Roundup: Running interference for Scott Moe

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There is no shortage of terrible opinion pieces in Canadian media, but I believe that the prize for utterly missing the point comes from the Globe and Mail yesterday, where John Ibbitson tried to lay the blame for Saskatchewan’s flirtation with lawlessness on Justin Trudeau, with the headline accusing him of “botching” national unity. It’s a…curious accusation, because the implication therein is that if the federal government doesn’t accede to every demand or tantrum of the provinces that they can be accused of damaging national unity. I take that back. It’s not curious, it’s utterly absurd and wrong.

Ibbitson goes to great pains to both point out how unprecedented it is that Saskatchewan is going to break federal law, but then turns around to run interference for Scott Moe and tries to insist that this is really Trudeau’s fault because he used federal spending powers to “bend provinces” to his will rather than negotiate, and in imposing the federal carbon price on provinces who failed to meet national standards. Both of those are half-truths at best—there is nothing illegitimate about using federal spending powers to get provinces on board to ensure that there are equitable services across the country, particularly for programmes with greater economic good such as early learning and child care. As for the carbon price, provinces had an opportunity to come up with their own system that met minimum standards, and most provinces refused. He also didn’t explain that when the system was enacted, most provinces already had carbon pricing in place (Alberta and Ontario both changed governments who dismantled their systems and were subsequently subjected to the federal system), and he doesn’t spell out that BC and Quebec have their own systems that meet the standards.

Yes, the federal government should have found a different solution to the problem of heating oil than the “pause,” and doomed themselves when they announced it with all of their Atlantic MPs behind them. I’m not disputing that. But while Ibbitson insists that this doesn’t justify Saskatchewan’s lawlessness, he thinks that the best solution is to “reach some sort of compromise.” Like what? He won’t say. He just laments that “Canada doesn’t work like that right now.” Did it ever? What compromise can there be when one province breaks the law and tries to justify it with a fig leaf of “fairness” but obscures the facts and truth of the situation? This kind of white bread, milquetoast “Why can’t we find a compromise?” handwringing is a hallmark of a certain generation of punditry, and it serves absolutely no one.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Ukrainian forces downed 33 out of 37 Russian drones fired at Odesa, the remainder of which damaged infrastructure, though there were other attacks in the north in Sumy and Kharkiv that cost civilian lives. There are concerns that safety is deteriorating at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, as the international community keeps trying to convince Russians to leave the site. India says they have encountered a human trafficking racket which promises young men jobs in Russia, and then forces them to fight in Ukraine on their behalf.

Good reads:

  • The government announced the resumption of UNRWA funding, along with more supports for other partners in the region such as Jordan making air drops.
  • For International Women’s Day, Mélanie Joly levied more sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for repressing women’s rights in that country.
  • Rechie Valdez announced $2.5 million to expand a fund for Indigenous women entrepreneurs, as well as plans to create a similar program for Indigenous youth.
  • Also for International Women’s Day, some speculation about whether the next Chief of Defence Staff will be a woman at a time when that would be a major signal.
  • A memo from government forbade the Chief of Defence Staff from using the term “cut” when it comes to reallocations of defence spending.
  • The suspended civil servant who also worked for one of the contract firms in ArriveCan says that he followed all of the conflict-of-interest rules.
  • Documents show the federal government had been trying to arrange for airlift for some 12,000 people out of Afghanistan, but plans didn’t work out.
  • A CSIS employee lost a discrimination lawsuit at the Federal Court of Appeal, who cited that they should have used the internal grievance process before suing.
  • As two Montreal-area Chinese groups sue the RCMP for defamation is saying they hosted Chinese “police stations,” the RCMP say they had “credible information.”
  • For International Women’s Day, Governor General Mary May Simon spoke about how supporting women leads to a better future for everyone.
  • The Supreme Court of Canada restored two sexual assault convictions while rejecting a particular kind of reasoning from the Courts of Appeal.
  • On a recent podcast, former Progressive Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell called Pierre Poilievre a “liar and a hate-monger” and would never vote for him.
  • At a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade, Poilievre accused corporate leaders of “sucking up” to the Liberals and wants them to actively campaign against them.
  • Doug Ford took a couple of swipes back at Jamil Javani (along with a demand that the federal government remove the carbon price and a promise to build prisons).
  • The RCMP in Alberta said that after five years, they found irregular activity in the Jason Kenney leadership campaign but didn’t have enough evidence to lay charges.
  • David Eby is downplaying concerns that drugs intended for safe supply have been diverted to Alberta, citing a lack of evidence by police regarding seized drugs.
  • Stephen Saideman offers a bit of a cranky listing of the threats that Canada faces, and why that’s not the reason we need to be investing in the military.

Odds and Ends:

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: Running interference for Scott Moe”

  2. Has John Ibbitson ever been right about anything truly meaningful, at any point in his career?

    I mean, when is the “Big Shift” going to finally show up?

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