Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled her provincial sovereignty bill Tuesday, aimed at thwarting what she describes as “federal government overreach.”
That controversial motion would give the Alberta government the ability to ignore federal laws or regulations it deems harmful to the province’s interests, according to the National Post.
Here is some information you should know:
The law will work thanks to a motion in the Legislative Assembly
Under this law, a legislature will introduce a motion stating that a federal policy is unconstitutional or dangerous to the province. If the motion is accepted, the cabinet can know how to respond. The procedure is at the discretion of the company.
The Chancellery will be able to direct various provincial agencies in relation to federal laws
These entities include municipalities, provincial authorities, and groups responsible for administering provincial programs. School administrations and hospitals are also included.
On the other hand, the motion does not allow the state government to enact unconstitutional decrees and issue directives that fall under federal jurisdiction to state bodies or to private bodies that are not state bodies.
The Conservative government (UCP) already knows to which areas it intends to apply this motion
He has also announced that he intends to use it, subject to certain conditions, for Bill C-69, the federal government’s arms buyback, planned fertilizer emission reductions and public health funding.
The application does not apply to court proceedings
The Sovereignty Act originally proposed that the Alberta government might have the power to overrule court orders, but that proposal was rejected.
This motion gives the cabinet unilateral powers to amend legislation
If the motion is passed, the cabinet can change the legislation itself, but the changes could be the subject of debate.
However, the bill will not allow Alberta to defy Canada’s constitution or secede from Canada.