CALGARY — An angry Premier Danielle Smith says it is “disgraceful” that Alberta treaty chiefs are calling for the RCMP and Auditor General to investigate her and members of the UCP government over allegations their actions may amount to treason under the Criminal Code.The Assembly of Treaty Chiefs of Treaty No. 6, Treaty No. 7 and Treaty No. 8 unanimously passed the resolution during a meeting held Tuesday on Treaty No. 7 territory in Calgary.The chiefs said the investigation should examine whether Smith and the UCP violated treaty obligations, created risks to Canadian sovereignty through a referendum and failed to address alleged privacy violations affecting millions of people.They also claimed the government’s actions have taken place amid “significant risks of foreign interference and influence.”.Smith told the Western Standard on Wednesday that she had her “differences with the federal government” on many policies, but she would never use the sort of inflammatory language that the treaty chiefs are using.“I would ask the treaty chiefs to check themselves because we have a very collaborative relationship between our government and our ministers. I want that to continue,” Smith said.“But this kind of overwrought language has no place in a democracy.”She added that when the chiefs had been pursuing a new relationship with Ottawa, she “cheered them on” and would hope they would respect her jurisdiction.Smith's Chief of Staff Rob Anderson had previously slammed the chiefs earlier in the day.."What a dangerous and irresponsible letter by Treaty Chiefs. Asking the RCMP to investigate and charge a Premier with treason because you disagree with her policy (to hold a referendum in this case) is a dark path that we see in 3rd world banana republics. It is wrong, it is unAlbertan and it is unCanadian…period," he tweeted.The resolution calls for immediate action by the RCMP and the Auditor General to determine whether the conduct meets the threshold for treason under Section 46 of the Criminal Code.The Assembly said the RCMP has a historical obligation tied to the former Northwest Mounted Police, which it said committed at the time of treaty to help ensure the safety of First Nations and their territories.The chiefs said the Crown guaranteed peace and goodwill between First Nations and Canada in exchange for sharing the lands.The Assembly said the resolution represents a united position from the chiefs of Treaty No. 6, Treaty No. 7 and Treaty No. 8 territories.The demand marks a sharp escalation in tensions between treaty leadership and the Smith government, with chiefs accusing the province of undermining treaty rights and placing the treaty relationship at risk.When asked how the UCP government planned to rebuild trust between itself and the Assembly, Smith stated she and her ministers had met with them “regularly,” adding she has asked them how many times they have “met with the Prime Minister when he's brought together ten or fourteen of his ministers to deal with [their] concerns?”“You know what the answer is? Never,” she said before reiterating her government’s commitment to having a mutually respectful relationship with the Assembly.“But it can only be done if they show as much respect for my government as we have shown for them,” she stated.
