‘Bratty children’: Alberta’s Danielle Smith faces criticism, anger at town hall

Premier Danielle Smith and her Alberta Next panel were in Edmonton Wednesday for the second in a series of summer town halls, but ran into a far less supportive crowd than the night before in Red Deer.

Smith launched the panel to address public concerns over Prime Minister Mark Carney's election win and gauge interest in new ways Alberta could wrestle some power away from Ottawa.

The ideas proposed by Smith's panel include creating a provincial pension plan, the Alberta Revenue Agency, and launching a new immigration permitting system.

The proposals had clear support in Red Deer, but Edmonton's town hall saw many speakers say they were opposed. One speaker said Smith's panel and other attendees who spoke before her sounded like ``bratty children,'' and that she was disappointed to see what Alberta has become.

Despite many of the estimated 500 attendees speaking against the panel's proposals, a show of hands found it was a vocal minority when it came to a provincial pension plan and police force.

Some Edmonton speakers also used their opportunity to speak to call for Alberta independence, saying the province has been unfairly treated since it was created. Smith's panel will return next month when they head to Edmonton again.