Since the announcement of Alberta’s Sovereignty Act during last Tuesday’s Throne Speech, the bill has amassed widespread criticism among the public. Now, labour organizations such as Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) and Unifor are speaking up against the controversial bill, deeming it undemocratic.
Bill 1, Alberta Sovereignty Within United Canada Act was introduced as a means to “stand up for Alberta interests.” According to Premier Danielle Smith, the proposed legislation would permit the Alberta government to prevent federal overreach by pushing back on federal laws or policies that they deem negatively impact the province.
“In reality, it’s a case of unprecedented and undemocratic overreach by the provincial government itself,” said Gil McGowan, Alberta Federation of Labour president, in a video statement released on Wednesday. “They want to give themselves the power to rule federal legislation unconstitutional, which is a power that is supposed to be reserved for the courts. They want to give themselves the power to amend legislation without debate in the legislature which flies in the face of our democratic parliamentary traditions.”
The Alberta Sovereignty Act is unconstitutional — a criticism that is echoed by journalists, political science and economic academics, political pundits, and politicians throughout Alberta. Even Smith’s own United Conservative Party (UCP) cabinet members have criticized the proposal.
READ MORE: The Sovereignty Act – is turning into a disaster for Danielle Smith and UCP
If Bill 1 is passed, this means that the provincial cabinet can bypass the legislature and unilaterally make laws under the guise of protecting from federal government overreach. It would create an imbalance, granting the provincial cabinet unprecedented power. Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, likened the bill to the “Emergencies Act on steroids.”
“Forgive me for quoting Jason Kenney here, but he’s right, Danielle Smith’s sovereignty legislation is ‘catastrophically stupid,’” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Bill 1 is undemocratic, far-reaching and a permanent power grab.”
Unifor added that the uproar surrounding the Alberta Sovereignty Act diverts attention away from the actual economic issues that Albertan families are facing. McGowan reiterated this point, adding that Premiere Smith has no solid economic plan for Albertans.
“Alberta workers and Alberta citizens deserve better than this. We deserve health care. We deserve a real plan to maintain our standards of living in the context of the current inflation crisis. We deserve a government that respects and protects our democracy,” said McGowan.
For McGowan, the proposal of Alberta’s Sovereignty Act made one thing clear — “battle lines have been drawn.”
“It’s either chaos or stability. It’s either authoritarianism or democracy. The UCP has picked their side. It’s time for the rest of us to pick ours,” McGowan said.
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