Sep 08, 2022 • 6 hours ago • 3 min read • 73 comments UCP leadership candidates (LR) Leela Sharon Aheer, Brian Jean, Rajan Sawhney and Travis Toews take a question at the Westin Hotel in Calgary on Thursday, September 8, 2022 .All four disagreed with the proposed policy proposed by Danielle Smith. Jim Wells/Postmedia Jim Wells/Postmedia

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Danielle Smith’s proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act will fail to address Alberta’s grievances with Ottawa and hand next year’s election to the NDP, four of the seven UCP leadership candidates said in Calgary on Thursday.

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But Travis Toews, Rajan Sawhney, Brian Jean and Leela Aheer said they are not ready to rally around a single candidate to ensure Smith’s defeat when the next party leader is chosen on Oct. 6. Sign up to receive daily news headlines from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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“This is a membership vote (effort) anything but cheating,” said UCP supporter Jean, who referred to the act’s intentions as “fairy tales.” “We have to show what we can do and what we can’t do – we have to be real, not fake.” UCP leadership candidate Brian Jean speaks at the Westin Hotel in Calgary Thursday, September 8, 2022. Jim Wells/Postmedia The candidates have acknowledged their political differences but agree to oppose the Alberta Sovereignty Act proposed by Smith, the considered front-runner in the race. Smith’s proposed legislation would empower Alberta to ignore federal laws deemed to be against the province’s interests. It has drawn fire from outgoing premier Jason Kenney and some of his potential successors as unconstitutional, unrealistic and an invitation to economic chaos and an electoral victory for Rachel Notley’s NDP.

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“It will create a constitutional and economic crisis that will hurt Alberta,” said Calgary North East MLA Sawhney. UCP leadership candidate Rajan Sawhney speaks at the Westin Hotel in Calgary Thursday, September 8, 2022. Jim Wells/Postmedia “The act of dominance is just worthless and worthless virtue signaling.” The proposed act has been branded “separatist” by rival candidates, who have vowed to vote against it if it is found to be unconstitutional. Toews said the act would hurt the party’s chances in next spring’s election, as the government’s books show surpluses and support for the UCP has grown. “If the Conservatives push through the Sovereignty Act, it could well make us unelectable in 2023,” he said. Smith’s proposed act does not include remedies for Alberta’s disputes over the carbon tax, federal travel orders, pipelines and equalization, among other issues, the candidates said.

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“It’s political harassment and it’s not going to work,” Toews said. UCP leadership candidate Travis Toews speaks at the Westin Hotel in Calgary Thursday, September 8, 2022. Jim Wells/Postmedia “It was proposed as a way to stop the carbon tax, but it won’t change (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau’s bill.” A Smith victory and passage of the legislation could well tear apart the party, which is already deeply divisive, they said. The four said they had also invited leadership candidates Todd Loewen and Rebecca Schulz to join them Thursday, but they declined. UCP leadership candidate Leela Sharon Aheer speaks at the Westin Hotel in Calgary Thursday, September 8, 2022. Jim Wells/Postmedia Aheer said she would remain in the UCP caucus to fight the rule act if Smith wins the leadership and encouraged other MLAs to do the same. He said Smith’s plan was tearing the party apart at a critical, pre-election period. “We can easily end up in another leadership race and I don’t want to see that,” Aheer said.

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“Ninety percent of what we’re doing right now (in the leadership race) is winning back your trust, and we can’t do that with the act of dominance.” Sawhney echoed those concerns. “We would certainly be looking at an NDP government in 2023. . . this is dividing us as we speak,” he said. In response, Smith said some of her leadership rivals are pushing their own controversial measures to challenge Ottawa’s treatment of Alberta. “Travis Toews wants to impose clearly unconstitutional trade tariffs against other provinces and private companies that he believes have wronged Alberta,” she said in a statement. “Brian Jean wants constitutional negotiations with Ottawa to reopen. Other candidates have offered other solutions, many of which deserve consideration and support.”

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The Alberta Sovereignty Act, he said, has drawn the spotlight in the leadership race and won the support of a large portion of the UCP. “I am so excited to give Albertans the opportunity to do what many of their previous leaders have failed to do. . . That is to put Alberta first and push Ottawa firmly, but constitutionally, back into its own lane,” he said. The UCP candidates’ spat over Smith’s motion shows the party is doomed to more infighting and is unfit to govern, said Irfan Shabir, the NDP MLA who is a justice critic and interim democracy/ethics critic. “The UCP is debating the merits of yet another fraudulent plan to fight Ottawa and create yet another leadership race,” Sabir said. “The melodrama we’ve been watching for the past two years will not end on October 6. In fact, it will get much worse and lead to more infighting and more inaction.” [email protected] Twitter: BillKaufmannjrn

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