Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is urging the federal government to not "play cute" with the Supreme Court ruling on Bill C-69 and engage in meaningful cooperation on energy and environmental issues.Speaking in Calgary at a climate change event hosted by the Pembina Institute, Smith said the Feds have very little wiggle room when it comes to amending the failed C-69 — which Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said on Thursday he intends to do just that.“I would just ask them to obey the law. I would ask them to obey what the Supreme Court said and not try to play cute with it,” she told The Western Standard.“I hope the federal government doesn't plan on proceeding in a lawless way. Because if they're going to defy the Supreme Court, then they're going to be acting in a lawless way.”Smith admitted the venue wasn’t exactly a friendly crowd, but said it was important to send out a “realistic” message on energy.“I will not engage in fantasy thinking,” she said..In that regard, Smith seemed worlds apart from her federal counterparts. Smith confirmed there were no plans to meet even though she and Energy and Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson were speaking in the same venue, in the same room.For his part, Wilkinson begged to differ with Smith’s interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling..“Well, I mean, the Supreme Court ruling was pretty clear, right? But certainly the court did not say the Act fully was unconstitutional.“Energy and Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.Wilkinson had previously said he didn’t want to wind up back in court when the ruling was handed down. That’s why The Western Standard specifically asked how he planned to do just that.“Well, I mean, the Supreme Court ruling was pretty clear, right?”“There were certain areas where they actually specifically said that they felt that the act was not sufficiently tethered to areas of federal jurisdiction. So those are the areas where we need to go back and ensure that the language is tightened up there may meet the need for some consultation before we actually come back with an amended package.““But certainly the court did not say the Act fully was unconstitutional. It said it was constitutional in part; unconstitutional in part because it was not sufficiently tethered in some areas to federal jurisdiction. We're going to tighten those up and come back with a package of amendments.”.It seemed to fly in the face of his mantra that “Canada works best when it works together.”One person he admitted he does work well with is Guilbeault. When it was put to him, he almost seemed to suggest the good cop/bad cop routine was real although he denied it was deliberate.“Well, I would start by saying I used to be the Minister of the Environment and Climate… the Bad Cop. I don't know. I mean, everybody has a different style, right?” he shrugged..”When you're in Greenpeace, it's about challenge, it's about pushing the envelope and sometimes perhaps that comes across in public communications”Jonathan Wilkinson on his colleague Steven Guilbeault.“I work very closely with Mr. Guilbeault. He comes from a background that is about challenge. And you know, when you're in Greenpeace, it's about challenge it's about pushing the envelope and sometimes perhaps that comes across in public communications,” he continued.“Perhaps it's a stylistic thing. It's not good cop, bad cop. He and I work together, joined at the hip. Most of the policies that come out from my department are things that we've jointly developed to work together.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is urging the federal government to not "play cute" with the Supreme Court ruling on Bill C-69 and engage in meaningful cooperation on energy and environmental issues.Speaking in Calgary at a climate change event hosted by the Pembina Institute, Smith said the Feds have very little wiggle room when it comes to amending the failed C-69 — which Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said on Thursday he intends to do just that.“I would just ask them to obey the law. I would ask them to obey what the Supreme Court said and not try to play cute with it,” she told The Western Standard.“I hope the federal government doesn't plan on proceeding in a lawless way. Because if they're going to defy the Supreme Court, then they're going to be acting in a lawless way.”Smith admitted the venue wasn’t exactly a friendly crowd, but said it was important to send out a “realistic” message on energy.“I will not engage in fantasy thinking,” she said..In that regard, Smith seemed worlds apart from her federal counterparts. Smith confirmed there were no plans to meet even though she and Energy and Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson were speaking in the same venue, in the same room.For his part, Wilkinson begged to differ with Smith’s interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling..“Well, I mean, the Supreme Court ruling was pretty clear, right? But certainly the court did not say the Act fully was unconstitutional.“Energy and Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.Wilkinson had previously said he didn’t want to wind up back in court when the ruling was handed down. That’s why The Western Standard specifically asked how he planned to do just that.“Well, I mean, the Supreme Court ruling was pretty clear, right?”“There were certain areas where they actually specifically said that they felt that the act was not sufficiently tethered to areas of federal jurisdiction. So those are the areas where we need to go back and ensure that the language is tightened up there may meet the need for some consultation before we actually come back with an amended package.““But certainly the court did not say the Act fully was unconstitutional. It said it was constitutional in part; unconstitutional in part because it was not sufficiently tethered in some areas to federal jurisdiction. We're going to tighten those up and come back with a package of amendments.”.It seemed to fly in the face of his mantra that “Canada works best when it works together.”One person he admitted he does work well with is Guilbeault. When it was put to him, he almost seemed to suggest the good cop/bad cop routine was real although he denied it was deliberate.“Well, I would start by saying I used to be the Minister of the Environment and Climate… the Bad Cop. I don't know. I mean, everybody has a different style, right?” he shrugged..”When you're in Greenpeace, it's about challenge, it's about pushing the envelope and sometimes perhaps that comes across in public communications”Jonathan Wilkinson on his colleague Steven Guilbeault.“I work very closely with Mr. Guilbeault. He comes from a background that is about challenge. And you know, when you're in Greenpeace, it's about challenge it's about pushing the envelope and sometimes perhaps that comes across in public communications,” he continued.“Perhaps it's a stylistic thing. It's not good cop, bad cop. He and I work together, joined at the hip. Most of the policies that come out from my department are things that we've jointly developed to work together.”
