UCP leadership candidate Danielle Smith says principles of the Alberta Sovereignty Act are being applied with the Alberta government's decision to instruct RCMP to dismiss direct orders from the Canadian government to enforce its semi-automatic weapon buyback program..On Monday, the Western Standard reported Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro announced the Alberta government had sent those instructions to the RCMP..READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government demands RCMP ignore Trudeau's gun grab.Shandro said the Canadian government continues to intrude on Alberta’s firearms jurisdiction. The Alberta Sovereignty Act — one of the principles Smith has been promoting the entire leadership election — would stand against Ottawa on this issue.. Tyler ShandroAlberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro speaks about not enforcing the Canadian government's firearms restrictions at a press conference at the McDougall Centre on September 26, 2022. .Premier Jason Kenney and Shandro appear to using the same principle proposed by Smith, which they have both heavily criticized. Alberta will seek to advance legal arguments that the Canadian government has overreached with its gun buyback program by applying for intervenor status in six judicial reviews..Shandro said Alberta will be able to “contribute arguments based on specific challenges the federal legislation has created for the local law-abiding firearm community.” .Shandro said he has written to the Alberta RCMP commanding officer to ask him to not comply."I want to applaud the decision by minister Shandro to request the RCMP refuse enforcement of Justin Trudeau's unconstitutional mandatory firearm confiscation program, as well as the minister's confirmation to the federal government that Alberta will not deploy any provincial resources to assist this program in any way," Smith said."This decision is closely aligned with my proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act which would allow the legislature, via free vote of all members, to refuse enforcement of any federal government action it deems to violate Alberta's sovereign provincial jurisdictions."According to Smith, in this case, private property ownership — including firearms — is the purview of the provinces under the Constitution, and the federal government has no right to intervene or interfere therein unless a firearm is used criminally."If I am successful in the leadership vote on October 6, and the Sovereignty Act becomes law later in the fall, I will propose to our UCP Caucus that we deploy the Act carefully along the lines proposed by the minister, to not only refuse provincial enforcement of this confiscation program, but, under authority of the Alberta Sovereignty Act, prohibit any enforcement by the RCMP or our provincially regulated municipal police services, of this misguided and unconstitutional federal policy," said Smith.
UCP leadership candidate Danielle Smith says principles of the Alberta Sovereignty Act are being applied with the Alberta government's decision to instruct RCMP to dismiss direct orders from the Canadian government to enforce its semi-automatic weapon buyback program..On Monday, the Western Standard reported Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro announced the Alberta government had sent those instructions to the RCMP..READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government demands RCMP ignore Trudeau's gun grab.Shandro said the Canadian government continues to intrude on Alberta’s firearms jurisdiction. The Alberta Sovereignty Act — one of the principles Smith has been promoting the entire leadership election — would stand against Ottawa on this issue.. Tyler ShandroAlberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro speaks about not enforcing the Canadian government's firearms restrictions at a press conference at the McDougall Centre on September 26, 2022. .Premier Jason Kenney and Shandro appear to using the same principle proposed by Smith, which they have both heavily criticized. Alberta will seek to advance legal arguments that the Canadian government has overreached with its gun buyback program by applying for intervenor status in six judicial reviews..Shandro said Alberta will be able to “contribute arguments based on specific challenges the federal legislation has created for the local law-abiding firearm community.” .Shandro said he has written to the Alberta RCMP commanding officer to ask him to not comply."I want to applaud the decision by minister Shandro to request the RCMP refuse enforcement of Justin Trudeau's unconstitutional mandatory firearm confiscation program, as well as the minister's confirmation to the federal government that Alberta will not deploy any provincial resources to assist this program in any way," Smith said."This decision is closely aligned with my proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act which would allow the legislature, via free vote of all members, to refuse enforcement of any federal government action it deems to violate Alberta's sovereign provincial jurisdictions."According to Smith, in this case, private property ownership — including firearms — is the purview of the provinces under the Constitution, and the federal government has no right to intervene or interfere therein unless a firearm is used criminally."If I am successful in the leadership vote on October 6, and the Sovereignty Act becomes law later in the fall, I will propose to our UCP Caucus that we deploy the Act carefully along the lines proposed by the minister, to not only refuse provincial enforcement of this confiscation program, but, under authority of the Alberta Sovereignty Act, prohibit any enforcement by the RCMP or our provincially regulated municipal police services, of this misguided and unconstitutional federal policy," said Smith.
