As Albertans prepare to vote in their October referendum, it is important for them to know and understand what has happened to the constitutional legacy of former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. During the drafting of the Bill of Rights and Constitution Act 1982 in 1980-81, Lougheed and other Western prime ministers negotiated and won four significant concessions from the Trudeau Liberals. But now, four decades later, these hard-fought constitutional rights and powers have been overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada, federal Liberal governments, or both working together. These constitutional defeats represent a clear and present danger to the future of Albertans. Harmful federal policies could be repealed by a new federal government. Constitutional losses are permanent unless challenged.
