Alberta house leader doubtful Danielle Smith’s controversial sovereignty bill would pass

Alberta Government House Leader Jason Nixon says he doubts controversial legislation proposed by a party leadership candidate would even pass in the legislature.

Nixon says the Alberta sovereignty act proposed by Danielle Smith would not only be illegal, it would be bad for business and politically catastrophic because it vastly overpromises what it can’t deliver.

Smith is one of the front-runners in the race to replace Jason Kenney as party leader and premier in October.

The UCP tweeted out Monday night that Danielle Smith has met all the requirements and is now an official leadership candidate ahead of October’s leadership contest.

Related links:

• Alberta UCP confirms 3 candidates in leadership race as clock ticks down on deadline

• Danielle Smith granted official UCP leadership candidate status

• Alberta UCP leadership candidate Danielle Smith promises immediate sovereignty act

She has promised that if she wins, she would bring in this fall a bill granting Alberta the power to refuse to enforce federal laws or court decisions it deems an intrusion on provincial rights or a threat to Alberta interests.

Smith has said it’s critical Alberta draw a line in the sand immediately when it comes to federal intrusions in areas such as energy development and COVID-19 rules and restrictions.

“There has been enough conversation around this that I have a pretty good gauge of where people are at,” Smith said in an interview. “It seems to me we do have a mandate to move.”

Smith said the legislature would need to pass an Alberta sovereignty act as soon as possible to allow Alberta to reject federal rules on COVID-19, such as ordering vaccine shots for children or third doses for the public.

With files from Todd Kauffman