Former Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason said the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act is similar to measures former German chancellor Adolf Hitler took. .“Danielle Smith’s ‘Sovereignty Act’ has parallels in history,” said Mason in a Tuesday tweet. .“Hitler’s ‘Enabling Act’ of 1933 is the most extreme example.”.Mason said the Alberta Sovereignty Act should be known as a King Henry VIII act, as it allows the provincial government to pass laws without consent from Parliament. He said the consequences of the Enabling Act of 1933 were horrific. .Mason shared a Wikipedia article about the Enabling Act with a quote from American philosopher George Santayana saying “those that cannot remember their history are condemned to repeat it.”.The Enabling Act was a law giving the German cabinet the power to make and enforce laws without the involvement of the Reichstag or former president Paul Von Hindenburg, leading to the rise of Nazi Germany. .This law enabled Hitler to bypass the checks and balances in the German government. It rested upon Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which gave the government emergency powers during periods of unrest. .Among these powers was the ability to create and enforce laws violating individual rights prescribed in the Weimar Constitution. .Mason said the Alberta Sovereignty Act is “beyond undemocratic.” .“It is the first step towards a dictatorship,” he said. .The Alberta government introduced the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act to fight federal laws or policies affecting provincial interests on Tuesday. .READ MORE: Smith introduces bill to defend Albertans from Ottawa overreach.The act will enable the Alberta government to stand up to Canadian government overreach and interference in areas of provincial jurisdiction if passed. ."The Canadian Constitution is clear— the federal and provincial governments are equals, each with our own areas of exclusive jurisdiction,” said Smith.
