Yesterday, Manitoba premier Brian Pallister took to the airwaves to declare that the Canadian federation is in a state of disarray, much like Alberta’s wannabe premier Jason Kenney declared that “Canada is broken” earlier in the week. And on the face of it, one could point to places where things don’t appear to be working, where you have a nation of fiefdoms of provinces who make their own rules and who don’t talk to one another – why we don’t have proper interprovincial free trade – and all of the petty bits of provincial protectionism that still exist, 150 years later (thanks in large part to the Judicial Council of the Privy Council, which was the final court of appeal in the early days of confederation, who undermined the Founding Fathers’ goal of a more robust federal government).

But this all aside, I have to look at Pallister, Kenney, and the rest, and point out to them that they’re absolute hypocrites for saying that the country isn’t working when they’re ones who make and continue to make contradictory demands about what is and is not federal jurisdiction. In the very same breath, they’ll demand that the federal government exert its constitutional authority to get a pipeline built, while simultaneously decrying that the federal government’s imposition of a carbon price is unconstitutional – never mind the fact that the carbon price is part of the political deal that is aimed at getting that pipeline approved. In other words, exert your authority only on things that I like, but not the things I don’t. It’s so self-serving and gross, but they play too cute by half about it. Every single one of them, handily handing off responsibility to the federal government when it suits them, and using the courts as a political tool to engage in political theatre – which, by the way, is abusing the courts.

https://twitter.com/cmathen/status/989987469197131776

https://twitter.com/cmathen/status/989988567962152960

To that end, Alberta premier Rachel Notley is offering up a very real warning – that using the courts in these ways could open up much bigger problems that would cause interprovincial gridlock, all because BC premier John Horgan is looking to protect his minority government’s confidence deal with the Green Party. And as far as reasons go for trying to further exacerbate the state of the federation, it’s not a very good or noble one, no matter how much one wraps themselves in the cause of the environment or First Nations.

Good reads:

• NAFTA negotiators are heading home, with the promise to return in a week to pick up with talks.
• The government says that they will reject nine of the 19 amendments the Senate proposed to the omnibus transportation bill.
• The government is expected to roll out new measures to help Elections Canada deal with threats like micro-targeting and data privacy, but it may be too late for 2019.
• Under the new environmental assessment bill, some oilsands projects won’t need a federal assessment if they are in situ and under a provincial emissions cap.
• The RCAF is looking at buying two used Challenger jets to replace our two older-model VIP aircraft (which are also used for things like medical evacuations).
• The National Security Advisor, Daniel Jean, is retiring, heading out on a sour note with his role in the Atwal Affair™.
• Here’s a look at the problem of CRA accidentally declaring people dead, and the fact that they don’t need a death certificate to do so.
• Thanks to Phoenix problems, some public servants may not know until June 2019 if their raises and back pay were properly dealt with.
• Kevin Carmichael writes about the attacks faced by Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz at a Senate committee, and why it makes unrealistic assumptions.
• Stephanie Carvin walks us through what CSE becoming involved in “active cyber” means for the organization.
• Andrew Coyne looks at how absurd it is that web giants like Netflix are exempt from HST but trying to apply it will turn into outrage over a false “Netflix tax.”
• Chantal Hébert looks at how the ability to get a climate change plan off the ground is as difficult as trying to build a pipeline.
• Colby Cosh offers a heap of perspective sauce on the Korean peace talks.
• My weekend column looks at the Order Paper and the coming legislative crunch coming to the Senate and warns that some bad actors may try to exploit it.

Odds and ends:

If you’re curious about what’s next for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their wedding, this piece offers some clues.

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