Nothing is off the table when it comes to responding to newly proposed legislation that would give Alberta Premier Danielle Smith害羞草研究所檚 government 害羞草研究所渆xceptional powers,害羞草研究所� Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday.

Trudeau stopped briefly on his way into a Liberal caucus meeting to address the long-awaited legislation Smith害羞草研究所檚 government introduced Tuesday in the provincial legislature.

The bill, called the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, proposes to give Smith害羞草研究所檚 cabinet the power to rewrite provincial laws without legislative debate.

Trudeau said his government will be watching closely what happens next.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not going to take anything off the table,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 also not looking for a fight,害羞草研究所� he added. 害羞草研究所淲e want to continue to be there to deliver for Albertans.害羞草研究所�

Smith promised the legislation when she was a candidate in the United Conservative Party leadership race to replace former premier Jason Kenney. She characterized the bill as a way to push back against Ottawa and made it a major focus of her campaign.

Frustration with the federal government over equalization payments and resource development has been a long-standing issue in Alberta. Smith is hoping to tap into that frustration with the new bill.

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But critics say what it really proposes is to consolidate power around Smith害羞草研究所檚 cabinet.

Kenney, who waded into the leadership race to call Smith害羞草研究所檚 sovereignty proposal 害羞草研究所渃atastrophically stupid,害羞草研究所� resigned after she tabled her plan Tuesday.

害羞草研究所淲e know that the exceptional powers that the premier is choosing to give the Alberta government in bypassing the Alberta legislature is causing a lot of eyebrows to raise in Alberta,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said Wednesday. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e going to see how this plays out.害羞草研究所�

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the federal government should start preparing a possible legal challenge to the bill, calling it not only unconstitutional, but a risk to health-care.

Singh expressed concern Smith may use it to 害羞草研究所渙pt-out害羞草研究所� of the Canada Health Act in favour of offering people a chance to pay for services.

害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 see the government start taking steps to pre-emptively prepare a legal challenge.害羞草研究所�

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc suggested it害羞草研究所檚 too early to begin talk of court battles.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not even sure it害羞草研究所檚 constitutional to challenge a law that hasn害羞草研究所檛 been passed,害羞草研究所� he said.

Under Smith害羞草研究所檚 bill, cabinet would have the power to direct 害羞草研究所減rovincial entities,害羞草研究所� from municipalities to regional health authorities, to defy federal rules it deems would hurt Alberta害羞草研究所檚 interests.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, who represents a Montreal riding, said the proposal goes too far.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think that this is appropriate for a province to determine whether or not a federal law exceeds its constitutionality. That is for a court,害羞草研究所� he told reporters.

害羞草研究所淚f Alberta eventually adopts this bill, we害羞草研究所檒l have to see how they use it.害羞草研究所�

Smith害羞草研究所檚 vision for Alberta has drawn comparisons to Quebec, which administers its own provincial pension plan and immigration programs and 害羞草研究所� in many Albertans害羞草研究所� minds, at least 害羞草研究所� appears to garner more jurisdictional respect from Ottawa when it wants to go its own way.

Housefather said people should be 害羞草研究所渨ary害羞草研究所� to use that analogy.

He pointed out that many head offices and residents left Montreal for Toronto when true Quebec sovereignty, meaning the province害羞草研究所檚 formal separation from Canada, was on the table.

害羞草研究所淏usinesses want stability, I think people want stability, and I don害羞草研究所檛 think the sovereignty act, even if it害羞草研究所檚 called 害羞草研究所榯he sovereignty act in a united Canada,害羞草研究所� offers stability.害羞草研究所�

Smith has said her proposal is not about separating from Canada. However, on Wednesday, she released a video on Twitter that described her plans not to enforce so-called Liberal laws that 害羞草研究所渁ttack害羞草研究所� the province害羞草研究所檚 economy and individuals害羞草研究所� rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Housefather says the bigger question the bill raises is about 害羞草研究所渉ow Canadians see their country害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� whether they see a role for a federal government beyond their province or territory.

害羞草研究所淚 feel very strongly that as a Canadian, everybody should play in their lane, and playing in their lane means that legislatures don害羞草研究所檛 determine whether something is constitutional from a different level of government,害羞草研究所� he said.

While Smith has said she hopes the bill does not need to be used, briefing materials provided to reporters show her government is prepared to do so as early as next spring to deal with issues ranging from health care to property rights.

Conservatives in Ottawa were largely silent on the matter Wednesday, with two Alberta MPs saying they still needed to read the bill.

Garnett Genuis, another MP from the province, said the best way to allay Albertans害羞草研究所� frustrations with Ottawa is to replace Trudeau.

Genuis had more to say about the proposal during the provincial leadership race, when he backed Travis Toews, who is now a member of Smith害羞草研究所檚 cabinet.

In an opinion piece published in August he called the prospective sovereignty act a 害羞草研究所渃heap trick害羞草研究所� that violates the constitution and the rule of law.

害羞草研究所淚f asserting provincial authority were as easy as passing such a law, it would have been done already,害羞草研究所� Genuis wrote.

Stephanie Taylor and Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

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