Yesterday was the day that Justin Trudeau decided to start playing hardball. Under the backdrop of the debate on ratification of the Paris Agreement on GHG emissions, he dropped the hammer on a minimum national carbon price, starting at $10 per tonne in 2018, rising to $50 per tonne by 2022, and provinces would keep the revenue with the intention that it be revenue neutral, so as not to ensure this is a federal “tax grab.” Any province that doesn’t comply will have the price imposed and the revenues returned to them. Stéphane Dion feels vindicated by this development, incidentally. Oh, and Trudeau probably isn’t going to meet with the premiers about their demands around the health transfer escalator either.

https://twitter.com/Geddes28/status/783000372730298370

Some of the provinces were immediately incensed. At the environment ministers’ meeting in Montreal, ministers from Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador walked out of the meeting, and true to his diva self, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall declared the “level of disrespect” to be “stunning” – never mind that Trudeau has been telegraphing this move ever since the Vancouver premier’s meeting. Alberta, incidentally, whose own plans surpass Trudeau’s, say that they won’t support it unless there’s a commitment for more pipelines, while Manitoba is non-committal for the moment. (Other provincial positions here).

https://twitter.com/emmmacfarlane/status/783133654050541569

https://twitter.com/emmmacfarlane/status/783134550151065600

Brad Wall, for his part, is threatening to take the government to court over carbon pricing, but it’s not likely to get anywhere.

https://twitter.com/cmathen/status/783058718438981632

In terms of analysis, economist Trevor Tombe reminds us why pricing carbon is the most effective market mechanism to deal with climate change, while John Ivison says that Trudeau may have outsmarted his opponents, and Andrew Coyne notes the one-sidedness of any federal-provincial negotiations.

Good reads:

• Legalising marijuana could put us offside on a number of international treaties.
• It looks like the government won’t meet its targets for green jobs for youth.
• Finance minister Bill Morneau announced new housing measures designed to cool the market and dissuade foreign buyers.
• Canada promised help to Iraqi forces for dealing with IEDs, but that help has mostly been financial as opposed to badly needed expertise.
• Here’s a look at the government returning to funding research for advocacy groups under Status of Women, and the use of gender-based analysis.
• An Indigenous group is looking for $500 million in new money to create “Guardians” to “assert Aboriginal sovereignty,” and I’m not sure I get it.
• As the Supreme Court of Canada’s fall session gets underway, here’s a refresher about who’s on the bench.
• Senate Liberals from Nova Scotia are adding to the pressure to ensure that the Supreme Court of Canada retains its Atlantic Canada seat.
• As the Senate Modernization Committee report is due, Peter Harder comes out in favour of regional caucuses (which I disagree with profoundly).
• Maxime Bernier decided to own the “Mad Max” label, by declaring he’s mad about all kinds of things. Freedom!
• As the Conservative leadership field continues to grow, fundraising is expected to be a challenge, and it will likely take multiple ballots to choose a leader.
• Stephen Gordon returns to the budget to remind those clamouring for more federal dollars that there was little promised in there for them.

Odds and ends:

Phrasing from a statement by the PMO makes it sound like Will & Kate could be back in the country next year for the sesquicentennial.

https://twitter.com/lazin_ryder/status/783026188906364928