“I think the problem that we saw is that we were getting together as a group of premiers and the prime minister saying, ‘let’s not negotiate this in public,’ and I did my part, saying, ‘let’s focus on the things that we know the Americans care about: national security and border security,’ and everybody else went off freelancing,” Smith told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday.

“The thing they kept returning to was punishing Alberta and punishing energy,” Smith added. “So, I just wanted to make sure that we get back to talking about the things that unite us, rather than divide us.”