Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has long indicated her government would use hammer, tongs and scalpel to reshape the face of Alberta politics. It’s a strategy can be summed up in four words that actually appear now and again in official government documents: “More Alberta, Less Ottawa.”

Next year, you can expect Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to spark more legal showdowns with the federal government, push ahead with an Alberta Pension Plan despite public opposition and codify protection for those who railed at pandemic restrictions, writes Graham Thomson.

Her goal is to force Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the negotiating table over energy regulations. Failing that, she wants to force him into court.