'The kind of leader I am': Smith accepts sovereignty act amendments from UCP caucus
Alberta's premier says she is OK with her caucus making changes to the sovereignty act bill she introduced last week, while the NDP argued it would be better to scrap it altogether.
On Monday, United Conservative Party MLAs voted to propose amendments to Bill 1, the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act.
The changes would see unilateral powers granted to Danielle Smith and her cabinet removed from the bill and would limit the scope of when it can be used.
"She's lost people's trust with this bumbling and stumbling," NDP Leader Rachel Notley alleged during question period.
"My caucus identified some issues that they wanted to address. They wanted to seek some clarity," Smith said during her response. "And that's the kind of leader I am, I want to make sure we get this bill right and I'm grateful that my caucus is going to propose amendments."
Notley called the legislation "job killing" and she criticized Smith for how the act was written and introduced to Albertans.
For days after Smith introduced the bill, she and her cabinet members rejected accusations, including from legal and constitutional scholars, that the bill granted unchecked power.
"First she said we were wrong. Then she claimed we didn't read the bill. Then she called us fear mongers. Now, she admits there are problems while her caucus demands amendments," Notley said.
"She either got caught in her attempt to seize power and is now desperately scrambling to cover that up or she literally didn't know what was in her bill."
Several of Smith's cabinet ministers were also critical of the sovereignty act idea when they ran against her for leadership of the UCP.
Brian Jean, Rajan Sawhney and Travis Toews were all part of a group that called the proposal "unconstitutional" and a "fairy tale" in September. Last week, all said their concerns had been addressed and they supported the act.
Political scientist Duane Bratt said the whole situation is embarrassing for the new premier.
"It's surprising, for something that was her signature policy, that more care wasn't put into drafting it," he told CTV News Edmonton.
After the amendments were revealed Monday, Bratt tweeted his reaction and some pointed questions for the government.
"There are still significant problems, but these amendments address two of the most egregious clauses. Two major climb downs in a span of the week. On the premier's signature bill. Deliberate? Incompetent? Both?" he asked.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.