Roundup: Premiers want unconditional money

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The premiers are at it again. They’ve written yet another letter to Justin Trudeau to complain about the budget, and all of the ways that it infringes on their jurisdiction, and to call for a return to a “cooperative approach” that means just giving them “unconditional federal funding.” (It was also hilarious to watch certain premiers complain about federal spending as though they also weren’t running their own deficits, while simultaneously demanding more money from the federal government). And I get that they’re concerned that the costs of these new programmes will be downloaded onto them if a future federal government cuts their funding—it’s a legitimate concern. But at the same time, most of these programmes will have longer-term payoffs, whether it’s child care (which Quebec has proved will pay for itself), or pharmacare or dental care, which has the potential to reduce overall healthcare costs—costs the government is going to have to pay when they could have avoided doing so with proper investments.

Nevertheless, it’s not lost on me that we’ve spent years of people saying “nobody cares about jurisdiction,” and demanding the federal government do something—including some of the premiers—and when the federal government not only does something but attaches strings so that the money has to go to particular outcomes, those same premiers immediately go “No, not like that.” But once burned, twice shy—the federal government learned the hard way during the height of the pandemic when the billions they sent to the provinces largely went unspent but went toward their provincial deficits—so they’re going to very much demand strings attached to those dollars. So, of course the federal government is going to do what they can seeing as they’re shouldering the blame anyway, while the premiers continue to be precious about it.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russian missiles destroyed grain storage facilities in Odesa, as well as the foodstuffs they contained that were bound for Asia and Africa. Ukrainian forces say they shot down a Russian strategic bomber, while Russia claims it crashed due to a malfunction. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the command post used by the troops defending Chasiv Yar in the east.

https://twitter.com/defenceu/status/1781227417404600676

Good reads:

  • From a post-budget announcement in Victoria, Justin Trudeau once again called for de-escalation of the situation between Israel and Iran.
  • Chrystia Freeland met with a group of tech innovators and lobbyists concerned with the capital gains changes and tried to persuade them of the fairness of them.
  • The government will put forward legislation that will force banks to properly label federal transfers and not just say things like “ETF Canada.”
  • The budget includes widening powers for Indigenous governments to levy taxes on reserves and settlement lands.
  • One of the items buried in the budget is the redistribution of 17 promised judicial posts for Alberta after the province refused to create a Unified Family Court.
  • A member of the federal Disability Advisory Group has resigned in protest after what was in the budget, and explains his reasons here.
  • Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says the budget doesn’t change the fiscal track significantly (proving the cried about fuelling inflation to be false).
  • Arbitrators are awarding the RCMP an eight percent pay increase as part of ongoing negotiations, which will impact provinces and municipalities contracting them.
  • The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that front-level managers in Quebec casinos don’t have a right to unionize, clarifying particular tests for labour law cases.
  • MPs on the Canada-China committee grilled public health officials about what was in the Winnipeg Lab documents, and their protocols for security clearances.
  • The Conservatives have pulled Karen Vecchio as chair of the Status of Women committee in favour of Shelby Kramp-Neuman, for no stated reason.
  • Elizabeth May moved—and passed—a unanimous consent motion on Thursday to reject the notion that Canadian Jews are responsible for the actions of Israel.
  • Nova Scotia’s justice minister resigned after his comments saying that domestic violence wasn’t as big of a concern as other issues.
  • A water use agreement is being signed in southern Alberta, with all players pledging to reduce usage as drought continues in the area.
  • In a shocking turn of events, Alberta has done almost nothing to live up to its emissions reduction plan. (I am shocked by this turn of events. Shocked!)
  • Here is a very interesting case that Canada doesn’t need to create a democracy promotion agency, but should be providing safe haven for opposition voices.
  • Michael Den Tandt posits that while the defence policy update has the right notes, it’s happening too slowly for the state of the world right now.
  • Philippe Lagassé contemplates the commitments to re-engage with Arctic security in the latest defence policy update.

Odds and Ends:

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3 thoughts on “Roundup: Premiers want unconditional money”

  1. The question is what kind of strings are they talking about. Recently Ottawa set aside $4 million for demining activities in Ukraine. Seems simple enough, right? Hire a group of specialists to do this often dangerous work. In a press release, the initiative was called “Gender-inclusive demining for sustainable futures in Ukraine.” What does this mean?

    The press release continues, “Project activities include conducting non-technical surveys and subsequent manual clearance in targeted communities; providing capacity building to key national stakeholders; and establishing a gender and diversity working group to promote gender-transformative mine action in Ukraine.”

    Perhaps the language coming out of Ottawa is so filled with buzzwords the premiers are put off.

    • WELL SINCE imyself has yet to be NO CAME ACROSS THAT RELEASE?
      so it depend as to if be is it relating to person who are 1 resideing in of Ukraine they needs as many to be do this as it give them as purpose now that if so been towns bombed or torn to shreds as ruskie retreade as left booby traps in farm fiel thar nedd get back up runing or line where hteir troops got be going thru etc
      as guess 1 got be read betwen line as to who & what it is they supporting as be saying it be ope nto anyone of all genders etc as be alot women or toher who now be either feeling lost & disoreineted as by all occured to them 7 towns village they live in so may give them sense of a focus to be aiding in a low but need ways etc
      as that be my best guess at from what you posted as too’s as usual way our gov’s be do these pressers etc or if so be ope nto canuk tp go do that is also an altwernat theory 1 could dwell 7 be ponders or dig deeper into it as depend from where in of our Gov it as came from as too’s can be as how 1 t ointerpet this 1 was it by our defense ? or ‘s who’s ?? … etc it asmay have more clarity if 1 has done bit of checling into it as it alls always relative to some known but unsadi here factors is again just my best take on this 1’s the unknown variables can be for it go’s to in of any of a direction but it is clear as to they be willing to take any 1 as willing be go do it to of this job(s)

  2. well i think a few many should go be actualy GO oN “READ”
    our CONSTiTUTiON !!
    AS iT CRYSTAL CLEAR !!
    AS TO WHAT SO BE iS oF WHO CAN & FOR’s As WHO’S BE DOES GOT JURiSDiCTiON To OF ANY oF A CANADiAN iSSUES !! AND !!
    iT’S ALSO VERY CRYSTAL CLEAR AS TO THAT OF>> our “PROViNCAL FUNDiNG PAY-OUT SPLiT” !!
    LiKE REALY FOLKS
    iT NOT ROCKET SCiENCE HERE !! iT ALL 100% LaiD OUT FOR THEM As So EVEN THESE BOZO GREEDY PRiEMERS WELL i SAY
    GO F”in READS it 1st BEFORE 1’S GO ‘S BE SHOOTin YAPS OFF !!
    OH MAY i REMiND THEMS as IF 1 GO AHEAD CHECK THEY iN jULY 2018 !! SELF’s oF THEiR VERY OWN FREE WiLL BE iSSUEED a CLEAR MoU’s As WE WiLL WORK wITH THE FEDS aS NO BE STAND iN WAY oF ANY oF A PROGRESS ETC ETC & NO BE iNTERFERR iN THiNGS lIKE NO CLAW BACKS ON C-22 CDB DisAbility BENEFiTS ETC ETC
    WELL GO AS THiNK THESE YO-YO ALLs SEMS BE WANT TOTALY Be FORGET WHAT THEY THEMSELF SO BE FREELY DELCARED aS TO WiLL & WANT BE WORK TO GETHER WiTH FEDS on ALL FRONTS !!
    AND iT WAS An UNAMiOUSLY DONE BY ALL’s PROV’S & TERRITORY PREMiER’S !!
    SO THiNK THEY BETTER GO PULL iT UP BE RE-FRESH THEIR OWN NOGGiN TO WHAT THEY THEMSELF’s AS SO BE ALREADY DONE iN OF a PROMiSES TO FEDS !!

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