Roundup: Scott Moe takes another illegal step

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Not satisfied with his plan to break federal laws in not remitting the carbon levy for natural gas, Scott Moe decided that he was going to ramp it up by also not collecting it for electric heating, which is going to be a neat trick when it comes to trying to disaggregating it from regular electricity use. He says they’re going to find out how many homes us it and reduce the levy collection by a formula that approximates what it might be, but it’s still ridiculous and is just more of this very bad trend of premiers who think that they can just get away with violating federal law if they feel like it. But it’s not him that’ll be exposed by this—it’s the CEO and board of SaskPower, just like with SaskEnergy, and they’re the ones exposed to criminal liability for breaking federal law, not Moe, and that should be of concern to anyone in these positions.

Of course, it bears repeating that it’s not the carbon price driving up these costs, really—it’s the utility provider. But that won’t stop Moe and the federal Conservatives from lying about the size and effect of carbon prices as a distraction (or legacy media from not calling it out).

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russian missiles struck three towns in Eastern Ukraine—Pokrovsk, Novohrodivka, and Myronhrad, killing two and wounding ten. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops on the northeast frontlines, and called for the faster construction of fortifications in key areas under threat from Russian forces.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau says that reports that CSIS agents were sexually assaulted on the job by senior colleagues are “devastating” and “absolutely unacceptable.”
  • Arif Virani says that he will accept Senate amendments on the bail reform bill.
  • The federal government has decided to go ahead with a sole-source contract for Boeing P-8As for new surveillance aircraft because no other suitable planes exist.
  • Gary Anandasangaree says the Métis self-government bill would help right past wrongs, in spite of objections raised by numerous First Nations groups.
  • Pascal St-Onge is hinting that she may limit how much money CBC qualifies for under the deal with Google, given they are already publicly funded.
  • The deputy minister of Canadian Heritage says that the government has taken legal action to recoup anti-racism funds given to Laith Marouf.
  • A national 988 suicide prevention helpline went into operation yesterday.
  • Two former CSIS directors point out that the assassination plot indictment in the US vindicates what Trudeau said about India all along.
  • An internal RCMP report shows that Cameron Ortis was demonstrating suspicious behaviour which was ignored because of assumptions made about trustworthiness.
  • NSIRA says that CBSA needs to do a better job of documenting why certain air passengers need extra screening upon arrival.
  • A group of Ontario First Nations chiefs has launched a court challenge against the carbon price.
  • In case you missed this week’s “Is Christmas racist?” stupidity, here is all of the background on what this non-issue is really about.
  • Experts whom the government previously consulted with on the proposed online harms bill are calling on them to get moving on introducing the bill.
  • The Commons health committee is calling for a national registry of breast implants so that they can track problems with them.
  • Conservative MP Rachael Thomas has sort-of apologised for demanding that Pascale St-Onge respond in English at committee (because she wanted clips).
  • Althia Raj reiterates the point that the Rachael Thomas incident at committee was only about getting clips, which is the problem with Parliament these days.
  • Paul Wells has a conversation with the head of the Royal Canadian Navy following a frank video he put out about the operational readiness of our marine forces.
  • My Xtra column looks at the ties between Canadian Conservatives and the Danube Institute spreading Orbánism and “illiberal democracy” around Western countries.

Odds and ends:

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