Danielle Smith begins southern leg of Alberta Next Panel in Medicine Hat

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will be right at home in her political backyard tonight when she visits Medicine Hat, kicking off the back half of her provincewide consultations on the province's relationship with Ottawa.

Smith, who represents the riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat in the Alberta legislature, will be joined by the 15 people she tapped to join her on the panel.

The first five town halls have aimed to address grievances with the federal government that Smith says are fostering separatist sentiment.

The six recommendations put forth by the Smith government for debate at the town halls have mostly been well received by audiences, though the panel has also faced criticism and drawn protesters at events in Edmonton and Red Deer. Loud cheers for mass deportations and Alberta separation were heard at the most recent town hall in Lloydminster, a small city straddling the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary.

The panel is scheduled to hear from Albertans in Lethbridge, Airdrie, Grande Prairie and Calgary over the next month.