Canada’s outgoing prime minister and the leader of the country’s oil rich province of Alberta are both confident Canada can avoid the 25% tariffs President Donald Trump

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday the country's leaders must put Canada first and forcefully hit back against president-elect Donald Trump if he goes ahead with punishing tariffs on all of our goods while also singling out Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for her reluctance to go all-in on retaliation.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she met with President-elect Trump and members of his transition team at Mar-a-Lago and discussed a U.S.-Canadian energy relationship.

As hawkish as Danielle Smith is perceived to be on these matters, it’s hard to imagine any Alberta premier even considering signing on to a potentially devastating export tax on the oil and gas industry — one imposed by Justin Trudeau, no less.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is not wrong on this one. Let’s clear the air. Let’s have a real debate, not a contest to see who can cook up the most insulting email. The sad reality is a lot of Canadians don’t get it or refuse to get it.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Canada needs to be prepared for tariffs to come into effect when Donald Trump takes office, but cutting off the supply of oil is not the answer.

On CTV’s Question Period this Sunday, one of Canada’s lead negotiators, Foreign Affairs minister Melanie Joly, was asked specifically about the possibility of Canada responding to Trump with an energy export embargo on the U.S.A. “What I can tell you is everything is on the table,” Joly said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who attended the news conference virtually, refused to sign a joint communique and instead issued a blistering statement online. Smith said that there was a constructive discussion at the meeting, but she can’t back everything that is being discussed.

Trudeau blasted Smith, reminding her that the federal government bought the Trans Mountain pipeline, which now has a C$34.5 billion price tag, giving Alberta its only route to export oil from Canada’s Pacific coast.

Their firm disagreements on how to deal with Trump's trade ideas are rooted in their backgrounds, and in their backyards.

Premier Danielle Smith draws a line in the sand. The lady’s not for turning, echoing the words of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, a leader Smith very much admires. Alberta now has their Iron Lady.

Joly’s response echoes a pitch made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who threatened in mid-December to cut off energy supply to the northeastern United States, should the Trump tariffs become a reality. Smith has staunchly opposed such a measure but said Monday that if Trump imposes tariffs, there will need to be a Canadian response.