“It is unhelpful to threaten national unity if your specific Conservative approaches to public policy aren’t adopted,” writes Morneau in a missive that begins by evoking the ghost of former PM Stephen Harper.
Our government isn't threatening national unity, you are.
That's the gist of Finance Minister Bill Morneau's formal response to the six premiers who penned a letter to the prime minister warning his government's contentious environmental legislation could fracture the country.
"It is unhelpful to threaten national unity if your specific Conservative approaches to public policy aren't adopted," writes Morneau in a missive that begins by evoking the ghost of former PM Stephen Harper.
"Following Stephen Harper's environmental legislative changes in 2012, projects faced significant barriers when it came to attracting investment and moving to completion."
Read Minister Morneau's complete response:Download
Earlier this week, Ontario premier Doug Ford, Manitoba premier Brian Pallister, Saskatchewan's Scott Moe, Jason Kenney of Alberta, New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs and Northwest Territories premier Bob McLeod signed a letter claiming it was the Liberal government in Ottawa who threatened national unity.
"We are central to Canada’s economy and prosperity, and it is of the utmost importance that you consider our concerns with bills C-69 and C-48," the premiers write of the legislative overhaul for rules governing resource development, and the west coast tanker ban, respectively.
"Canadians across the country are unified in their concern about the economic impacts of the legislation."
Regarding the tanker ban, the premiers write that the federation is at risk if if the bill is not scrapped.
"We would urge the government to stop pressing for the passage of this bill which will have detrimental effects on national unity and for the Canadian economy as a whole."
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