Jeffrey Rath, co-founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project, took to the mic during Premier Danielle Smith's first Alberta Next panel session on Tuesday night.

Addressing how the province and stop sending taxes to Ottawa, Rath told the premier “With the greatest respect, you're incorrect.” Pointing to the Clarity Act, the activist said a referendum on independence provided that opportunity.

On a special Buffalo Roundtable livestream, which focused on issues affecting Western Canada, Rebel News boss Ezra Levant weighed in on the topic.

“I think the obvious thing to do is to set up an Alberta pension plan and let people choose it if they want,” he said, giving those who wish to continue to the Canada Pension Plan to opportunity to do so.

A successful Alberta pension plan would see more people shift in that direction, Ezra said.

Likening the complexities of Alberta's situation to the United States, Ezra looked at how President Donald Trump's advisers are orchestrating the remigration of illegal immigrants.

“I think that Danielle Smith needs to get legally savvy, quick,” he said.

Highlighting a signature Alberta policy, Ezra said Premier Smith was unwilling to add the notwithstanding clause to her legislation around protecting female sports and minors from irreversible gender surgeries. A Liberal court, he suggested, would find the law in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“Why not just dispense with this Laurentian taboo against the Section 33 notwithstanding clause and just put it right in there?” he asked. “You'll have to CBC huff and puff about it for a couple of days, but so what. It's part of the Charter.”

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Another issue Ezra pointed to was Premier Smith suggesting the province could do nothing to stop trans athletes from other provinces competing in Alberta.

“Who told you that? That's exactly what you can do. You can't stop Albertans in other provinces doing shenanigans there, but you have absolute jurisdiction in Alberta over things that happen in Alberta.”

Conservatives, especially populists, the Rebel boss continued, “have a well-deserved skepticism, and even in some cases a dislike, for lawyers.” Sometimes, however, lawyers are necessary.

Premier Smith, who isn't a lawyer, “needs to find herself a lawyer” akin to Trump's adviser Stephen Miller, “someone she completely trusts to quarterback the legal strategy.”

This may require Alberta to hire a lawyer from a private firm — not a currently employed government lawyer. 

“If you dip into the lawyers at the justice department, odds are you're going to get that bureaucratic NDP mindset. A career lawyer in the government of Alberta, based in Edmonton, is going to be a lefty, is going to be on the wrong side of all these issues.”

The premier needs a lawyer who is “not crazy, but who is radical — they're different,” because Ottawa “will take a lawfare approach” against Alberta. 

“Whether it's knowing how to navigate things on the constitutional file and sovereignty or how to get her agenda through prickly courts, she needs a legal dream team. I don't think she has one; I think she needs to get one. I think it needs to come from outside the government because the government lawyers aren't it. It would double her effectiveness; she will be undone in the courts more than she will be undone in the polls.”