Danielle Smith, Liberals trade shots over transgender policies during her trip to Ottawa

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith faced an icy reception in Ottawa Monday as a Liberal cabinet minister from her province called her proposed transgender policies "reckless" and "irresponsible" and left the door open to a court challenge.

Speaking to reporters shortly before Smith opened her province's new office in Ottawa, Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault said he's prepared to fight what he called "the most draconian and harmful policies for young people in the country."

Referring to proposed policies that would demand that some Alberta trans kids get parental consent to use their preferred names and pronouns in school, Boissonnault said Smith is intent on "forcing kids out of the closet before many of them are ready."

The timing of someone's coming out "doesn't belong to a teacher or a school, and it definitely does not belong to a premier," the Edmonton MP said.

Boissonnault accused Smith of putting at risk the lives of trans kids whose parents don't accept their gender identity.

"Why is the premier doing this? Why is she targeting the most vulnerable in our community?" he said.

"This is Ron DeSantis's 'don't say gay bill' in Florida coming up north," he added, referring to the former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and his state government's highly controversial gender policy.

Boissonnault said the Liberal government doesn't want to turn to the courts to fight the new policies — it wants to help inspire a public uprising against the policies before they're enacted.

But Boissonnault said the federal government will "look at every single option" to stop Smith's programme.

Smith later defended her policies when speaking with reporters, saying she doesn't want children to make life-altering decisions they may come to regret.

She said it's prudent to introduce "guidelines" that will dictate when a child can start using puberty blockers and hormone therapies.

She said there needs to be a more "rigorous process" before trans kids start their transition journey.

Puberty blockers are hormone-suppressing agents that pause the progression of puberty for as long as people are on them. They are sometimes prescribed for younger children after consulting with a doctor.

They may sometimes be combined with hormone therapies, some of which could have long-term, irreversible effects.