Todd Loewen, Bill Rock, and Danielle Smith are the three UCP leadership candidates who support an Alberta Sovereignty Act..Candidates discussed their ideas for the province in a Thursday night panel, hosted by the Free Alberta Strategy Group (FASG), a project of the Alberta Institute and former Airdrie MLA and lawyer Rob Anderson, who moderated the panel..Smith said an Alberta Sovereignty Act is necessary because “Ottawa has violated our jurisdiction and gotten into our lane in virtually every single area.”.READ MORE: WATCH: Smith puts forth Alberta Sovereignty Act to strike federal laws.Such legislation would authorize the Alberta government to refuse to enforce any federal law or policy that attacks Alberta's interests or provincial rights..Smith first voiced her support for the proposed law on June 16. But Rock, the mayor for Amisk, was the first to pledge his commitment to implement the Act, if elected, in a Facebook post on June 8. .Rock was not included in the FASG panel because he didn’t meet the requirement of being a current or former MLA..READ MORE: UCP leadership candidate Rock barred from leadership panel because he's not a current or former MLA.Loewen said the Act is a“great place to start,” but the province could immediately take action, like creating its own pension plan. The Independent MLA also said there’s “no way” Alberta would join confederation if they were offered the same deal it has now..Premier Jason Kenney’s former Transportation minister Rajan Sawhney called the proposal “politics” and “virtue signalling.” She said she wants to focus on the “real issues.".Rebecca Schulz, the former Children's Services minister, said it’s a “slippery slope” as Alberta can’t choose not to follow laws it doesn’t like. It would create chaos for jobs and investors, and creates a risk of NDP leader Rachel Notley win next year's provincial election..“I think that’s a very real risk for us right now,” Schulz said..UCP MLA and former Wildrose leader Brian Jean said some things in the Act are unacceptable. A key UCP principle is the rule of law, he said..Alberta will lead the Canada in economic growth this year and the Act would bring uncertainty to the economy, said former Finance minister Travis Toews..“We can't undermine the trajectory of this economy and the future of Albertans by creating chaos by passing an Alberta Sovereignty Act,” he said..UCP MLA Leela Aheer said there’s valuable pieces in the Act, like the protection of Charter rights..“But if I was to consider my first bill, this would certainly not be it.”.READ MORE: UCP leadership candidates have mixed response to proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act.Smith, Loewen, Toews all voiced support for a provincial police force..Smith said Ottawa’s legislation on handguns and firearms is not a priority for Albertans, which is why a provincial force is needed..But Sawhney said Alberta’s rural municipalities have expressed “serious concerns” about the plan..“In short, our government has not effectively articulated why Alberta needs a provincial police force,” she said..Aheer and Shulz also said Albertans haven’t given a clear answer on whether they want a provincial police force and more consultation must be done..Jean said he agrees with the idea in principle, but it would need to be implemented over time. The province can’t do anything that would lower the number of officers in the province, he said..Candidates were given the topics in advance, but not questions. Anderson said about 4,500 viewers tuned into the debate..UCP candidates will elect a new leader and premier on October 6.
Todd Loewen, Bill Rock, and Danielle Smith are the three UCP leadership candidates who support an Alberta Sovereignty Act..Candidates discussed their ideas for the province in a Thursday night panel, hosted by the Free Alberta Strategy Group (FASG), a project of the Alberta Institute and former Airdrie MLA and lawyer Rob Anderson, who moderated the panel..Smith said an Alberta Sovereignty Act is necessary because “Ottawa has violated our jurisdiction and gotten into our lane in virtually every single area.”.READ MORE: WATCH: Smith puts forth Alberta Sovereignty Act to strike federal laws.Such legislation would authorize the Alberta government to refuse to enforce any federal law or policy that attacks Alberta's interests or provincial rights..Smith first voiced her support for the proposed law on June 16. But Rock, the mayor for Amisk, was the first to pledge his commitment to implement the Act, if elected, in a Facebook post on June 8. .Rock was not included in the FASG panel because he didn’t meet the requirement of being a current or former MLA..READ MORE: UCP leadership candidate Rock barred from leadership panel because he's not a current or former MLA.Loewen said the Act is a“great place to start,” but the province could immediately take action, like creating its own pension plan. The Independent MLA also said there’s “no way” Alberta would join confederation if they were offered the same deal it has now..Premier Jason Kenney’s former Transportation minister Rajan Sawhney called the proposal “politics” and “virtue signalling.” She said she wants to focus on the “real issues.".Rebecca Schulz, the former Children's Services minister, said it’s a “slippery slope” as Alberta can’t choose not to follow laws it doesn’t like. It would create chaos for jobs and investors, and creates a risk of NDP leader Rachel Notley win next year's provincial election..“I think that’s a very real risk for us right now,” Schulz said..UCP MLA and former Wildrose leader Brian Jean said some things in the Act are unacceptable. A key UCP principle is the rule of law, he said..Alberta will lead the Canada in economic growth this year and the Act would bring uncertainty to the economy, said former Finance minister Travis Toews..“We can't undermine the trajectory of this economy and the future of Albertans by creating chaos by passing an Alberta Sovereignty Act,” he said..UCP MLA Leela Aheer said there’s valuable pieces in the Act, like the protection of Charter rights..“But if I was to consider my first bill, this would certainly not be it.”.READ MORE: UCP leadership candidates have mixed response to proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act.Smith, Loewen, Toews all voiced support for a provincial police force..Smith said Ottawa’s legislation on handguns and firearms is not a priority for Albertans, which is why a provincial force is needed..But Sawhney said Alberta’s rural municipalities have expressed “serious concerns” about the plan..“In short, our government has not effectively articulated why Alberta needs a provincial police force,” she said..Aheer and Shulz also said Albertans haven’t given a clear answer on whether they want a provincial police force and more consultation must be done..Jean said he agrees with the idea in principle, but it would need to be implemented over time. The province can’t do anything that would lower the number of officers in the province, he said..Candidates were given the topics in advance, but not questions. Anderson said about 4,500 viewers tuned into the debate..UCP candidates will elect a new leader and premier on October 6.