Opinion: For Alberta, true sovereignty must start with a written, structural constitution
The clock is ticking for Alberta's sovereignty. We must seriously consider — and articulate — the system of government we seek. Independence or not, establishing a robust separation of powers will grant Alberta freedom and fortitude, whether within Canada or as a republic.
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Premier Smith's government has buttressed both our civil liberties and our provincial self-governance. But progress in these areas will be fleeting without a robust separation of powers, which Alberta has struggled to protect.
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Unelected bureaucrats enjoy nearly boundless authority to make substantive policies that affect the day-to-day rights and obligations of ordinary Canadians. Take the federal firearms registry example, which can be revised via an Order in Council issued by the federal executive. Without any legislative recourse or accountability, firearms that were perfectly legal one day can become illegal the very next. Bureaucratic lawmaking of this sort removes governance from the people and puts it in the hands of socially detached elites.
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Worse still, when a single person holds the power to write, interpret, and prosecute the law, they are free to regulate society while refusing to hold their buddies accountable. Without properly enforcing the separation of powers, the concentration of lawmaking and prosecutorial power brews lawlessness and corruption.
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Provincially, we don't fare much better. Because legislative and executive powers lack clear separation, the province leases heavily regulated public lands at bargain-bin rates. Simultaneous, constant regulatory flip-flopping to benefit special interests generates expensive instability for businesses, environmental advocates, and society. Without a clear line between the executive and the legislature, the rule of law dissolves, and well-resourced insiders are the only ones able to navigate the unsteady terrain.
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If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The U.S. ambassador to Canada, while speaking at an annual gathering where Pacific Northwest provincial and state governments collaborate for mutual economic benefit, said the president thinks Canadians are 'mean and nasty.' His words and divisive sentiments went over like a lead balloon. Needless to say, this guy is clearly following Trump's orders on international capitulation rather than fulfilling the role of an ambassador supporting international co-operation. I doubt that anyone south of the 49th really thinks Canadians are going to offer our beloved 'sorry' for buying Canadian now that Trump has added name-calling to his repertoire for antagonizing us. 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