Carbon tax fight, teachers' strike, travel costs mark busy week in Sask. politics
CBC
Saskatchewan's decision to violate federal law by not remitting the carbon tax on home heating kicked off a war of words with a federal cabinet minister this week, but that wasn't the only spat the premier and his cabinet had to deal with.
The first week of the March sitting came in like a lion, with Premier Scott Moe sticking to his carbon tax decision and then announcing a pre-budget plan to pay school divisions an extra $180 million.
Sandwiched between those issues was the Opposition NDP flagging the cost of cabinet minister Dustin Duncan's car service while on a November government trip to Paris.
Duncan, the minister responsible for Crown corporations, spent time recently in Ottawa, where he took time to record a video announcing the Saskatchewan Party government's intention to follow through on its promise not to remit carbon tax generated through home heating to the federal government.
The province sent $170 million to Ottawa last year, and the total was expected to be higher this year.
Moe and Duncan have argued since last fall that the federal government's decision to exempt home heating oil from the tax was "unfair," and vowed to not collect the tax or remit if the policy was not extended to all forms of home heating.
This week, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said it was "immoral" and "irresponsible" for a premier to decide not to follow the law.
WATCH | The At Issue panel discusses carbon tax on March 7, 2024:
"What if somebody tomorrow decides that they don't want to respect other federal laws, criminal laws?" Guilbeault said Monday.
"If Premier Scott Moe decides that he wants to start breaking laws and not respecting federal laws, then measures will have to be taken."
Last year, the provincial government, with support from the NDP, moved the responsibility of distributing natural gas from SaskEnergy to the minister's office — meaning Duncan would be subject to fines, and even jail time, for not following the law and remitting the taxes collected.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told CBC's Power and Politics this week that his government will have discussions about the "consequences," and said he hopes the province "steps back from the brink" and will "actually behave like law-abiding citizens — but I guess that's up to Premier Moe."
"I think people in Saskatchewan and across the country should be appalled at that sort of behaviour from a provincial premier," Wilkinson said.
He previously said the province would no longer see rebates, but has since said those could be scaled back.
An Alberta government pledge to bring the position of “triage liaison physicians” back to some emergency rooms could help ensure sick patients are better prioritized, some doctors say.
City staff have removed nearly all homeless encampments within 50 metres of schools, daycares and playgrounds in Toronto, a senior official says.
A former human resources employee at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is suing the national broadcaster, alleging he was "subjected to a toxic working environment" while working in the Yellowknife bureau.
The federal government reached what Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling a "landmark" agreement with China on Friday.
The lawyer for a P.E.I. teacher accused of sexual assault has asked the judge to acquit her client based on a lack of evidence presented by the Crown.
One of two indoor arenas in Whitehorse is out of commission indefinitely because of a buildup of heavy snow on the building's roof.
In the wake of a backlash sparked by a viral video, WestJet has cancelled a new seat configuration that squeezed an extra row on board many of its planes and left passengers with less legroom.
Londoners without a place to sleep at night and the outreach workers who help them are urging the city to reconsider its emergency winter response plan after a night of frigid temperatures and ongoing snow squalls.
A recent string of crimes targeting businesses in Bridgeland has owners in the community on edge and seeking solutions.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t mincing words about Canada’s new electric vehicle deal with China, saying Friday that Chinese manufacturers are gaining a foothold in the country’s auto market at the expense of workers in this country.
An assistant professor at Memorial University's Grenfell Campus hopes the loss of its own vice-president won't mean the end of autonomy at the west coast campus.
Amanda Nahwegahbow, 38, is being remembered by her family as a vibrant and resilient woman who could light up any room.
As Nova Scotia bucks a national trend of declining rent prices, the province’s housing minister said he's hopeful that work to stimulate more construction will lead to improvements.