• Carney says Albertans chose unity and to move forward with 'purpose' and 'high ambition'

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-20 16:41:56.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Governance, Immigration, Justice]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to Alberta's October 2026 provincial referendum, where 75.5 per cent of voters chose to remain in Canada while 24.5 per cent voted to hold a separation referendum. Discussing the ballot's other questions with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Carney stated that federal-provincial reforms regarding immigration controls and the appointment of provincial judges can be achieved through cooperation rather than complex constitutional amendments. Carney noted that federal reductions in asylum seekers, temporary foreign workers, and foreign students demonstrate alignment on sustainable immigration levels. Meanwhile, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc emphasized Ottawa's priority to work collaboratively with Alberta following the decisive unity vote.

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• As Smith applauds judicial appointments, lawyers speak out against referendum's judges question

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-14 18:26:42.0
  Tags: [Alberta, National, Justice, Governance]

  Premier Danielle Smith's government and federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser appointed Malcolm Lavoie to the Alberta Court of King's Bench and Thomas Rothwell to the Alberta Court of Appeal, amid an ongoing provincial referendum question regarding federal judicial appointment powers. The referendum asks voters if Alberta should seek a constitutional amendment to transfer superior court and Court of Appeal appointment responsibilities from the federal government to the provinces. Opponents, including the Alberta Lawyers for Judicial Independence, argue that the current federal-provincial Judicial Advisory Committee process maintains judicial independence and that provincially appointed judges already handle the vast majority of cases in Alberta.

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• Conservative MP says foreign influence registry 'in shambles,' calls for minister to appear before committee

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-09 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Public Safety, Governance, Justice]

  Conservative MP Michael Cooper is demanding that Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree appear before a parliamentary committee following revelations that Canada's newly established Office of the Foreign Influence Commissioner of Canada, led by Commissioner Anton Boegman, has achieved a compliance rate of only two entries and 30 late submissions against an initial Public Safety Department estimate of 2,422 expected registrants. The registry, mandated by federal legislation adopted in 2024 and taking effect on August 4, 2026, has also experienced technical outages due to its implementation as a minimum viable product and two privacy breaches. Furthermore, watchdog oversight gaps have emerged concerning prior cross-border meetings involving Alberta sovereignty campaigners and U.S. entities, which Commissioner Boegman stated do not fall under his mandate because they predated the registry's enactment, drawing sharp criticism from former NDP MP Charlie Angus.

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• Advocates plea for feds to call inquiry into Alberta, Sask. trans laws

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-28 21:01:30.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Saskatchewan, National, Education, Healthcare, Social Services, Justice]

  LGBTQ+ advocates are petitioning the federal government in Ottawa to call a formal national inquiry into provincial legislation enacted in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The contested laws include parental consent mandates for students under 16 altering their names or pronouns at school, bans on transgender athletes aged 12 and older participating in competitive female sports, and restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for youth. Both Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe utilized the notwithstanding clause to protect these legislative measures from judicial review.

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• Canada’s premiers tight-lipped on constitutional changes in Alberta referendum

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-27 13:03:19.0
  Tags: [Alberta, National, Governance, Justice]

  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government is putting four constitutional reform proposals to a provincewide vote on October 19, including abolishing the Senate, transferring the appointment of provincial King's Bench and Court of Appeal judges from Ottawa to Alberta, allowing provinces to opt out of federal programs without financial penalties, and granting provincial laws paramountcy over federal laws in jurisdictional disputes. While three of the proposals would likely require the 7/50 constitutional amendment rule requiring support from at least seven legislatures representing over half of Canada's population, federal officials and several provincial premiers have pushed back or remained tight-lipped on the initiatives. Constitutional experts note that while proposals regarding provincial judicial appointments and opting out of federal programs could find some interprovincial backing, others like Senate abolition and provincial paramountcy face severe structural and political hurdles.

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• Ottawa invests $2.2 million to give Edmonton youths a literal fighting chance

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-09 23:22:54.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Municipal, Justice, Public Safety, Social Services]

  The federal government, through Justice Minister Sean Fraser, announced a $2.2 million investment from the Crime Prevention Action Fund to support the Empire Fighting Chance program in Edmonton. Administered locally through REACH Edmonton and operated out of Brave MMA and Fitness, the program adapts a model from Bristol, England, utilizing non-contact boxing, martial arts discipline, and psychologically informed mentoring to redirect at-risk youth away from crime and gang activity. Local municipal leaders, including Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, alongside organizations like Native Counselling Services of Alberta, collaborated on the initiative to provide barrier-free early intervention and mental health resources.

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