Premier Jason Kenney and Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer speak about Bill 1: Critical Infrastructure Defence Act. Photo supplied by the province.

By Shaun Penner

Alberta

Critical Infrastructure Defence Act introduced in the Alberta legislature

Feb 25, 2020 | 5:18 PM

As the provincial government re-convened at the legislature Tuesday, the United Conservative government tabled its first bill of the new session. It seeks stiffer penalties for those who participate in activities like rail blockades.

Premier Jason Kenney says Bill 1, called the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, would give the province stronger penalties to punish those who purposefully block essential infrastructure.

“Which includes fines of up to $25,000 for the first and subsequent offences, or a term of imprisonment of up to six months, or both. For corporations that are involved in such activities, a minimum fine of $200,000 could be imposed.”

Kenney believes these are what he calls “stiff new penalties.”

“On lawbreakers who purposefully block critical, essential infrastructure such as railways, roadways, telecommunication lines, utilities, oil and gas production and refinery sites, pipelines, and related infrastructure.”

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Kenney adds his government respects peaceful and lawful protest, but blocking such infrastructure in such a fashion – quote – “mocks the principle of the rule of law.”

Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer adds that those fines wouldn’t stop upon the original offence.

“One other thing that we want to highlight as well is that each day one of these illegal protests or blockades continues would be a new offence. These fines would compound over time. Each day is a new offence under this legislation. We want to send a clear signal that this will not be tolerated.”

The announcement comes in light of recent rail blockades across the country, which have been erected in support of the hereditary chiefs who oppose the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their traditional territory.