Quebec should be inspired by Alberta's sovereignty act, says PQ
Quebec should be inspired by Alberta, says the Parti Québécois (PQ), as the party applauded the sovereignty bill introduced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Under the bill, Smith's cabinet would have the power to rewrite provincial laws without debate in the legislature, in an effort to fend off "Ottawa's overreach."
Danielle Smith's Alberta is more nationalistic than François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and his colleague Pascal Bérubé noted on Friday.
- Don Martin: Danielle Smith's antics suggest she could soon claim the title of Alberta's briefest premier
"Alberta goes much further than the CAQ in indicating that when a federal law encroaches on an Alberta power, or creates a prejudice to Alberta, well there is a mechanism where Alberta suspends the effect of that federal law,'' St-Pierre Plamondon said.
"So Alberta is doing more ... putting limits on a federal government ... that disrespects the [legislatures] ... of every Canadian province," he added.
Bérubé went on to say that Alberta was "more nationalistic than the CAQ."
"It's a government that, obviously, is contested in some respects, (...) but they have a voluntarism (...) that means it's not just Alberta first, it's Alberta all the time, unless you think otherwise.
"That should inspire Quebec. Alberta has surpassed the Quebec government in nationalism, it has to be done,'' said Bérubé.
Asked about this during question period on Friday, Premier François Legault suggested the Alberta government was going too far.
"What the premier of Alberta is proposing is to give the government the power to do things without going through the legislative assembly. I don't know if that's what the PQ is proposing?" he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
WATCH LIVE | Biden declares in State of Union U.S. is 'unbowed, unbroken'
U.S. President Joe Biden is using his State of the Union address Tuesday night to call on Republicans to work with him to 'finish the job' of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he seeks to overcome pessimism in the country and navigate political divisions in Washington.

Inflation 'turning the corner' after multiple rate increases: BoC governor
After raising interest rates eight consecutive times, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told an audience in Quebec City on Tuesday that inflation is showing signs of 'turning the corner' and that the coming year 'will be different.'
PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, with $46B in new funding over the next decade
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
Before and after: How Toronto's MARZ uses AI to make motion picture magic
While much of internet is still buzzing about the wonders of ChatGPT, a Toronto-based technology and visual effects company is making its own splash in Hollywood using artificial intelligence.
'Risky' for Ottawa to take strings-attached approach to health-care negotiations: Jean Charest
As negotiations continue between premiers and the federal government, former Quebec premier Jean Charest is criticizing the feds' string-attached approach to health-care funding, stating that Ottawa should not be in the business of operating health-care systems.
A sensor you draw with a pencil could be used for 'smart diapers,' contactless switches and respiratory monitors
We may soon be able to detect humidity levels, respiratory changes or a too-wet diaper, all with a new type of sensor — one created by drawing with a pencil on specially-treated paper.
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
Texas man jailed in Dallas monkey case says he'd do it again
A 24-year-old man now linked to an unusual string of crimes that kept the Dallas Zoo on the lookout for missing animals told police that after he swiped two monkeys from their enclosure, he took them onto the city's light rail system to make his getaway, court records show.
Balloons and drones among 768 Canadian UFO reports from 2022: researcher
Balloons and drones were among 768 reported UFO sightings in Canada last year, according to Winnipeg-based researcher Chris Rutkowski, who also found that eight per cent of all cases remained unexplained.