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Former Alberta cabinet minister Thomas Lukaszuk is urging Premier Danielle Smith to back Ottawa’s trade fight with the United States, put Alberta oil and gas on the negotiating table and cancel the province’s October 19 referendum.
Lukaszuk, leader of the Forever Canadian movement, told Energi Media that U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating pressure on Canada should no longer be treated as a conventional tariff dispute. He described it as “economic warfare” aimed at Canadian sovereignty and national security.
“This is economic warfare,” Lukaszuk said. “It is weaponizing of economy to really infringe on our sovereignty and our national security.”
His central criticism of Smith is that Alberta is attempting to shield its most valuable export sector while other provinces and industries absorb the costs of the confrontation. Smith has argued that Canadian oil and gas should not be targeted in retaliation against the United States.
Lukaszuk says that position gives away Canada’s strongest bargaining chip before negotiations begin. The United States relies heavily on Canadian crude oil and natural gas, making Alberta energy a potential source of leverage if the trade conflict continues to deepen.
He compared the moment to former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed’s confrontation with Ottawa over the National Energy Program, when Alberta was prepared to restrict oil production to defend what it considered a vital provincial interest. Lukaszuk argues the same willingness to use energy leverage should now be available in defence of Canada.
“It’s difficult for Canada to go to a negotiating table with United States and saying, don’t worry, we will never use the biggest hammer, which is oil and gas,” he said.
Lukaszuk is also calling on Smith to cancel the October 19 referendum, saying the separatism debate creates an internal division that benefits Canada’s adversaries. He said he plans to appeal directly to separatist leaders to support cancellation and join a broader Team Canada response.
The Forever Canadian campaign, he said, has now distributed more than 60,000 lawn signs, recruited more than 18,000 registered volunteers and attracted more than 11,000 live viewers to a recent online town hall. Lukaszuk argues those numbers show the trade confrontation is strengthening Canadian identity in Alberta rather than feeding separatism.
He also challenged Smith and other conservative politicians who have cultivated relationships with Trump and MAGA-aligned Republicans to use those contacts publicly on Canada’s behalf. Lukaszuk said Smith should directly appeal to Trump in U.S. media and make the case for fair treatment of Canada.
For Lukaszuk, the larger issue is whether Alberta is willing to accept the same risks and sacrifices now confronting other provinces. He argues that national unity will be difficult to sustain if Ontario manufacturing, Saskatchewan resources and other sectors remain exposed while Alberta insists that oil and gas must stay off the table.
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