ANALYSIS: Smith Touts Alberta as ‘Bastion of Liberty.’ How Does It Measure Up?

When Premier Danielle Smith announced her new plan to strengthen bodily autonomy, property, and gun rights, she repeated phrasing she has used before about Alberta being a “bastion of liberty” or a “bastion of freedom.”
People from other parts of Canada are increasingly moving to Alberta, and while jobs and many other factors are at play, Smith also attributes some inflow to freedom-seekers.
Smith is a self-proclaimed libertarian, and as such has championed individual autonomy and political freedom. But the image of Alberta as a “bastion of freedom” predates her tenure and ties into a certain independent “cowboy” stereotype that “has resonance in the political culture” of the province, says Marco Navarro-Génie, president of Alberta-based think tank the Haultain Research Institute.
Whether Alberta fulfills its promise of freedom depends on the definition of freedom, Navarro-Génie told The Epoch Times.
In the 18th century, there was a push for freedom of expression and religion. This classical liberal idea of freedom sees any limitation on government as an expansion of personal liberty, Navarro-Génie said. Today’s “small-c” conservatives often value religious freedom, and “have often also attempted to expand the sphere of individual freedom by reducing the burden of taxation,” he said.
So having limits on government and taxes could be among the measures of freedom. Smith’s Bill of Rights amendments focus on personal liberties such as the right to refuse vaccination and to own a gun.
“Quebec has always been very sort of jealously guarding its provincial jurisdiction,” Navarro-Génie said.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has also looked to exercise provincial jurisdiction to the fullest degree, and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are increasingly doing so as well, he said.
TurboTax notes that Alberta has the highest basic personal amounts in Canada. That is the amount of income one may earn before having to pay income tax. “For the 2023 tax year, the Alberta basic personal amount is $21,003, while the federal basic personal amount is $15,000,” it says.
The right to refuse vaccination ties into backlash against pandemic mandates and a national debate over freedom and the limits thereof. NDP Leader Nenshi says this kind of freedom is not a priority.
The Alberta NDP told The Epoch Times it has no further comments beyond what Nenshi said.
Smith received similar pushback from some quarters last year after her comments on Texas and Florida as “bastions of freedom” from pandemic mandates were publicized.
It found Alberta had a reputation for self-reliance and entrepreneurship, but also for “being less tolerant, less compassionate, and less environmentally careful as ideal.” Some Albertans surveyed said this is merely a perception, while others said the province did have room to improve on these points.
The divide over pandemic restrictions could be seen in the urban versus rural regions of Alberta. Mayors of the province’s two major cities of Calgary and Edmonton often clashed with the provincial government, urging stricter controls.
The provincial government implemented vaccine passports and other lockdown measures that faced pushback. Smith crusaded against pandemic restrictions during the 2022 UCP leadership race.
“This has been an extraordinary time in the last year in particular, and I want people to know that I find that unacceptable,” Smith said. “We are not going to create a segregated society on the basis of a medical choice.”
She said her Bill of Rights amendments will prevent such restrictions in the future.
Texas and Florida have been top destinations for migration within the United States in recent years. Commentary on why people are flocking to these states generally include reasons such as affordability and climate, but freedom is also a key reason, some say.
Alberta has drawn comparisons to both states, including when Smith made her comments about those states being “bastions of freedom” to emulate.