Feds 'not going to waste a lot of time' on Alberta sovereignty bill debate: LeBlanc
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the federal government is taking a wait-and-see approach to whether it may intervene when it comes to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s sovereignty act, but that it is not the focus at the moment.
If adopted, the "Sovereignty within a United Canada Act" would give Smith’s cabinet the power to push back against federal policies and laws it deems “unconstitutional or harmful to Albertans,” such as firearms regulation and natural resources development.
The bill faced harsh criticism this week from constitutional experts, Alberta opposition MLAs, and business groups. Smith has said she is open to amendments to the bill, and is planning some changes to be debated next week.
In an interview with CTV’s Question Period with Joyce Napier airing Sunday, LeBlanc said the federal government is waiting to see what happens in the Alberta legislature instead of “wasting a great deal of time focused on this,” especially as it’s unclear how the bill may be amended before being adopted.
“We can look at legislation that's before the legislature of Alberta, but it has not yet become law,” he said. “And there are a number of elements that are sort of vague and imprecise.”
LeBlanc also said it’s unclear how the Alberta government might use the legislation if and when it passes, and there are several layers of hypotheticals involved, including how the Act may be applied in practice down the line.
“Even once it's adopted, it sort of sits on a shelf until a minister or the government decides to take a step under the legislation, and then there's a further legislative process, so it's far from clear how and where it would be triggered,” he said.
LeBlanc said the federal government is instead focusing on working with Alberta on other shared priorities, such as infrastructure projects, the fight against climate change, immigration and labour shortages, and housing issues.
“We're not going to waste a lot of our time, or frankly, impede our ability to work with the Alberta government on these other priorities, by getting bogged down in a theoretical debate,” LeBlanc said.
There are however a few options for the federal government should it choose to step in. This includes using disallowance — which would give the government the ability to invalidate the provincial bill — but the power hasn’t been used in more than 70 years, and LeBlanc said that move is not currently being considered.
“No, we're not looking at things like that now at all,” he said. “We’re interested in the debate in Alberta. That's a very, very premature hypothetical situation.”
“We don't think it's important to run around and pull the fire alarm and waste a great deal of energy on what is properly a debate before the Alberta legislature,” LeBlanc added.
Smith, who first announced her plans to introduce the sovereignty act during her bid to become leader of the United Conservative Party, has been touting the legislation as a way to reset Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa.
"In particular, a long and painful history of mistreatment and constitutional overreach from Canada has for decades caused tremendous frustration for Albertans,” Smith told reporters this week. “In response, we're finally telling the federal government: ‘no more’."
Smith later told Mike Le Couteur on CTV New Channel’s Power Play that Alberta is “asserting its sovereign jurisdiction,” and sending the message that “Ottawa stays in its own lane.”
But LeBlanc said pushback from provinces is normal and hardly a new phenomenon.
“It's always 13 against one,” he said. “So in the 13, you can always find one that for whatever political reasons in their own province or territory, decides that the government of Canada is responsible for a series of challenges in their province, some of it may be true, some of it may be exaggerated. It's not new. The federation is strong.”
“This isn't new, and it really doesn't worry us,” he also said. “We're focused on what we can do collaboratively, and will allow others to judge the Alberta government on its own legislative measures.”
With files from CTV News' Stephanie Ha
IN DEPTH
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
opinion Don Martin: Pierre Poilievre's road to apparent victory will soon start to get rougher
Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives appear to be on cruise control to a rendezvous with the leader's prime ministerial ambition, but in his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin questions whether the Conservative leader may be peaking too soon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.
What's at stake for Canada after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
Former B.C. school trustee's 'strip-tease artist' remark was defamatory, judge rules
A controversial former school trustee from B.C.'s Fraser Valley who described a political rival as a "strip-tease artist" during an election campaign has been ordered to pay her $45,000 for defamation.
'A sense of urgency': Sask. man accused of abducting daughter calls himself to the stand during trial
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say
Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a bishop was stabbed at the altar during a church service in Sydney on Sunday evening.
Body of 14-year-old boy pulled from Lake Ontario, police say he drowned while swimming
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
'Rust' armourer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'
Local Spotlight
'Why not do it together?': Lifelong friends take part in 'brosectomy' in Vancouver
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
Grain-gobbling bears spark 'no stopping' zone in Banff National Park
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
Deer family appears to accept B.C. man as one of their own
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
Doorbell video shows family of black bears scared off by dog in Sudbury, Ont.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.
Quebec teacher fired after taking leave to be on 'Survivor' reality TV series
A school teacher who took part in the Quebec version of the Survivor reality TV show took time off work to be a contestant is now out of a job.
Young P.E.I. actor fulfills childhood dream to play Anne Shirley
A young actor from Prince Edward Island is getting the chance to fulfill a childhood dream, playing the precocious and iconic Anne Shirley on stage.
From beginner to Olympian: Meet Canada's youngest male to fence on the world stage
Nicholas Zhang, 17, will be competing at the Paris Olympics in July. He is the youngest Canadian male fencer to ever compete in the category.
'It was surreal': Ontario mother gives birth to son on day of solar eclipse
For many, Monday's total solar eclipse will become a distant memory or collection of photos to scroll through in the years to come. But for Alannah Duarte and her family, they'll be reminded of the rare celestial event every year they celebrate their youngest son's birthday, as he was born on the day of the momentous occasion.
Couple lucky to be alive after piece of Montreal highway crashes into their windshield
A Montreal couple is having a hard time driving without stress and is unhappy with the city's maintenance after a chunk of highway crashed into their windshield while driving on Thursday night.