Roundup: Harder tries to play hero again

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After hosting most of the Alberta senators to a lunch in Edmonton, Alberta premier Jason Kenney has written a letter to Senator Peter Harder, Leader of the Government in the Senate – err, “government representative,” to say that he and the leaders of the other two main parties in Alberta are willing to accept Bill C-69 if they keep it as amended by the committee. Those amendments, mind you, were largely all written by industry lobbyists, and gut much of what the bill was trying to accomplish, which was an overhaul of the environmental assessment process, because what’s on the books now (which is the process that Harper gutted in 2012) isn’t working and is only resulting in court challenges.

And Harder? Well, after his whip – err, “government liaison,” Senator Grant Mitchell, has been pushing for the bills to pass largely unamended, Harder says that he now wants to send this bill as amended back to the Commons, as well as the recommendation that Bill C-48 (the tanker ban) – though I’m not sure how that would happen given the de facto committee recommendation is that it not proceed – and let them decide whether or not to keep the amendments. Let the government deal with it – or rather, wear the decision for not accepting the amendments so that Kenney will turn his ire to Trudeau, and not the Senate. Because Harder is such a hero like that (while making up parts of his job description that don’t actually exist).

Meanwhile, former Senator Hugh Segal is taking to the pages of the Globe and Mail to warn the Senate against defeating C-48 because he says it would contradict the Salisbury Convention. *sigh* No. The Salisbury Convention doesn’t exist in Canada, no matter how many times Harder of luminaries like Segal bring it up. It’s contrary to the Constitution, we don’t have the same historical reasons for why Salisbury was adopted in the House of Lords, and it also goes against the whole notion of a more “independent” Senate. Nor is C-48 an election promise so far as anyone can gather, which is a trigger for Salisbury – if it existed (which it doesn’t in Canada). There are plenty of reasons why the Senate shouldn’t defeat C-48, but making up that it’s contrary to Salisbury isn’t one of them.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau delivered a formal exoneration for Chief Poundmaker in Saskatchewan yesterday. Here’s more of the history of what happened to him.
  • David Lametti talks about how he “loses sleep” over the complicated issues of digital privacy, online hate, and election interference.
  • The government has indicated that it will accept the Senate’s amendments to the accessibility legislation.
  • Health Canada has imposed new limits on sugary alcoholic drinks.
  • The RCMP have committed to making their firearms restriction database public.
  • All parties are chasing election ideas for homebuyers, with dumb pledges like reducing the mortgage stress test, or promises that aren’t costed.
  • The president of the Philippines says that the timetable Canada has given for removing the garbage containers isn’t soon enough.
  • A recent report says that the clean energy sector is growing faster than traditional industries in this country.
  • The Canadian Association of Journalists may balk at the government’s announced process for nominating their panel to determine media tax credit criteria.
  • The Monarchist League is (rightfully) concerned that Heritage Canada has stopped distributing free portraits of the Queen to Canadians.
  • Andrew Scheer says he’s proud of his past pro-life votes but says he won’t reopen the abortion issue (but won’t say if that includes giving rights to foetuses).
  • Scheer pledged more mandatory minimum sentences for child sexual offences, which lawyers say will simply slow the process with more court challenges.
  • Scheer also plans another “economic vision” speech today, where he plans to drop his pledge to balance the budget in two years, but will increase that to five.
  • The BC Court of Appeal will rule today on whether the province can regulate the content of pipelines – i.e. bitumen through the Trans Mountain pipeline.
  • Heather Scoffield takes stock of the Liberals’ efforts to try and paint Scheer with the brush of Doug Ford and his provincial cuts.
  • Susan Delacourt looks into the dynamics of getting the New NAFTA bill through Parliament before the election.
  • Carissima Mathen gives an expert analysis of the provinces using court references on the constitutionality of the federal carbon price legislation.

Odds and ends:

Here’s a look at the various places named after royals in Canada.

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