Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa is “not looking for a fight” with Alberta over the provincial government’s proposed sovereignty bill, but added that he will not “take anything off the table.”
His comment comes the morning after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tabled legislation that, if approved, will give the provincial cabinet wide-ranging powers that have already faced fierce opposition criticism — and that are already raising constitutional questions.
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Alberta sovereignty act: Municipalities, local police could get provincial directives
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Speaking on his way into a caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, Trudeau said the proposed “exceptional powers” in the bill are “causing a lot of eyebrows to raise in Alberta.”
“We’re going to see how this plays out,” Trudeau said, after being asked whether he intended to have the federal government step in and contest the bill.
“I’m not going to take anything off the table, but I’m also not looking for a fight.”
If passed, the province says the proposed law could be used “to stand up to federal government overreach and interference in areas of provincial jurisdiction, including … private property, natural resources, agriculture, firearms, regulation of the economy and delivery of health, education and other social programs.”
The proposed act gives cabinet authority to “direct provincial entities to not enforce specific federal laws or policies with provincial resources.” Anyone subject to the bill must comply with it, but the bill does not outline enforcement measures.
When defining the provincial entities it would have power over, the bill casts a wide net. It includes provincial crown-controlled organizations and public agencies, regional health authorities, school boards and public post-secondary institutions, and municipalities, as well as municipal police services.
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