she possibly can do to get it done.
“We’re proud Canadians and we’re proud Albertans and we want the country to work the way it’s supposed to work.”
The premier commits to trying “until I can tell Albertans: Sorry, it’s not going to work. I’m not at that point.”
Obviously, quite the opposite.
The Smith government gained a lot of political points beating the drum against Liberal Ottawa. She was riding high in the polls when she was battling the bozos down east.
But the pitchforks and the swords have been put away, at least for now.
There are risks an agreement with Alberta could go sideways. Carney might not be able to stand the heat he will get from some of his allies and supporters. A deal with Alberta and its oilpatch will turn some stomachs.
But the smart money, and you know the smart money is smart and has one hell of a track record, is betting victory is now at hand and the deal when it is inked will be seen as very good for Alberta.
And as Smith says, we will see — in the next few days.