Editorial: Ottawa’s schemes going too far

Article content

The past several years, especially under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have seen the federal government increasingly veering into provincial areas of responsibility. The effect is to muddy the jurisdiction between the two levels of government.

This week alone we have two new examples: Prime Minister Trudeau announced in Halifax $6 billion in housing funds to help provinces and municipalities speed up the construction of homes to help with our national housing crisis. It’s a plan promised for the April 16 federal budget.

It has lots of strings attached. Details will be hammered out by the feds and each premier separately. If any premiers don’t like the proposal, well, fine, Ottawa will merely bypass them and strike deals with their municipalities directly.

In what way is it OK, or even constitutional, to cut a provincial government – clearly responsible for housing – out of the equation?

Also this week, we learned the pending federal budget will feature a national school food program valued at $1 billion. Trudeau said it aims to provide school meals for about 400,000 students who have no access to existing school lunch programs. Details are unclear but they too will be ironed out in talks with each province.

There is no question that education is a provincial responsibility. Overall, the separation of federal and provincial jurisdictions exists for good reasons and ought not to be trampled.

Former premier of Manitoba Brian Pallister once objected to it as “dangerous, reckless and risky” in relation to mental health care. It weakens and undermines provincial governments better able to judge provincial interests. And it creates unnecessary division within Canada.

Ottawa ought to take its cash and properly fund our military, then reduce taxes significantly that it hauls in from a nationwide tax base so the provinces can make the tax room to tend to their own responsibilities.