A Constitution for Alberta: It’s time

This is an interesting time in the history of Canada to be a Constitutional scholar. As has been
widely reported, on May 13th, the government of Quebec introduced its controversial Bill 96 in
the National Assembly. The Bill seeks to unilaterally amend Quebec’s constitution, as well as
Canada’s Constitution. Since that time both the Prime Minister and Alberta’s Premier have
indicated that Quebec is legally able to, so long as the amendments pertain only to Quebec.
This opens up a whole new avenue for our province to stand up for Albertans and defend
Alberta’s interests. It also raises a key argument I have been making for some time: Alberta
needs a proper constitution.
As many of you know, I was proud to serve on the government’s Fair Deal Panel. However, as I
outlined in a letter to the Premier at the time, the Panel’s Final Report did not fully reflect the
public’s frustrations, or provide enough in the way of immediate action.
I believe that the most important recommendation left out of the Panel’s final report was the
creation of a full Constitution for the province of Alberta.
While Alberta certainly does have a constitutional framework, first outlined in the Alberta Act of
1905, this does not go nearly far enough in describing Albertans’ shared values, or our unique
culture and identity.
The creation of a formal Constitution, including the election of an independent constitutional
convention, is an opportunity to engage with Albertans from every region and build a forward
looking vision for our province as the strongest and most free jurisdiction in North America.
Done correctly, the creation of an Alberta constitution does not lead directly down a one-way
path to separation. However, it would send a strong signal to Ottawa that Alberta’s d