Kym MackinnonPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is under fire yet again after Canada’s premiers gathered in mid-July for an annual summer meeting. The leaders came to agree that Trudeau needs to “refrain from unilateral actions in areas of provincial and territorial jurisdiction.” Less diplomatically put, they want Trudeau to stay in his lane.
Provincial governments are already trying to deal with the cost-of-living, health care, and budgets, among other issues. Trudeau isn’t making the premiers’ jobs any easier. He may want the best for Canadians, but his frequent overreach is more meddlesome than productive. If he wants to help, he needs to work with the systems rather than overriding them.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has taken issue with Trudeau multiple times for interfering with provincial jurisdiction. Earlier this year, Trudeau put forward a plan to deal with municipalities directly to build housing without consulting the province. Although not many people care who actually builds housing, the federal government should be working together with the provincial government. Imagine the housing we could build if the federal government worked with the province, who is responsible for housing.
In response, Smith introduced the “stay-out-of-my-backyard bill” in April. This bill can prevent entities under Alberta’s purview — housing authorities, for example — from making agreements with Ottawa without the provinces permission. It’s strange the federal government even makes these deals and bills without simply having negotiations with the province.
Smith also objected to the Canadian Dental Care Plan. Health care, including dental care, is a provincial responsibility, yet the federal government once again decided to interfere. According to Smith, it’s hard to juggle “two overlapping plans.” Instead, she has asked for the funding to expand the current dental care system. This is the rational thing to do rather than create confusion among levels of governments and Albertans.
Similarly, Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford criticized the federal government’s school food plan. Yet again, school programs within provincial jurisdiction. Ford claims that the federal system is “broken” and Ontario’s system feeds more kids without wasting tax dollars.
Smith has said that there is “no shortage of things the Prime Minister can do. It’s not a boring job.” And she’s not wrong. There are tons of things to focus on. So why is Trudeau focusing on provincial issues rather than national priorities? When national issues have yet to be addressed, how is he going to solve provincial issues?
Increasing immigration has been a concern for some Canadians due to the pressure it can put on housing and health care. Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, thinks that the growing number of international students and workers is “disconcerting” and that system has “gotten out of control.” But instead of focusing on federal issues such as this, Trudeau is taking on problems that really aren’t his.
Like Ford has said, the federal government “thinks they know better” than the provincial governments, which only contributes to a system that can’t provide resources as efficiently as needed. When the cost-of-living is so high and the economy is struggling, we can’t afford to waste more time and money. Trudeau needs to focus on national issues and cooperating with provinces rather than playing premier for the weekend.
Additionally, Nova Scotia’s Premier, Tim Houston, put forward a good point. With Trudeau’s interference, we “risk pitting provinces and territories” against each other. At a time like this, we need a unified Canada. Provincial issues can be better addressed without Trudeau overlooking premiers and interfering with provincial matters. The prime minister should abide by the systems in place, and co-operate with the provinces rather than simply doing as he wishes. His meddling creates more problems for provinces and its systems, infrastructure, and people.
