Changes coming to Alberta's proposed Sovereignty Act after concerns over powers given to cabinet

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is crafting changes to be debated next week to reverse the part of a bill that gives her cabinet unfettered power to rewrite laws behind closed doors without legislature approval.

Smith told a radio talk show Saturday that her sovereignty bill was never supposed to give cabinet such sweeping authority, and says her government wants to make it clear in law that this is not the case.

"I think that there was some confusion or some lack of clarity that if there's any changes to statutes, it does have to come back to the legislature. So we're working on making sure that that gets clarified, but that seems to be the biggest criticism," Smith said on Your Province, Your Premier, a Corus radio show.

Previously, Smith had only said she was open to amendments to the bill. 

In question period Thursday, Smith challenged the Opposition NDP to be "constructive" and table amendments to the bill.

"If the honourable members would like to make a couple of amendments to approve the bill we are more than happy to work collaboratively with them," she said. 

Smith told Power and Politics host David Cochrane in an interview Friday she is open to making amendments to Bill 1 to clarify that any laws her cabinet changes or drafts will come back to the legislature for debate and a vote.

The bill, introduced this week, has faced widespread criticism and condemnation for granting Smith and her cabinet authority to redress any federal policy, law or program it deems harmful to Alberta.

Critics say such power exercised in secret without legislature oversight is a threat to the checks and balances that underpin a healthy democracy.

The bill has also raised concerns over the provision that grants cabinet the power to order provincially legislated or funded entities to reject federal laws.

Those entities include municipalities, police forces, health regions, post-secondary institutions and school boards.

NDP Leader Rachel Notley wants Smith to revoke the act entirely, she said Thursday. 

She said the bill is scaring the business community, limits Albertans' ability to challenge decisions and infringes on the treaty rights of Indigenous people. 

"We need to drive investment opportunities, not drive away investors." Notley told the legislature. "My message today to the government is to simply withdraw this mess of a bill."