(File photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

'Emergencies Act on steroids'

On Red Deer visit, NDP’s Phillips lambastes Smith’s Bill 1, as does Unifor

Nov 30, 2022 | 3:35 PM

The provincial government is attempting to further clarify today what its latest piece of legislation will actually allow it to do.

On Nov. 29, the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act — also Bill 1 — was introduced, with government officials today acknowledging that many questions have been raised about the extent to which the act authorizes cabinet to amend laws.

According to a statement Wednesday, cabinet is only authorized to amend existing legislation after it is first introduced, debated, voted on and passed by the legislative assembly.

“In no way does the Sovereignty within a United Canada Act permit cabinet to unilaterally amend legislation without those amendments being first authorized by the legislative assembly,” today’s clarification states. “If there is any dispute as to whether or not cabinet amended legislation outside of the specific recommendations contained in the resolution, including any amendments by the legislative assembly to the resolution, such actions would still be subject to both judicial review as well as review by the legislative assembly itself.”

The province’s rationale for this process is to allow the legislature a tool to act swiftly and efficiently in protecting Albertans from federal initiatives that violate the constitutional or charter rights of Albertans or which otherwise harm the interests of Albertans, the province says.

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Meantime, the Alberta NDP’s Shannon Phillips, also Finance Critic, was in Red Deer Wednesday to further lambaste Premier Danielle Smith’s Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act.

Standing outside Red Deer City Hall, Phillips described Smith as flighty and capricious.

“The fact of the matter is that the ‘Sovereignty Act’ is very, very bad for the economy. This is a plan that has already put a chill on investment, and we know this from various business groups and voices. We’ve now seen the act and it’s worse than many anticipated,” said Phillips.

“It gives Danielle Smith dictatorial powers to essentially override any law she personally does not like. We cannot solve the problems Albertans have indicated to their government, their opposition, their neighbours, that are their priorities, which are affordability, health care and building an economy for the future. We cannot solve them without ensuring we have a stable business climate. Danielle Smith is bad for the economy.”

Phillips continued, saying the act is a disaster as far as business and investor certainty.

“It is not the way we ensure we can invest in Albertans and bring down cost of living issues. It is not the way to attract new health care workers,” she said, speculating on its potential impact for Red Deer’s $1.8 billion hospital expansion.

“We may have companies from outside Alberta who do not want to bid on projects here because they don’t know the rules of the road. If there are no established rules of the game because they can be overwritten by a capricious premier who’s given herself dictatorial powers, then businesses will take a pass.”

If a law needs to be overturned, if it is in fact unconstitutional, Phillips added, that’s the role of the courts.

“It’s not the premier who gives herself power to do so by fiat. This has never been done before in Canada and there’s a reason for that. It’s not legal.”

Officials with Canada’s largest private sector union also chimed in today.

Unifor has reacted to the proposed legislation bill by describing it as 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 National President Lana Payne. “Bill 1 is undemocratic, far-reaching and a permanent power grab.”

“We’ll see if UCP cabinet ministers have the spine to protect Albertans and defeat legislation they’ve said will ‘turn our province upside down’ and create ‘instability and chaos,'” added Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “Alberta’s families are facing challenges that can only be addressed by creating good jobs and strengthening public service. Constitutional warfare with an imaginary villain helps no one.”

To read the province’s clarification in its entirety, click here.