Key Takeaways:
- The Alberta government has introduced a bill to clear legal hurdles for citizens who want to put referendum questions on a ballot, including the possibility of leaving Confederation.
- The bill would halt a court proceeding on a pro-separatist referendum question and allow the proponents to reapply at no cost.
- The legislation would also give the minister the power to recommend changes to the wording of referendum questions and prevent the chief electoral officer from referring future proposals to the courts.
- The bill would remove a previous rule that referendums on the same or similar subjects couldn’t be held within five years of each other.
- The opposition NDP has criticized the legislation, saying it demonstrates that the government will change the law to suit themselves when they feel threatened.
Introduction to the Bill
The Alberta government has introduced a bill that aims to clear legal hurdles for citizens who want to put referendum questions on a ballot, including the possibility of leaving Confederation. The bill, tabled on Thursday, would halt a court proceeding on a pro-separatist referendum question that is awaiting a judicial decision, essentially giving the proponents a fresh start. Justice Minister Mickey Amery told reporters that the bill is not being put forward specifically because of that case, but those behind the separation question would be permitted to reapply at no cost.
The Referendum Proposal
The referendum proposal in question, put forward earlier this year by the separatist group the Alberta Prosperity Project, was proposed as: "Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?" The proposal was referred to the courts by Alberta’s chief electoral officer to determine whether the question was constitutional, a move that Amery and Premier Danielle Smith had denounced as premature. The legislation would prevent the chief electoral officer from referring future proposals to the courts, while giving that power to the minister.
Changes to the Electoral Process
The bill would also make other wide-ranging electoral changes, including rules aimed at preventing long ballot protests and restricting new political party names. The legislation lists "distinctive" words and phrases that new parties will be prohibited from using, including communist, conservative, democratic, green, independent, liberal, reform, republican, and wildrose. Amery said it’s a non-partisan change being done to avoid confusing voters, and he alleged that some are purposely trying to deceive voters by using phrases like those listed.
Reaction from the Opposition
The opposition NDP has criticized the legislation, saying it demonstrates that the government will change the law to suit themselves when they feel threatened. NDP Deputy Leader Rakhi Pancholi told reporters that the legislation shows that the government doesn’t believe in the courts and is trying to manipulate the system to their advantage. Pancholi also expressed concern that the bill would give the minister too much power to influence the wording of referendum questions and the electoral process.
Impact on Political Parties
The legislation would also have an impact on political parties in Alberta. The bill would prevent new parties from using certain names, which could affect the efforts of two former UCP members who are trying to establish a new iteration of the Progressive Conservative Party. Peter Guthrie, one of the former UCP members, told reporters that he found it astonishing that the government would go as far as legislating roadblocks to stop his efforts. Guthrie said that he and his fellow Independent MLA Scott Sinclair would be going back to the drawing board for a new name.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Alberta government’s bill aims to clear legal hurdles for citizens who want to put referendum questions on a ballot, including the possibility of leaving Confederation. The legislation would make significant changes to the electoral process, including giving the minister more power to influence the wording of referendum questions and preventing the chief electoral officer from referring future proposals to the courts. While the government says the bill is intended to make the electoral process more efficient and transparent, the opposition has criticized it as an attempt to manipulate the system to the government’s advantage. The bill’s impact on political parties and the electoral process will be closely watched in the coming months.