Premier Danielle Smith has issued an ultimatum to the federal government, promising to take legal action if they do not address the unconstitutional aspects of the Impact Assessment Act within the next four weeks.
“The federal government is ignoring the Supreme Court and threatening Alberta’s economy with its unconstitutional Impact Assessment Act,” she stated.
The landmark Supreme Court decision from 2023 found the majority of the legislation, previously known as Bill C-69, to be unconstitutional.
Many accused the Trudeau Government of designing the act specifically impede Alberta’s oil and gas sector. Smith’s United Conservative Party has often referred to the Impact Assessment Act as the No More Pipelines Act, and more recently, Smith called it the “Don’t build anything anywhere act.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling, delivered with a 5-2 majority, was hailed as a victory for Alberta’s sovereignty. longstanding grievances against federal policies.The feds responded by stating they would make amendments to their Act, which they finally did in their omnibus budget bill on July 20, 2024.
In a letter sent to Ottawa, the UCP insists these amendments “remain unconstitutional.”
Among a number of demands, the Smith government is asking Ottawa to “recognize equivalency and the ability to fully substitute our provincial environmental assessment for a federal impact assessment.”
The UCP’s letter further requests the exclusion of certain project types—both new and expansions—from Canada’s five-year review of the Physical Activities Regulations, commonly referred to as the Project List. These projects include in situ oil sands, power plants, oil refineries, petroleum storage facilities, liquid natural gas projects, and highways.
