I wish the Ghost of old R.B. Bennett would scare CBC into finally acting ethically

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-pipeline-carbon-court-1.4638614

Why the 'hard things' (like pipelines and carbon pricing) won't get easier for Trudeau

History teaches us you can do big things in Canadian politics - if you're willing to take the hits

Aaron Wherry · CBC News · Posted: Apr 29, 2018 4:00 AM ET 

  2829 Comments

  Commenting is now closed for this story.

 

 

mo bennett

making life miserable for REAL CANADIANS 24/7/365 is the liberal motto. only 19 months left, then we get andy the evangelical ( aka steve ll ) to screw things up! politicians, just plain bad for your health.

David Amos

@mo bennett YO Moe Are you related to old R.B.?

Methinks we all should wish the Ghost of old R.B. Bennett would scare CBC into finally acting ethically ASAP N'esy Pas?

David Amos

Hmmmm

"Employment Insurance was legislated by R.B. Bennett's government in 1935, overturned on a court reference in 1936, allowed for in a constitutional amendment and then implemented by Mackenzie King's government in 1940.

Methinks as a Proud Maritimer who was born and raised in the same area of a Prime Minister whom Canada has largely forgotten I should remind CBC that R.B. Bennett also created the CBC, the Canadain Wheat Board and the Bank Of Canada in on term despite much opposition from the Liberals. N'esy Pas?

Ivan Smith

@David Amos - The Canadian Wheat Board was sold to Saudi Arabia of all things.

Steven Scott

@Ivan Smith
By harper you forgot to mention that little tidbit ........

Ivan Smith

@Steven Scott - It doesn't matter, they seem to all be anti-Canadian, no matter who gets elected.

David Amos

@Steven Scott Remember what Trudeau "The Elder" did with the Bank of Canada for the benefit of his bankster buddies byway of the PCO in 1974 or so ? Or how about Paul Martin scooping a pile of EI and CPP money to balance his books? Or Trudeau "The Younger" giving CBC lots of funding to promote him with?

 

Will Iman

In case the liberals do their bs poll by Nanos where the liberals magically have 42% support, ask them if they can find another poll not owned by a liberal party member that has the liberals at such a high rate of support. Don't be surprised if they cannot produce any. Because all the other polling firms have the liberals at 28% to 32% support, with the Conservative winning the next election in 2019 with a majority Government.

Darren MacDonald

@Mike Trahan "The pole that matters the most is the election in Oct. 2019"
I'd also add that voters minds will be made up a moth or so out from election date. Things are not looking good for the Reds.

David Amos

@Darren MacDonald Methinks if Dougy Boy Ford gets a grip on the helm in Ontario the liberal's boat won't float anymore N'esy Pas?

Richard Sharp

@Richard Sharp

Funny you always censor me when I blow another poster out of the water and take him or her down. But when I get censored, the poster who causes my demise often stays up.

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David Amos

@Marc Henry "I'm amazed that someone who limits his comments to the "most liked" so they can best be seen would then start accusing people of stalking."

Methinks this is another case of the pot calling the kettle names that suit it as just well N'esy Pas?

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David Amos

@Bill Nazarene

@Marc Henry wrote: "I'm amazed that someone who limits his comments to the "most liked" so they can best be seen would then start accusing people of stalking."

Hmmm

David Amos

@Bill Nazarene "The world that an Alt-Reich, Involuntary Celibate creates in his (yes, his) mind does not actually exist... making debate impossible."

Oh My

David Amos

@Richard Sharp I noticed that months ago but why do you ignore me?

David Amos

@David Amos Yo CBC all I posted was one word in response

How on earth could "Hmmm" be offensive?

 
Rob Unrau

We just don't have a leader in Justin. He's too busy trying to be popular like a teenager in high school.

Richard Sharp

@Rob Unrau

Yet this piece points to Trudeau making the tough decisions. He’s cut deals with the provinces on health care, climate action, child benefits, pensions, marijuana, infrastructure and green technology investments, aid for FNs and on and on. That’s leadership, Rob, refuting your totally unsubstantiated claim.

David Amos

@Richard Sharp What about Trudeau "The Younger" upholding his election promises other than the wacky tobaccy issue?

Electoral Reform comes to my mind immediately . Does any liberal supporter recall what I said to the ERRE Committee in Fredericton NB just before Thanksgiving 2016? Its recorded in the Parliamentary record purportedly forever.

https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/ERRE/meeting-39/minutes

Methinks I was correct N'esy Pas?

 

David Amos

@Darren MacDonald "I would like a minority government too, it's best for the people."

I concur

David Amos

@Joan MacDonald "Many people that dislike the current government and their identity politics are not "angry", "old", or "codgers"

Methinks that I must confess and say that would be a fair description of the often ignored political party known as Me, Myself and I N'esy Pas?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fundy-royal-riding-profile-1.3274276

 
Rick Guthrie

The Liberals are completely out of touch. Most Canadians don't care about feminism, gender identity issues, political correctness, special interest groups rights, etc. Most Canadians are struggling just to put food on the table. This is what happens when over half of your income goes to pay taxes. The Liberals would be wise to recognize this, but they won't.

David Amos 

@Rick Guthrie "The Liberals are completely out of touch. Most Canadians don't care about feminism, gender identity issues, political correctness, special interest groups rights, etc."

Very True.

Methinks you blew it though because this is not true N'esy Pas?

"Most Canadians are struggling just to put food on the table.

However you redeemed yourself with me with the next statement.

"This is what happens when over half of your income goes to pay taxes."

Many of us are very close or at the 50% tax versus disposable income threshold and the Liberals will never be wise enough to recognize that simple fact as they dream up new taxes such as carbon tax etc.

David Amos

@Bill Nazarene Methinks that you speak in worse riddles than I N'esy Pas?

Will Iman

trudeau already failed as a government, and no one takes them seriously anymore. In fact a certain female said " For this meeting try to bring results instead of platitudes" No other government in Canadian history has fallen so fast and far in populism as trudeau liberals. At 30% support and 59% disapproving of trudeau no where else to go but down

David Amos

@Charlie Wood Methinks we should wait with bated breath for the next costume change of Trudeau "The Younger" It would be rather interesting to see what he would wear if he went to Russia after endorsing Trump's Cold War with them N'esy Pas?

David Amos

@Rob Lehtisaari "Seriously, the Trump fan club, or Putin & allies have little credibility on that actual serious issues, or being serious at all themselves."

Methinks sending a 100 missiles into Syria was very serious N'esy Pas?

 

Darren MacDonald

Why worry about trivial things like pipelines, border crossings and forced carbon taxes when your priorities are peoplekind, jet setting, selfies and rogue elements. This government has not and will not take responsibility for anything.

David Amos

@Darren MacDonald Methinks in less than a day you forgot that Trudeau "The Younger" is a rather unique feminist alpha male ( or is it eunuch?) who cries at the drop of hat because he cares so much about everyone and everything. Perhaps you forgot he can no longer say "because its 2015" because he is up for reelection next year. Nesy Pas?

 
Rob Clayton

Trudeau has accomplished very little in his term as PM except for deepening divisions between the Federal and Provincial Governments. We have a stalled pipeline KM , porous borders with illegal migrants crossing at will aided by CBSA and RCMP Officers.
No infrastructure projects moving forward.The 2019 Election can't come soon enough.Hopefully the result will be Liberals relegated to third party status.

David Amos

@Darren MacDonald "The RCMP should be doing their job, policing, not being baggage handlers."

YUP

Methinks the RCMP should finally read the letter their bosses wrote to me in 2004 N'esy Pas?

https://www.scribd.com/doc/2718120/integrity-yea-right

David Amos

@Darren MacDonald Methinks we should hope for a minority government no mater the colour of the coat on the next Prime Minister N'esy Pas?

David Amos

@Bill Nazarene Methinks nobody would dare to argue with me as to why the Russians and the Chinese have been buying gold by the ton for years N'esy Pas?

 
Brigitte Latrusse

I see, so now Obama's guy Axelrod is advising our local Beta guy Justin how to divide and economically destroy a country. Good choice of advisers Justin, good choice. I think the Canadians in 2019 will put an end to your liberal social engineering experiments, once and for all .

David Amos

@Brigitte Latrusse "I think the Canadians in 2019 will put an end to your liberal social engineering experiments, once and for all."

@Darren MacDonald "Agreed"

Me Too

 
Zavie Johnston

He's done lots of hard things; taken lots of exhausting vacations, passed pot legislation, allowed countless refugees into Canada, given away plenty of Canadian taxpayer's money to international feel good causes, cried on cue, ignored vets, is buying used fighter jets for our military he is so proud of, made out of court settlements to terrorists, criticized Canadian jurors for doing their jobs, introduced carbon taxes, etc.

David Amos

@Zavie Johnston Methinks the sunny ways of Trudeau The Younger got a little rough out of the gate when he elbowed the NDP lady in Parliament Nesy Pas?

Hird Kerry

Hard things are easier if you foresee them in advance and have a strategy.

For example if Trudeau had not banned tanker traffic in Northern BC and allowed the Northern Gateway pipeline then Alberta would have a pipeline by now, without upsetting either Vancouver or Montreal.

If Trudeau hadn't made his famous tweet inviting the world's migrants we wouldn't be facing a border crisis.

As a government led my many inexperienced and overly idealistic people, the Trudeau government has unfortunately shown little ability to head problems off at the pass, to make the hard decisions early enough to make a difference, and a tendency to try to play both sides of an issue until it is too late.

David Amos

@Lou Parks I disagree

David Amos

@Lou Parks Methinks CBC has lots to offer supporting the fact that the pipeline comment was NOT nonsense N'esy Pas?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/crude-oil-tanker-ban-bc-prime-minister-justin-trudeau-warning-reaction-1.3319283

Lou Parks

@David Amos

> I disagree

You have the right to be wrong.

  

dale mcrobie

"Justin Trudeau. he's just not ready." Boy, was that an understatement!

Gordon MacFarlane

@Richard Sharp

It isn't the CBC that needs to reevaluate itself.

David Amos

@Gordon MacFarlane Methinks that your friend Mr Sharp has gone "Poof" again N'esy Pas?

 

Luke Armstrong

Our "Alpha Male" of a leader always seems to be in hiding for some reason.

David Amos

@Richard Sharp ROTFLMAO

David Amos

@Darren MacDonald Me Too


 
Tim Mann

Trudy will face some hard choices this summer when the border hoppers start flooding in again.

Trudy's horrible legacy will surpass even that of his father and will leave Canada at its lowest point in history.

Chantal LeBouthi

@David MacKinnon

They are not refugees why do you call thème that

David Amos

@Chantal LeBouthi Exactly they are coming from the USA which is supposed to be a safe country. Methinks the RCMP and the Attorney General of Quebec should review their law books N'esy Pas?

 

Randy Laboucane

The scariest part of the article is the writer thinks if Trudeau can resolve the carbon tax and pipeline issues he could remain in power through 2023. I guess that booming deficit and border crisis don't count.

John Kimble

@Howard Strutt and you're forgetting hope many come with other visaa, temp work permits. It's well over what the government says.

Border hoppers are doing it illegally to boot.

David Amos

@Robert Morris "As long as Scheer keeps trying to sell the old Harper agenda to Canadians, Trudeau has no credible opposition."

Methinks Harper 2.0 doesn't have to do a thing to win the next election. Trudeau "The Younger" is his own worst enemy and his credible opposition will come from the provinces challenging in court etc N'esy Pas?

 

norman duck

First of all the Carbon Tax is just another tax , a very expensive tax ,We should be paying .87 cents a liter for gas , but we pay $1.24 . So that extra .37 cents must be all Carbon Taxes.
Trudeau is making a fortune and we are paying for it.

Paul Douglas

@guy pope
You don't understand the makeup of the price of gas in Canada and how much is driven by taxes. Do some research.

Lou Parks

@Paul Douglas

He was referring to *carbon* taxes, and those *do not* amount to more than 2 or 3 cents a litre.

Paul Douglas

@Lou Parks
Incorrect.
'Gasoline will cost 11.6 cents more per litre once the Liberal carbon-pricing scheme reaches $50 per tonne in 2022, according to documents the government published this week.'

Daniyyel Bender

@norman duck you are paying only $1.24?!?! i pay $1.46.

Paul Douglas

@Daniyyel Bender
I pay $159.9!

Bryan Cassidy

@norman duck
Ontario and Wynne said that no reduction in GHG emissions comes from carbon tax. Purely a revenue generator. Pot will be a very limited generator of revenue when all costs are considered. Trudeau over spent. He is in urgency mode now.

David Amos

@Paul Douglas Methinks the liberals do not wish to admit that the Taxman gets far more money from our fuel bills than the oil companies do and they have to produce it and bring it to market. The Taxman does nothing and still wants more N'esy Pas?

  

Dale Verigan

The liberals.

The natural dividing party of Canada.

David Amos

@Dale Verigan Methinks that is why they speak of diversity all the time N'esy Pas?

 
Mary Clarke

Another fluff piece written to cover for the failure of the Liberals..

David Amos

@Mary Clarke YUP

Bob Gillies

Trudeau's answer to every problem.......smile and proclaim "sunny ways" even when there are storm clouds over head.
When that fails plan B is.......blame Harper.

David Amos

@Bob Gillies "I never claimed Trudeau was the "fault" of the problems only that his lack of leadership has compounded them."

Methinks the "hard things" will never be easier for Trudeau "The Younger" when he has to follow the orders of the backroom boys who put him in the leadership position N'esy Pas?

 
Mike Hawke

In other words, it is easier to say you will do something than to actually do it.

David Amos

@Mike Hawke "In other words, it is easier to say you will do something than to actually do it."

Methinks that goes without saying Hence this analysis was unnecessary N'esy Pas?

 
Hank Schraeder

Wynne is nowhere near Trudeau at tonight's North York vigil.

David Amos

@Hank Schraeder Methinks that is a little proof that the liberals are afraid of Doug Ford and his fans. Its quite likely if he wins in Ontario Trudeau will lose the next election N'esy Pas?

  

Paul MacDonald

Forum Poll shows Trudeau is already finished just like Wynn . Canadians have seen Trudeau for the superficial flake that he is .

John Campbell

@Paul MacDonald

Aye. Sad to see a man do that to himself and his country.

Randy Laboucane

@Paul MacDonald

But NANOS did a poll at our border and most would vote for him.

John Campbell

@Randy Laboucane

laughing.

David Amos

@John Campbell Me Too

 

Bob Oswin

Notley Must Go's post.
Apr 29, 2018 5:07am
1.Couple the facts that the tax does nothing to address carbon emissions and reduces competitive trade with its implementation.

2. The fact that science has openly admitted that man made carbon emissions may not be the primary factor in our changing climate.

3. Places like China and India will not even try to be compliant until 2030. (12 years from now)

Canada could very well cease to exist in the next 12 years given the missteps of the current Governments.

Reid Cowper

@Bob Oswin Well said.

David Amos

@Reid Cowper I agree

 

charleysinclair

Environment minister(snicker) McKenna .

** Hard things are hard **

Hahahahaha ... rocket scientist.

Lou Parks

@charleysinclair

For the Liberals, the easy things are hard too.

David Amos

@Lou Parks You have the right to be wrong as well.

However unlike you I will admit when I believe you to be correct N'esy Pas?

 

Mary Clarke

Who would have ever thought that through the U.N. and Globalist leaders,that they could actually not only convince people to accept taxes of the air we exhale,but convince them that they could feel noble and superior by accepting them?
P.T. Barnum was right when saying there's a sucker born every minute.

Lucia Gonzales

@Sandy Glass May be you should try inhaling for a change.

David Amos

@Lucia Gonzales I agree

 
norman duck

Trudeau and McKenna finally did it , They stopped all foreign investment from coming to Canada

Patrick MacDonald

@norman duck

And just think of what they can and will do if elected in 2019!

David Amos

@Patrick MacDonald Imagine

Why the 'hard things' (like pipelines and carbon pricing) won't get easier for Trudeau

History teaches us you can do big things in Canadian politics - if you're willing to take the hits

Aaron Wherry · CBC News · Posted: Apr 29, 2018 4:00 AM ET |

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Premier of British Columbia John Horgan in his office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)



The best case scenario for Justin Trudeau might look something like this:

In British Columbia, the premier blames the Trudeau government for a pipeline that can't be stopped.

In Saskatchewan, the premier blames the Trudeau government for a price on carbon that can't be avoided. And maybe the premiers of Ontario and Alberta end up following suit.

The Liberals have shown a certain willingness to accept that blame — presumably because being castigated in Victoria and Regina beats failing to build a pipeline or impose a price on carbon, both in political and policy terms.

But if enough people outside those premiers' offices remain in favour of pricing carbon and building that pipeline (or can be convinced to grudgingly accept those things), the Liberals could govern through to 2023, giving them the time to ensure both the pipeline and the climate plan remain firmly in place.

• Canadian federation in a state of 'confusion' and 'disarray' over pipeline, internal trade: Pallister

• B.C. court reference a 'recipe for economic gridlock,' Alberta premier says

• B.C. wants new rules for companies — like Kinder Morgan — bringing more oil through the province

All of the above depends on the courts upholding federal jurisdiction in two recent court references: one by the B.C. government to determine whether it can regulate the flow of bitumen from Alberta, one by Saskatchewan to determine whether the Trudeau government has the legal authority to price carbon over the province's objections.

Even if the courts do side with Ottawa, none of what follows is likely to be easy for the Liberals.

"Hard things are hard," Environment Minister Catherine McKenna told CBC Radio's The House this week, when asked about the pair of references.

The Liberals like to say that. It's a quip cribbed from David Axelrod, former adviser to Barack Obama, who liked to tell Obama that during the fight to enact health care reform. Axelrod, who appeared at the Liberal Party's convention in Halifax earlier this month, later had the phrase inscribed on a plaque for the president.

It's a useful reminder. Big initiatives are seldom easy. Canadian history provides plenty of proof.

The National

Provinces take on feds over environmental politics | At Issue

00:00 11:37

 

It's provinces taking on the federal government this week, as both Saskatchewan and B.C. go to court to push back against Justin Trudeau's Liberals. Scott Moe is anti-carbon tax while John Horgan is anti-pipeline. The At Issue panel takes a look at where that leaves federal-provincial relations. 11:37

Employment Insurance was legislated by R.B. Bennett's government in 1935, overturned on a court reference in 1936, allowed for in a constitutional amendment and then implemented by Mackenzie King's government in 1940. C.D. Howe's push to get the Trans Canada pipeline started in 1956 precipitated a fractious debate in the House of Commons.

The process of negotiating and implementing the Canada Pension Plan takes up 28 pages in Tom Kent's account of working as a senior adviser to Lester B. Pearson (A Public Purpose). Quebec and Ontario were the ones causing trouble at the time.

In his book, Kent recalls fretting about the threat to national unity the battle over the CPP introduced. He also recalls cabinet minister Judy LaMarsh smashing a framed picture of Pearson in a rage over his handling of the issue. National medicare was also implemented over the objections of Ontario and Alberta.

A fight between B.C. and the federal government over Trans Mountain might have happened even if Stephen Harper or Tom Mulcair were prime minister. And a brawl with the provinces was in the cards the moment the federal government decided to do something serious about greenhouse gas emissions. Doing big stuff always increases the likelihood of trouble.

So, yes, hard things are hard. But a government can still be faulted for anything it does to make things harder than they need to be. C.D. Howe's use of closure to curtail debate in 1956, for instance, might not have been the best idea: the resulting outcry contributed to the demise of the Liberal government soon thereafter.

Trudeau will soon have his own pipeline legislation to advance and he is already being accused of not moving fast enough to deal with Horgan's opposition. Depending on how things play out, the Liberals might also wish they'd moved faster to pass legislation on pricing carbon. One could parse everything the prime minister has said and done over the last five years to debate whether he's done enough to prepare the public for the decisions he's making now.

Politics News

B.C. takes its pipeline fight to court

00:00 07:48

'I think it's the federal government's responsibility to work cooperatively with all provinces,' says provincial Environment Minister George Heyman. 7:48

And while the Supreme Court might rule in the federal government's favour, there will still be unhappy premiers to deal with and critics to counter. There will be still be crowds of protesters in British Columbia. Carbon pricing will be a convenient scapegoat if energy prices spike or the economy slows down. Politicians like Jason Kenney, Doug Ford, Scott Moe and Andrew Scheer might not be willing to abandon the carbon-pricing fight, even if it appears to be over.

That's all part of Trudeau's best-case scenario. And, with word and deed, he'll have to manage all of it.
Hard things are hard. But in politics, little sympathy is afforded to those who fail at such things.

Politics News

'This is well within our legal authority'

00:00 08:19

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna on Saskatchewan launching a formal legal challenge against the federal carbon pricing policy. 8:19

About the Author

Aaron Wherry

Parliament Hill Bureau

Aaron Wherry has covered Parliament Hill since 2007 and has written for Maclean's, the National Post and the Globe and Mail.