Alberta Premier Smith set to give TV address ahead of provincial budget
Posted Feb 18, 2026 7:44 am.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will give a television address on Thursday, a week ahead of the provincial budget.
Smith announced there would be a TV address at an unrelated news conference in Calgary.
She didn’t share what would be discussed, and a spokesman for the premier’s office says details would come later.
In one of her last major public addresses, Smith promised a referendum on provincial separation if citizens gathered enough signatures on a petition.
Finance Minister Nate Horner is scheduled to deliver the budget on Feb. 26.
The province is projecting a $6.4-billion deficit when the fiscal year ends in March, representing a massive multibillion-dollar swing from an $8.3-billion surplus the year prior.
Smith has said Albertans should expect a tough budget with “significant” deficits, as the province grapples with low oil prices, but has ruled out tax hikes and deep service cuts.
