Just a day after receiving a warm welcome, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith encountered a much more critical and frustrated audience during her second summer town hall in Edmonton.
Among the speakers voicing their concerns was Fort Saskatchewan resident Roberta Stasyk, who remarked, “We sound like bratty children,” reflecting the mood of many in the crowd.
Smith had launched this panel series to hear public feedback after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election victory — a result that sparked talk among some Albertans about separating from Canada.
About 500 people attended Wednesday’s Edmonton town hall, according to Smith’s team.
Unlike the mostly supportive crowd in Red Deer the night before, at least one-third of those in Edmonton showed up ready to challenge Smith and her 15-member panel on issues like a provincial police force, constitutional changes, and taking more control over immigration.
One of the most heated topics was the proposal for a provincial pension plan. The majority of speakers who addressed the issue urged Smith to scrap the idea altogether.
Stasyk called it a “horrible idea,” while others criticized a government video shown before the discussion, questioning the supposed benefits.
Hans Smit, professor emeritus at the University of Calgary, warned that a smaller, provincial plan could be more vulnerable to market risks and asked for assurance it wouldn’t be used for political purposes.
Another speaker, who identified himself only as Todd, bluntly told the panel, “I can stick with the (Canada Pension Plan), one of the most effective in the world, or I can gamble with you idiots.”
Though most speakers opposed the pension plan, a show of hands revealed a majority of the crowd supported it.
The same happened with the idea of a provincial police force — vocal opposition from some, but majority support when hands were raised.
“We need a police force that lives here, works with our people, and grows with the community,” said Brian, one supporter of the idea.
The division in the room was obvious, with the crowd competing to out-cheer or out-boo each other whenever they got the chance.
