Smith promising legislation to ignore federal laws if she becomes UCP leader

One of the front-runners to replace Jason Kenney as Alberta's premier says if she wins, legislation will be introduced this fall to ignore federal laws deemed harmful to provincial interests.

Danielle Smith says her government would also take the first steps to creating a provincial agency to collect taxes and launch an Alberta police force.

Smith says that she does think she has to wait and run on such policy changes in the next election.

She says the government has a mandate to pursue more autonomy for Alberta now given last year's equalization referendum and the findings of the Fair Deal panel.

And she says province would need to move fast in order to reject any further federal rules on COVID-19 vaccines, such as ordering shots for children or third doses for all.

Calgary law professor Martin Olszynski says Smith's plan is not only unlawful and unconstitutional, but dangerously undemocratic.