Former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk discusses the recently resumed legislative session and the United Conservative Party’s upcoming annual general meeting with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: Perhaps let’s start with the amendments to the Bill of Rights. The government claims that these changes will modernize and strengthen the protection of human rights. How far do you think they go to achieve this?

Thomas Lukaszuk: They’re not going anywhere. Unfortunately, although the civil rights and Bill of Rights legislation is largely symbolic as a piece of legislation, it was actually meant to underline the values ​​of Albertans and the things we value in our society and communities. I hate to be rude about this; Premier Smith turned it into a bathroom wall you can write anything you want on.

First of all, Alberta has no jurisdiction over the things it introduces, so what’s the point of putting it in such an important piece of legislation? And other aspects really contradict themselves. If we have autonomy over our own bodies, does this also apply to women’s reproductive rights? Suddenly no, not these. This is where the government will tell you what you can do. Does it apply to transgender children? No, this is where the state comes into play. If we have the right to decide what is best for our children, does this also apply to parents who consent to various medical treatments? No, this is where the government will step in.

It also includes gun ownership, knowing that this is 100 percent exclusive federal jurisdiction. It is included in the Criminal Code of Canada. If a province can’t do anything about it, then why would it include it in Alberta’s Bill of Rights?

Something that was so important on a symbolic level is actually being mocked and no longer has any meaning.

MH: Then it is likely to hit the roadblocks.

TL: Of course, this will have legal difficulties. Danielle Smith is best known for telling Ottawa to stay out of Alberta’s jurisdiction on gun laws. It certainly falls under 100 percent federal jurisdiction, so it really contradicts itself at that level as well.

But not only will there be legal challenges that will cost us both on the state and federal side (we’re paying twice for this), but it will actually make a mockery of a bill. No one can any longer rely on this bill as a foundational piece of legislation where we can say, “Look, this is my right. As Albertans, we believe in this.”

MH: This is a response to respecting the rights and freedoms of its base. Isn’t that his prerogative?

TL: Of course it is, and that’s the sad thing because it really politicizes this important law. And let’s not forget that its base does not exceed five to ten per cent of Alberta’s population. He was supposed to be the premier of all Albertans.

MH: But it is a strong foundation.

TL: He’s strong in the sense that he remains premier or leader of the party, but he’s not strong in terms of Alberta voters, and I find it very unusual that he’s behaving as if it were a leadership evaluation that’s going to be held in Red Deer next weekend. the end of everything. Forgetting that there will actually be an election in this province, and that some of the announcements he has been pushing over the last two or three months, including the Bill of Rights, are clearly aimed at five to ten percent of his base, but perhaps the moderate conservatives who voted for him in the last election but said, “This is too much.” will lose the game.

MH: So let’s shift gears to this weekend’s UCP General Assembly and, as you noted, the importance of leadership review. Jason Kenney steps aside with 51 percent support. Allison Redford and Ed Stelmach were shown the door with 77 percent of the votes during your term in government. How tough do you expect Danielle Smith to be this weekend?

TL: This leadership review is important because these are your party members, these are the people who pay $400 just to register for a convention, they travel, they pay for a hotel.

If you can’t get more than 70 per cent in this group, you have a problem with the rest of Alberta.

A leader should score above 80s in his own environment, in his own support base, but I see that he is very worried for some reason. So I think he’s worried about whether he’s going to vote within the party, because he’s taking steps again, putting forward legislation that would jeopardize his re-election.

He takes unconventional steps, such as making promises to our Muslim community, busing large numbers of children to Congress, and going to truly extreme lengths with his proclamations such as the Bill of Rights. This really puts his re-election in jeopardy just to win the leadership race.

I personally think it will pass this congress because motivated UCP supporters will attend this congress and the number of participants is quite high. But I think he’s concerned and is taking unconventional steps to get around this hurdle, probably hoping Albertans will forget about it and start moderating again after leading.

MH: When you look at the congress in general, what do you expect in terms of results? Beyond perhaps the leadership reviewing itself, what does this say about the path forward for this government?

TL: The road forward will be difficult because it started with Jason Kenney. Jason Kenney attracted some of the most radical members of the Wildrose Party to gain his leadership and unite the two parties, hoping that by casting them for this one vote he could somehow save them and liberate himself. them.

That’s right, when you sleep with dogs you get fleas and it’s hard to get rid of them. He never got rid of them, and when he left he said that the insane had actually taken over the asylum.

Danielle Smith was part of the group that broke into the UCP, and not only was she attracting more, but she was beginning to pander to them and adjust her policies to appease them, forgetting that the majority of UCP supporters were still mainstream Albertans. some kind of balance.

So he has two choices over the next two years: Either he will continue down this path to keep that small fringe group happy, and by doing so will jeopardize his chances of re-election in the general election, or he will begin to moderate and move a little closer to the center, but they will still upset that ten percent because they feel they have been deceived. , they will feel that they have been deceived.

So it’s kind of like the analogy of dating two people at the same time. Valentine’s Day becomes a problem when they both want to go on a date with you at the same time.

Danielle Smith will have the same problem on election day. She’ll have to decide which Danielle Smith she is, and by doing so she’ll either upset one group or the other.