The clock is ticking for Alberta’s sovereignty. We must seriously consider — and articulate — the system of government we seek. Independence or not, establishing a robust separation of powers will grant Alberta freedom and fortitude, whether within Canada or as a republic. 

Premier Smith’s government has buttressed both our civil liberties and our provincial self-governance. But progress in these areas will be fleeting without a robust separation of powers, which Alberta has struggled to protect.

Debates over our structural constitution may seem arcane. But at its core, the separation of powers is simply a matter of “who decides?” Who decides what the laws are? Who decides when and how they’re implemented? Who decides how they’re interpreted?

Absent a clear answer to these questions and adequate enforcement of delineated powers, the rule of law rests on shaky turf. This needs to be fixed. 

Despite the federal constitution’s effort to strictly designate these powers, courts have weakly policed the divisions between the executive and the legislature, while usurping