Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has unveiled a plan for her government to push Ottawa back and enforce provincial autonomy.
Under her leadership, United Conservative Party cabinet ministers have been told to be prepared to pull out of new federal programs or avoid federal consultations that aren’t in Alberta’s best interests.
“There may be cases where Alberta will seek to opt out of new federal program if they aren’t in Alberta’s best interest,” she wrote in a letter to her ministers.
And, in cases where the federal government doesn’t engage in meaningful consultation with the provinces, Alberta “will simply not participate in their consultations,” the premier said.
Premier Smith said she must ensure Alberta’s freedoms and interests are protected from federal institutions.
“On major policy issues, our government will be discussing a push back strategy to address issues such as the federal oil and gas emissions cap fertilizer reductions, and the firearms confiscation program,” Smith wrote.
“The Alberta Sovereignty Act is a critical part of that strategy.”
Smith became Alberta’s new premier after winning the United Conservative Party leadership contest on the sixth ballot. In her victory speech, Smith said she would always put Alberta first and stand up to the federal Liberal-NDP coalition. Ottawa is increasingly hostile and “seeks to control every aspect of our lives,” she warned.
Since she was sworn in as premier, Smith has reaffirmed that she will put Alberta first and not enforce federal laws or policies that interfere in Alberta’s jurisdiction, as outlined in the Constitution.
