Roundup: Notley’s unconstitutional threats

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In Alberta, Rachel Notley’s NDP government had a Throne Speech yesterday that promised all manner of action to try to pressure BC’s NDP government when it comes to the Trans Mountain pipeline problem. Notley, however, decided to take some of Jason Kenney’s bluster and make it her own, promising the ability to block oil shipments to BC that they need for their domestic use. The problem? The Trans Mountain pipeline is regulated by the National Energy Board, meaning it’s federal jurisdiction, and that neither province can do anything to block it or affect what it carries. She’s also echoing the comments that the federal government needs to lean harder on BC, never mind that the NEB has quasi-judicial authority on the issue, and the fact that all BC has done to date is announce a study, or that the federal government has repeated “This pipeline will get built.” It’s a bunch of chest-thumping and borrowed demagoguery that ignores the historical context of what Peter Lougheed threatened in the 1980s, and is rank hypocrisy in that they’re threatening unconstitutional action to combat BC’s threatened unconstitutional action. It’s time for everyone to grow up.

Good reads:

  • On International Women’s Day, Justin Trudeau and Ontario PC MPP Lisa MacLeod were honoured for their work in changing political culture for women.
  • Donald Trump has exempted Canada and Mexico from those steel and aluminium tariffs…for now. Apparently Trump thought we were passing along Chinese steel.
  • Chrystia Freeland praised the pan-Canadian, all-party lobby effort to get Trump to change his mind; Trudeau will tour steel and aluminium producers next week.
  • Jaspel Atwal held a press conference to apologize for causing the incident in India, says he’s tired of being raked over the coals, and that he asked for the event invite.
  • The rumour is that the first permanent female commissioner of the RCMP will be named today in Regina, and that it will be Brenda Lucki.
  • Some First Nations want the government to amend C-45 to surrender taxation and regulatory authority of on-reserve marijuana production to band councils.
  • Karina Gould says that new elections rules around foreign and domestic pressure groups (and their funding) are in the works.
  • Kent Hehr’s abuser says that since she came forward, she’s been subjected to sexually charged death threats. Because progress.
  • From London, Andrew Scheer says that free trade-believing countries need to stick together in the face of Donald Trump’s protectionism.
  • Martine Ouellet proposes a referendum on what the “purpose” of the Bloc is as a way of moving past the disagreement with her now-former MPs.
  • Here’s a look at Doug Ford as Canada’s populist hero.
  • Mike Moffatt calculates how many jobs an Ontario PC budget would need to cut to balance the books if they reject the carbon tax (which they can’t really do).
  • Martin Patriquin calls bullshit on the Twitter “activists” and trolls who get suspended for abuse and subsequently claim free speech.

Odds and ends:

The new $10 banknotes featuring Viola Desmond were unveiled yesterday, and these ones are oriented vertically.

The Bank of Canada has put an Easter Egg on their website – a Space Invaders-type game if you click on the “spin” button promoting the new banknote twenty times.