Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wants to amend the Alberta Bill of Rights, including allowing Albertans to own a firearm and choose whether to receive medical treatments, including vaccinations.
In a video of just over 3 minutes posted on social media, the leader of the United Conservative Party said that the Alberta Bill of Rights reflects the province’s shared values.
The Bill of Rights has served its purpose well over the years, but as our society evolves, so too must our laws to ensure that our rights and freedoms remain adequately protected in an ever-changing world.
A quote from Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta
Danielle Smith wants to enshrine in law the right of Albertans to decide whether or not to receive medical treatment.
Three points Danielle Smith wants to enshrine in Alberta’s Bill of Rights
| Three points Danielle Smith wants to enshrine in Alberta’s Bill of Rights |
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Every person in our province who has the mental capacity to do so will have the right to decide whether or not to be vaccinated, she said, adding that the same would be possible for any medical procedure.
She spoke about how recent years have been a challenge for the right to bodily autonomy, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I firmly believe that no Albertan should ever be pressured to accept medical treatment without their full consent.
The right to own a weapon
The Premier also wants to include in the province’s Bill of Rights the right to legally acquire, keep and use firearms safely.
Many Albertans believe firearms are essential to their livelihood and way of life.
A quote from Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta
I personally believe that law-abiding gun owners have been unfairly targeted by our federal government for decades and I hope these amendments will better protect the rights of our farmers, ranchers, hunters and sports enthusiasts in the future, she continued.
Not to be deprived of one’s property
Danielle Smith ultimately wants to amend the Alberta Bill of Rights to strengthen property rights, another cornerstone of life in a free and democratic society, and to ensure that no Albertan can be deprived of their property without due process and fair compensation.
It is a reaffirmation of your right to own and enjoy the property you have worked so hard for.
What is the Alberta Bill of Rights?
This legislative document is equivalent to a “quasi-constitutional” law, explains Louis-Philippe Lampron, a professor specializing in human rights and freedoms at the Faculty of Law at Laval University. Each Canadian province has a law of this type.
He points out, however, that the particularity of the Alberta Declaration of Rights is that, unlike the majority of similar laws in other provinces, it protects several fundamental rights, including fundamental freedoms.
While most of the laws found in Canada are limited to prohibiting discrimination, he specifies.
In Alberta, the Bill of Rights is a law that takes precedence over other Alberta laws. However, this does not prevent the government from amending it: They can be amended as simple laws in the current state of the law.
It’s a smokescreen because the current state of Canadian law already protects the right to refuse medical treatment and to refuse a vaccine to a certain extent.
A quote from Louis-Philippe Lampron, professor, Faculty of Law, Laval University
Louis-Philippe Lampron points out that, in the event of a pandemic, the state could justify restrictions on these fundamental rights. It is a form of codification of what is already recognized in Canadian law, he concludes.
