Manitoba premier Brian Pallister was in Ottawa yesterday to meet with prime minister Justin Trudeau, and to try and offer some “friendly advice” about dealing with the whole “Western anger” situation. Pallister also penned an op-ed for the Globe and Mail that was full of said “advice,” most of which was pretty dubious, but in the aftermath of his meeting, he said a bunch of things like the country can unite around climate action if they set their partisan differences aside – in other words, if the federal government abandons their plans and just lets the provinces do whatever, adding that a carbon price “isn’t the only way” to fight climate change – technically true, but it’s proven the most effective mechanism and the only one which deals with the demand-side of the problem. (In subsequent interviews, Pallister also ignored that the point of the national price is to avoid provinces from undercutting one another, which you would think might be a big deal). Pallister also made some hand-waving gestures around a municipal handgun ban given the province’s problem with violent crime, but that’s already being panned locally.

But back to Pallister’s op-ed, which was largely an exercise in blame-shifting and simple fiction. He blames the divisions on the federal government’s “economic, energy and environmental policies,” which is curious and convenient. Those policies? Bill C-69, which he blames for delays in a Manitoba flood mitigation project for which the new regime doesn’t apply. That project has been under the Harper 2012 assessment regime, which should be a clue as to why the federal government saw the need to make changes to it – not that it stops Pallister from repeating a bunch of the fictions that have been applied to the legislation by its opponents. He also counsels finishing the Trans Mountain pipeline, which is what the federal government is in the process of doing. Pipe is going in the ground. People beating their chests about it won’t make the process go any faster.

Pallister then goes on to complain about interprovincial trade barriers which is – wait for it – entirely in the hands of the provinces and not the federal government to lower. He makes mention of 34 exceptions which the federal government controls, but that’s 34 out of hundreds, and this government has set up a process to work with provinces to harmonize regulations that create barriers. They have been doing the heavy-lifting – more than the Harper government did – but it’s gone completely unacknowledged. That Pallister is shifting blame to the federal government is pretty rich when it’s the provinces who are the problem. His final “advice” for unity? Giving the provinces more money for healthcare. I’m not sure what that has to do with national unity or “healing the divisions,” but there you have it. It’s pretty clear that like Jason Kenney and Scott Moe, Pallister is trying to use the focus on this “anger” to try and leverage it to what he wants, and he won’t let the truth be a barrier for him. Just because he delivers the message with a smile doesn’t make the “advice” friendly.

Good reads:

• Justin Trudeau is scheduled to meet with Andrew Scheer on Tuesday, Yves-François Blanchet on Wednesday, and Jagmeet Singh on Thursday.
• The prime minister’s national security advisor, Greta Bossenmaier – the former head of CSE – has announced her retirement next month.
• The Crown has successfully appealed the decision to grant bail to alleged RCMP spy Cameron Ortis, and he is headed back to custody.
• The Conservatives are planning a three-part review of their campaign – an external review by John Baird, and an internal review and grassroots outreach by the party.
• The Canadian portion of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline will soon be ready to start shipments, which could help alleviate some of the transport bottleneck.
• Quebec’s government has been forced to walk back on some of their planned immigration changes after a massive outcry in the province.
• Here’s a look into how civil society groups in Quebec are fighting Bill 21 in court.
• Alberta is exempting newly drilled wells from their production curtailment to encourage job creation (never mind transport bottlenecks or the global supply glut).
• Jason Kenney may be planning to use his proposed new carbon price for heavy emitters as a bargaining chip with the federal government.
• The commissioner of the public inquiry appointed to look into the issue of money laundering in BC has a very big task ahead of him.
• Heather Scoffield suspects that Scheer’s anti-tax position could end up costing the party, especially as it signals that they are offering nothing new to voters.
• Susan Delacourt sees the election as a means of humbling the party leaders (though some are taking longer to find their humility than others).
• Colby Cosh tackles the topic of Scheer’s religiosity, and what he should be answering when the questions come his way.
• My weekend column explores and explodes the myth that there was ever really a “whip” in the Senate, making those insisting they’re not whipped a little ridiculous.

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.