Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she just received word that the Federal Justice Minister may attempt to rescind the 1930 Natural Resources Transfer Agreement (NRTA) with the prairie provinces..“This would pose an unprecedented risk to national unity and Alberta condemns this federal threat in the strongest possible terms,” Smith said..Alberta has a constitutional obligation under the NRTA to transfer back to Canada unoccupied Crown lands necessary to allow Canada to fulfill its treaty obligations with First Nations..Since 1986, Alberta has settled 11 different land claims, contributed 178,281 acres of unoccupied Crown land to Canada in trust for First Nations and also $57.6 million in compensation..“All lands included in reserves within the province, including those selected and surveyed but not yet confirmed, as well as those confirmed, shall continue to be vested in the Crown and administered by the Government of Canada for the purposes of Canada, and the province will from time to time upon the request of the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, set aside, out of the unoccupied Crown lands hereby,” the agreement reads..“I will be contacting Premiers Scott Moe and Heather Stefanson to discuss next steps and call on the prime minister to immediately have his Justice Minister retract and apologize for these comments immediately,” Smith said..Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said it is "outrageous" that the Trudeau government would even think of changing the NRTA..Moe wants to know how the federal Justice Minister thinks he has the authority to take natural resources away from the provinces..Moe and Smith are both ready to fight for provincial jurisdiction and autonomy..Saskatchewan's recent Saskatchewan First Act created a panel to look at any federal infringement on provincial natural resources.
