Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is describing Ottawa’s bid to limit provincial use of the notwithstanding clause as a risk to “national unity.”
Smith spoke out on Sept. 18 against the federal government’s asking the Supreme Court of Canada to set limits on the manner in which provinces can use the notwithstanding clause, which is part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Sean Fraser announced on Sept. 18 that he filed a request with the Supreme Court arguing that repeated usage of the clause by provincial governments amounts to “indirectly amending the Constitution” and that it’s the equivalent of “denying its very existence.”…