Roundup: The federal walkout in the face of the premiers’ games

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The federal-provincial health ministers’ meeting broke down with federal ministers Jean-Yves Duclos and Carolyn Bennett walking out after a communiqué from the premiers was leaked, decrying a failure of the talks, drafted five days ago, indicating that there was no intent to listen to the federal government’s position on tying increased funding to accountability measures like outcomes and pan-Canadian data. Duclos said in his press scrum after walking out that just increasing the transfer to provinces is not a plan, which is one hundred percent correct, because we know that provinces have a demonstrated history of spending additional federal dollars on other things that are not healthcare. (Duclos’ statement here). The provincial spokes-minister, Adrian Dix, carried on with his disingenuous talking points about not being able to fix the system without more money, or demanding a first ministers’ meeting about this, the only purpose of which would be for the premiers to gang up on the prime minister for the cameras. Dix also painted this false picture of lamenting that the federal government couldn’t come together with them like they did over COVID, completely ignoring that the federal government sent billions of additional dollars to provinces for COVID and most of those provinces simply put that money directly onto their bottom lines to end their fiscal year with a surplus, which is not the point of sending money to them for healthcare.

Justin Trudeau, earlier in the day, was already calling the premiers out on this bullshit by pointing out that they are crying poor while they are offering tax breaks for their wealthier citizens, which is not a sign that their budgets are hurting for federal dollars. And this is exactly the point—premiers have largely decided to make this the federal government’s problem, because they can get away with this particular lie. Legacy media will continue to take the line that so long as a single federal dollar is involved, this becomes a federal responsibility, which is not how this works. The crumbling healthcare system is not the federal government’s problem. They have done nothing but increase funding year over year. The provinces have created this mess, and in all likelihood exacerbated it deliberately in order to force the federal government’s hand in giving them a lot more money with no strings attached, but the federal government isn’t blinking, and is finally starting to call bullshit. Let’s see if legacy media actually catches on (but I have serious doubts they will).

Ukraine Dispatch, Day 259:

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s willing to negotiate peace—on his terms, and not Russia’s, but forestalled criticism Russia was levelling against him. Otherwise, there was more shelling in Bakhmut, and two civilians were seriously wounded by unexploded mines around Kharkiv.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau was in rural New Brunswick to announced new funding for rural broadband around the country.
  • In response to the news of Chinese interference in the 2019 election, Trudeau said that they are playing “aggressive games” with democratic institutions.
  • Trudeau also questioned New Brunswick premier Brian Higgs’ decision to appoint a minister critical of bilingualism to review the province’s Official Languages Act.
  • We learned that Trudeau made an appearance on the upcoming season of Canada’s Drag Race when they filmed, being the first world leader to appear on a drag show.
  • In advance of the Pope’s visit, federal officials were concerned about the level of consultation done with a First Nations community set to host him.
  • The First Nations and Inuit Programme will be expanding into Nunavut.
  • The chair of NSICOP is warning that the broad application of Cabinet confidence is making it hard for the committee to do its job of oversight.
  • The Parliamentary Budget Officer says that climate change cost the economy $20 billion las year, and will continue to grow as it gets worse.
  • In the public inquiry, we learned about calls between Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau about the Windsor bridge crossing, and Ford prioritizing it over Ottawa.
  • Documents filed at the inquiry also showed that the RCMP changed up their plans around protecting Cabinet ministers before the occupiers arrived in Ottawa.
  • Economists and professors don’t believe that the proposed share buyback tax will lead to any serious re-investment in operations.
  • The UN expert group headed by Catherine McKenna is calling for more regulation of net-zero commitments to ensure that pledges are accountable, not greenwashing.
  • The Quebec Court of Appeal heard arguments that the province’s faux-secularism law impacts rights that can’t be violated with the Notwithstanding Clause.
  • Danielle Smith won the by-election for a seat in the Alberta legislature, but by a much, much smaller margin than was expected for a rural seat.
  • Philippe Lagassé and Vanessa MacDonnell tease out how Doug Ford lost when trying to play constitutional hardball, because he violated political norms.
  • Heather Scoffield gets the sense that Ford’s blunder with CUPE may embolden other unions to take job action in the months ahead.
  • Althia Raj believes Trudeau to be relieved that Ford backed down on his use of the Notwithstanding Clause before he was forced to do something (as little as he can).
  • My column looks at the demands by non-affiliated senators to get more say in the operations of the Senate, and why these loose fish merely bring chaos.

Odds and ends:

For National Magazine, I look at the resurgence of division of powers cases around the environment, and why the climate emergency has made them more pressing.

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: The federal walkout in the face of the premiers’ games”

  1. Thank you, once again, Dale for your clarity and analysis on the Provincial Health Ministers meeting.If the truth about the shenanigans by the Premiers is not shouted out loud and clear, Canadians are in deep trouble.

  2. The Federal government was correct in leaving the crooked table ginned up by the provinces and territories. The holders of the major jurisdiction for health care have failed in so many ways leading to the morass that faces Canadians. They won’t accept conditions and until they change that stance they will get no more Federal money.
    Now I know the topic of the US midterms is not part of this string, but I will say that any sort of death can be slow. In the case of the slow death of democracy in the US, the people woke up this morning with their political future hanging by a thread. There will be tough slogging over the next two years as the Americans come to terms with having a government rife with liars, bigots and fascists most probably led by a slippery crook. Keep your seat belt tight.

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