During his press conference yesterday, prime minister Justin Trudeau said that according to his legal advice, Quebec can unilaterally modify part of the federal Constitution that applies specifically to them – which is either untrue, or appeasement to the Legault government, because every party is trying to suck up to Legault and his overwhelming popularity.

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394692157001412612

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394692818644393991

A plain reading of Section 43 of the Constitution states that where language rights are involved, the federal Parliament needs to have a say in the constitutional amendment, and it’s very much invoked in these proposals from Quebec. That Trudeau – or apparently the lawyers in the Justice Department – can’t see this is a problem, and raises some real questions as to the quality of advice the government is receiving from the department. (Hell, even other Liberal MPs are questioning it).

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394762687410753539

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394763319932764166

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394800378013790211

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394801217029746688

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1394693812568694787

But what were people riled up over instead of an egregious violation of our constitutional norms? A photo of Trudeau at a laptop which was clearly an HP machine, with the logo covered over with an Apple sticker. The scandal!

https://t.co/kd2pbFglP7 pic.twitter.com/Ncq4jqOtY9

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) May 18, 2021

Good reads:

• Justin Trudeau says that he knew for “weeks” there as an investigation into Major General Dany Fortin, but let the military conduct it on their own terms.
• Trudeau also called for a ceasefire in the current round of hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians to avoid more civilian deaths.
• Trudeau suggested that we would need a 75% vaccination rate to re-open the US border, while some who go to the US for vaccination can avoid quarantine rules.
• David Lametti insists that nothing in Bill C-10 is contrary to the Charter.
• Mary Ng met (virtually) with her American and Mexican counterparts to discuss post-pandemic trade issues, including cross-border supply chains.
• The government is investing $200 million in a Mississauga contract manufacturing facility so that it can produce mRNA vaccines in the future.
• The Information Commissioner is launching a systemic investigation of Library and Archives Canada’s inability to process archival spy files in a timely manner.
• At the Commons defence committee, the Conservatives wanted to also investigate the Fortin allegations, and the Liberals blocked another attempt at calling staffers.
• Here’s a look at the success Nova Scotia has had with rapid testing in its third wave.
• Top officials on Alberta’s Energy and Utilities Board are resigning amid a scandal where private investigators were hired to spy on landowners opposed to projects.
• Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column looks at which bills on the Order Paper are likely to be prioritized in the final push before the summer break.
• Kevin Carmichael uses the example of post-Olympic hockey in 1998 to illustrate Canada’s lack of focus when it comes to industrial policy and why it’s hurting us.
  Susan Delacourt remarks on the return to “normalcy” in Canada-US relations.
• My column looks at how those who personally blame Trudeau for continued sexual misconduct in the military betrays their deep unseriousness.

Odds and ends:

The Kitimat LNG project and Pacific Trails pipeline have had regulatory approval in hand for most of a decade. Pipeline was approved in 2008 and granted a 5 year extension in 2019. LNG project had its export permit doubled in 2019 by the CER https://t.co/mBkEcrWWXz https://t.co/8nkebYnZOS

— Andrew Leach (@andrew_leach) May 18, 2021

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