Roundup: No, David Lametti isn’t threatening to tear up the constitution

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You may have noticed that the Conservatives engaged in a lot of rage-farming over the long weekend, sometimes to the point of flailing and reaching. There was one particular bad-faith episode (well, they’re all bad faith episodes) that was particularly egregious, and roped in several premiers, who were also engaged in their own bad faith. Late last week, justice minister David Lametti attended a special chiefs’ assembly of the Assembly of First Nations, and was asked about the Natural Resources Transfer Act of 1930, and how these treaty nations were not benefitting from them, and Lametti said he’d look at it, but acknowledged this would be controversial.

And how! Immediately, Danielle Smith, followed by Scott Moe and later Heather Stefanson insisted this was a plan to “tear up the constitution” and nationalise the control over natural resources, and before long, Pierre Poilievre got in on it, along with a chunk of his caucus who insisted this was some sinister federal plan. It’s not, and this is more bad faith bullshit (which, of course, the gods damned CBC just both-sidesed, because they still think you can both-sides bad faith).

It’s actually in the legislation that the federal government can give back land to the First Nations to honour treaty obligations, and that’s at the heart of this. It’s their land. The treaties are to share the wealth, and, well, we haven’t been. They have a legitimate point here and the government has an obligation to at least hear them out on this. Is that going to cause a fuss? Yeah, probably, because settler governments, particularly in provinces, particularly those who are dependent on resource revenues, are not going to want to share that wealth. But the time is coming, sooner or later, when these conversations need to be had, because economic reconciliation means more than just dangling bribes to affected First Nations when resource extraction projects happen on their lands. Not that bad faith actors like Danielle Smith, Scott Moe or Pierre Poilievre will acknowledge this reality.

Ukraine Dispatch:

In what seems to be a repeating story, Russian Wagner group mercenaries claim—again—that they control most of Bakhmut, while Ukrainian forces claim, again, that they are holding firm. Not far away in Avdiivka, it is estimated that some 1800 people are still living in the city as Russian forces pound it. There was a prisoner swap of about 200 Russians and Ukrainian soldiers on Monday. Ukraine also resumed electricity exports to Europe now that they are able to meet their domestic demand after Russia targeted their energy infrastructure late last year.

https://twitter.com/denys_shmyhal/status/1645857297955192848

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau was in Toronto to meet with Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal; Trudeau shrugged off Russian cyber-attacks on his website in retaliation.
  • Trudeau also took a swipe at the Conservatives after the CEO and board of the Trudeau Foundation resigned en mass after their work has been politicized.
  • Harjit Sajjan says the government could increase foreign aid spending if the economy bounces back. (Oh, come on).
  • Seamus O’Regan says the government will introduce a bill to weed out forced labour from supply chains, while a current Senate bill is looking for more transparency.
  • Now that the Davie Shipyard is officially in the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the government is negotiating with them over a schedule to replace our icebreakers.
  • Three northern Alberta First Nations have signed agreements with the provincial and federal governments over taking over their child welfare systems.
  • A year-long cross-border gun smuggling investigation has netted 42 arrests, 422 criminal charges, and 173 intercepted firearms coming from the US.
  • The Star has a great read on the government’s push for their rebranded “grocery rebate” while they barely defend their carbon rebate from the PBO’s dubious report.
  • The Star also has a good look at the tenth anniversary of Trudeau being Liberal leader, and lo, the things he worried about the party hollowing out are now true!
  • Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux displays a stunning lack of self-awareness as he is concerned his carbon price report is being taken out of context. You think?
  • NSICOP hasn’t had enough access to Cabinet documents, there are questions about NSIRA’s access, but David Johnston will have access as part of his review.
  • An RCMP officer is taking her harassment claim to Federal Court after the “new” RMCP complaint process dismissed it as not being harassment.
  • The National Post has a really great exploration of the problems within Global Affairs Canada, and why this is a problem that has been festering for decades.
  • Jean Chrétien admits the state of 24 Sussex Drive is an embarrassment, but also admits he did nothing about it either.
  • Kevin Carmichael talks to the CEO of Rio Tinto about his view on the state of the Canadian economy and the green transition.
  • Susan Delacourt hears from the Eurasia Group’s Canada-US Summit, and how the decline of democracy in the US is concerning to Canada and abroad.
  • Paul Wells gives his snarky but very context-filled thoughts on the 24 Sussex situation, and the need for the government to actually make decisions.
  • My weekend column notes that the government decided to put out their update on responding to foreign interference by press release rather than by press conference.
  • My column takes issue with Jagmeet Singh’s recent tweets that betray a lack of understanding of Canadian governance, whether out of ignorance or by design.

Odds and ends:

My Loonie Politics Quick Take takes on the Parliamentary Budget Officer being shocked—shocked!—that his numbers are being taken out of context.

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