By Anthony Murdoch
Article Source
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has threatened to take action against the province of Alberta’s newly tabled “Sovereignty Act,” which if passed would prevent “unconstitutional” federal government overreach into matters of provincial jurisdiction.
On Tuesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith introduced Bill 1: Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act into the province’s legislature, which most notably would help the province push back against federally-imposed rules that impact the region’s oil and gas sector.
The government also explained that the act “will be used to push back on federal legislation and policy that is unconstitutional or harmful to our province, our people and our economic prosperity,” including but not limited to “firearms, energy, natural resources and COVID healthcare decisions.”
While speaking to reporters yesterday, Trudeau criticized the bill, saying that it gives Smith “exceptional powers as the premier” of Alberta, which allegedly includes allowing her to bypass her provincial legislature when making decisions.
“I’m not going to take anything off the table, but I’m also not looking for a fight. We want to continue to be there to deliver for Albertans,” Trudeau stated, also noting that his government will “see how this plays out.”
The leader of Alberta’s left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) Rachel Notley and the leader of the federal NDP Jagmeet Singh have also blasted Smith’s new bill, claiming it is out of “touch.”
Trudeau’s father Pierre Elliott famously attacked Alberta’s oil and gas sectors when he was Prime Minister in 1980, with the much-hated national energy program (NEP), which severely hampered Alberta’s and other provinces oil and gas industry.
Trudeau’s father Pierre Elliott famously attacked Alberta’s oil and gas sectors when he was prime minister in 1980, introducing the much-hated national energy program (NEP) which severely hampered Alberta’s and other provinces’ natural resource industries.
The ‘Sovereignty Act’ is not akin to separatism
Notley, along with other politicians, has falsely claimed that the ‘Sovereignty Act’ would mean a de facto separation of Alberta from the rest of Canada, however Smith and her government have maintained this is not the case.
“Cabinet is only authorized to amend existing legislation as specifically outlined in a resolution brought under the act. The resolution, including any amendments to legislation, must first be introduced, debated, voted on and passed by the legislative assembly,” says the government.
Smith, during her leadership campaign, promised she would introduce the Alberta Sovereignty Act to deal with federal overreach, which she said will help make Alberta as independent from Ottawa as possible while staying in the Confederation.
This week, Smith, speaking about the Sovereignty Act, said that there is a “long and painful history of mistreatment and constitutional overreach from Ottawa has for decades caused tremendous frustration for Albertans.”
“In response, we’re finally telling the federal government: ‘No more.”
Alberta is not alone in fighting back against federal government overreach.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said Trudeau’s extreme environmental policies can go to “hell,” and that his province will assert full autonomy over its natural resources with its “Saskatchewan First Act.”
Federal government rules impacting Alberta and Saskatchewan’s natural resource sector could have serious repercussions should they come to full fruition.
The Trudeau government’s current environmental goals – which are in lockstep with the United Nations’ “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” – include phasing out coal-fired power plants, reducing fertilizer usage, and curbing natural gas use over the coming decades.
The reduction and eventual elimination of the use of so-called “fossil-fuels” and a transition to unreliable “green” energy has also been pushed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) – the globalist group behind the socialist “Great Reset” agenda – of which Trudeau and some of his cabinet are involved.