With the new session of the legislature now underway and the Danielle Smith government making the already-controversial Alberta Sovereignty in a United Canada Act its first order of business, residents in this district and across Alberta may be asking where the province is headed.
With the next provincial election now six months away – unless the premier decides, as is her prerogative, to delay the vote past May – the actions of the new Smith government will now start to have concrete impacts on every Alberta community.
For her part, Premier Smith says Albertans should not be the least bit concerned about the new powers the sovereignty act gives to her and her cabinet to fight the federal government in areas the Smith government deems worthy of challenging.
“The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act will be used as a constitutional shield to protect Albertans from federal overreach that is costing Alberta’s economy billions of dollars each year in lost investment and is costing Alberta families untold jobs and opportunities,” said Smith.
The official Opposition says Albertans should be anything by assured by Smith’s comments.
“Danielle Smith was elected by one per cent of the Alberta voters and now she wants to give herself dictatorial powers,” said Alberta NDP Deputy Leader Sarah Hoffman. “Danielle Smith and the UCP are focused on creating more chaos, costs and conflict with her sovereignty act.”
Having only recently been elected by a slim majority of voting UCP members and yet to face a general election, Smith has moved forward with plans to assume new powers over the day-to-day lives of Albertans.
Residents here and across the province will be watching very closely over the next six months to see how the premier and her cabinet colleagues use the considerable powers they now command.
That said, every MLA should and must know that Albertans will support lawful democratic governance – and will strongly oppose any move that would aim to replace it with a dictatorship in any form.
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
