In the wake of the Alberta Court of Appeal reference decision on the federal carbon price, both Jason Kenney and his justice minister have been performing a particular song and dance for the media’s consumption, demanding that the federal government immediately remove said “unconstitutional” price, and demanding a rebate for all Albertans under threat of personal lawsuit.
Couple of things:

1. This was not a court order. It was a reference question, so there is no actual weight to the finding of unconstitutionality. And federal justice minister David Lametti said as much in a letter responding to his Alberta counterpart telling that he would see him at the Supreme Court of Canada.
2. There is already a rebate. In fact, most people get more back than they pay into it – and they are scheduled to receive the biggest rebates in the country. Demanding refunds is actually a bit gross, because it’s wilfully misrepresenting how the system works.
3. Suing members of the federal Cabinet is not how the system works. And we actually saw said provincial minister’s old law professor take to Twitter to say that she taught him better than that. So there’s that.

https://twitter.com/cmathen/status/1232874850563260416

Meanwhile, Manitoba is threatening to continue with their challenge to the federal carbon price if they don’t get a deal on the very same thing from the federal government. While the federal government says that they haven’t received a new proposal from Manitoba, you can bet that the province wants to continue pitching a price that won’t rise, which isn’t going to be on because it’s about ensuring a level playing field across the country, and not letting premiers undermine one another in a race to the bottom.

Good reads:

• Here is a lengthy read that gives some more background on the Wet’suwet’en community, and the divisions therein over resource development.
• The notion of an Indigenous police force patrolling Wet’suwet’en territory is being discussed as a long-term issue, but one that can’t be done in short order.
•  Maclean’s has a great longread on the state of COVID-19, and what could be coming.
• The federal government is giving shipyards two weeks to say why they should build a new heavy icebreaker for the Coast Guard.
• Here is another example of how the mandatory breath test law unfairly punishes people with lung diseases who can’t give a proper breath sample.
• The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Eritrean refugees can sue a Canadian company for abuses they suffered in Eritrea, which they liken to modern slavery.
• With a bill to decriminalize single-sports betting on the Order Paper, here is a look into how that has undermined sports culture in other countries.
• Apparently it’s a thing where you can check your online account with CRA, and see if you have any uncashed cheques owing to you.
• Economist Trevor Tombe laments that once again an Alberta budget is based on wildly optimistic resource revenue figures, which only delays finding solutions.
• Kevin Carmichael parses the quarterly GDP numbers, and looks at what other economic headwinds like low oil prices and COVID-19 could do to the economy.
• Colby Cosh delves into how the sex selection abortion ban bill is playing out in the Conservative ranks and how Stephen Harper’s “truce” on the issue is holding.
• Andrew Leach provides some much needed context about the economics and emissions of the proposal for Teck Frontier.
• My weekend column looks at how much mythologizing is going on over Teck Frontier, and how evading the truth of the matter makes things worse for everyone.

Odds and ends:

Statement from the Chiefs of Treaty No. 6 in regard to the recently released "Buffalo Declaration" by the Conservative signatories. #treaty6 #chiefs #statement #cdnpoli #buffalodeclaration pic.twitter.com/9Y93jgBk1C

— Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations (@CT6FN_) February 29, 2020

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