Meeting the Challenge——Multicultural Roundtable with Premier Danielle Smith and Finance Minister Nate Horner

【CMHnews post】In April 2025, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Finance Minister Nate Horner hosted an ethnic media roundtable to discuss “Budget 2025: Meeting the Challenge.”

The event focused on how the province is responding to global trade uncertainties, economic pressures, and population growth while maintaining Alberta’s competitive edge and quality of life.In her opening remarks, Premier Smith emphasized that Budget 2025 is designed to support Alberta families in the face of rising living costs. She noted that the province is implementing a major personal income tax cut—saving individuals up to $750 and families up to $1,500 annually.

     “We’ve worked very hard to keep our economy competitive, maintain the Alberta advantage, and stand up for our province’s autonomy,” said Smith. The budget also invests billions into the healthcare and education sectors. Plans include improving access to medical services, expanding surgeries and rural facilities, and introducing new funding models for primary care. In education, the government will hire 4,500 additional teachers and staff and build enough new and expanded schools to accommodate over 200,000 students by 2030.

     Finance Minister Horner added that despite a projected $5.2 billion deficit, the government is committed to fiscal prudence. The budget includes a $4 billion contingency fund and conservative oil price assumptions to ensure stability amid volatile global conditions.

     The roundtable marked the beginning of an in-depth discussion with ethnic media representatives, who raised questions about affordability, immigration, trade barriers, multicultural support, and Alberta’s relationship with the federal government.

     At the roundtable, CMHNews asked Premier Danielle Smith about the potential impact of a change in the federal government on Alberta’s energy and fiscal policies. We also posed a question to Finance Minister Nate Horner regarding contingency measures to mitigate the impact of trade tariffs. The full exchange is as follows:

     CMHNews：Hi Premier, thank you for your time. If I may ask — would you be open to sharing whether you personally support any of the federal party leaders? In your view, what kind of Prime Minister would best serve Alberta’s interests, especially in terms of energy and fiscal policy?

     Premier Smith: It probably won’t surprise you that I’m supportive of Pierre Poilievre. He’s consistently been a voice in favor of energy, economic corridors, reducing red tape, and respecting provincial jurisdiction.

     That being said, we have to deal with whoever becomes Prime Minister of the country. I’ve identified nine federal policies that are causing tension and need to be repealed or revised. We now have opportunities with LNG exports, oil exports, and the Port of Prince Rupert. Canada must seize this moment to expand markets, develop critical minerals, and build trade infrastructure.

     Regardless of who becomes Prime Minister, the public mood is: let’s get things built.

     CMHNews：Minister, thank you for taking my question. With the ongoing trade tension between Canada and the U.S., small businesses in Alberta are feeling the squeeze from higher export costs. May I ask — aside from waiting for federal negotiations, does the province have any specific support or funding in place to help buffer the impacts of the tariffs？

     Minister Horner：There’s nothing specific in our budget I would call “tariff support.” But we increased our contingency fund to provide flexibility.

     The Premier’s advocacy is key. She’s having conversations with federal leaders and highlighting regional impacts—like in canola, pork, and seafood sectors. If things escalate further, we may need to respond with social supports like income assistance. We’re monitoring very closely.You don’t want to plan the cure before you’ve fully felt the pain—but we are prepared.

     As one of the participating ethnic media outlets, Multicultural Herald was honored to join Premier Danielle Smith and Finance Minister Nate Horner for this in-depth roundtable. The conversation reflected the Alberta government’s willingness to directly engage with complex challenges—from federal-provincial tensions and tariff threats to rapid population growth and fiscal pressure.

     Premier Smith’s detailed responses on multicultural supports were especially noteworthy. From food bank funding and anti-racism grants to security upgrades for places of worship and the legislative push to enable halal mortgages, the government demonstrated a multifaceted approach to inclusion. On interprovincial trade, the Premier outlined a timeline to remove internal barriers by July and to enhance credential recognition and trucking rule harmonization. In education, the province plans to hire 4,500 new staff and update funding formulas to address enrollment surges expected to surpass 200,000 new students by 2030.At the end of the meeting, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her gratitude for the participation of ethnic media and encouraged continued engagement in the future.

     As these initiatives unfold, we remain hopeful that they will lead to tangible improvements, especially for the Chinese community in areas such as language access, education, housing, and entrepreneurship. We are confident that Chinese Albertans will continue to play an essential role in advancing Alberta’s cultural richness, economic vitality, and collective resilience.

Report by Lynn Wang

April 17th, 2025