Trudeau says he’s ‘not looking for a fight’ over Alberta Sovereignty Act | 24CA News
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated he is “not looking for a fight” after the Alberta authorities tabled controversial laws Premier Danielle Smith stated would inform Ottawa to “butt out” of the province’s jurisdiction.
The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act — tabled Tuesday within the Alberta legislature — was a centrepiece of Smith’s marketing campaign for the management of the governing United Conservative Party this fall.
The invoice describes how the Alberta authorities plans to refuse to implement federal laws, insurance policies or applications it decides are “harmful” to Alberta’s pursuits or infringe on the division of powers within the Constitution.
It additionally would grant Smith’s cupboard new powers to bypass the legislative meeting and unilaterally amend provincial legal guidelines.
WATCH | Trudeau says he is ‘not in search of a struggle’:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to comply with developments on contentious invoice however says his authorities will give attention to ‘delivering for Albertans.’
“I think we’ve got their attention,” Smith stated of the federal authorities throughout a press convention Tuesday.
“I hope that we’ve sent a message to Ottawa that we will vigorously defend our areas of jurisdiction and they should just butt out.”
When requested how the federal authorities may reply to the proposed regulation, Trudeau stated he’ll take a wait-and-see method.
“We’re going to see how this plays out,” Trudeau advised reporters on Wednesday. “I’m not going to take anything off the table, but I’m also not looking for a fight.”
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc dismissed the argument that the invoice challenges federal jurisdiction, saying the proposed laws hasn’t handed into regulation but and may very well be modified because it’s debated within the Alberta legislature.
“I’m not sure if somebody has a news conference, that constitutes a constitutional challenge,” LeBlanc stated in reference to Smith.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather was much less reserved — he referred to as the laws “a bit of an overreach.”
“I believe that Canada is more than the sum of its parts,” he stated. “I believe very strongly, as a Canadian, that everyone should play in their lane — and playing in their lane means legislatures don’t determine whether something is constitutional from a different level of government.”
Alberta Conservative MP Garnett Genuis stated the act highlights the frustration Albertans really feel with the federal authorities.
“The prime minister needs to address the steps he’s taken that caused this kind of tension and frustration,” he stated. “We could do more at the federal level to promote national unity.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh addressed the Sovereignty Act throughout query interval within the House of Commons on Wednesday. Singh recommended that Alberta might use the act to undermine the Canada Health Act and privatize some well being companies within the province.
“What is the prime minister doing to stop Danielle Smith from destroying health care in Alberta?” Singh requested.
In response, Trudeau stated that whereas he understands some are involved concerning the act, he desires to work constructively with Albertans on well being care, financial and environmental points.
Past challenges to federal legal guidelines
Prior to Smith taking on the premiership from Jason Kenney, the Alberta authorities challenged a lot of federal legal guidelines in courtroom — most notably the laws enabling the federal carbon tax.
In March of 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the tax in a 6-3 determination in opposition to a authorized problem by Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Smith stated in October that she would re-challenge the regulation.
Alberta additionally has challenged a federal environmental evaluation regulation which permits federal regulators to think about the consequences of main building tasks — like pipelines — on a variety of environmental and social points, together with local weather change.
The Alberta Court of Appeal struck down the affect evaluation regulation — beforehand often called Bill C-69 — in May, however the Supreme Court has but to weigh in.
On Tuesday, Smith stated her new proposed act would “reset the relationship with Ottawa.”
“We tried different things in the past and it hasn’t worked,” she stated, including that she hopes she by no means has to make use of the act.
