Charles W. Smith | Lightnews

Charles Smith

@profsmithsask.bsky.social

2.9K followers 660 following 2K posts

Teaching labour politics in Treaty 6 territory, the Paris of the Prairies. Co-Editor of Labour/Le Travail and President of CAWLS. Terrible guitarist. Even worse Pianist. Proud father of twins. Blue Jays nut. Fair weather runner. Opinions are my own. .. more

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Economics 27%

Political science 20%

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Reposted by Charles W. Smith

The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 17h

Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself premier of B.C.

Prime Minister Mark Carney disagrees with the concept of a premier of one province unilaterally taking over a different province but his hands are tied by his unwillingness to do anything about it.

www.thebeaverton.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 18h

You can respect or dislike Steven Guilbeault but it is curious that conservatives get to define the narrative that he is 'radical' a 'socialist' or 'dangerous' because he believes in climate science and climate action. Why is that never challenged?

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

pstr (Jusqu'ici tout va bien) 🇨🇦🇨🇵 @philstr.bsky.social · 18h

I could definitely see many BCers who may be ambivalent about the pipeline (or maybe even for!), but that are annoyed AF that the province is being treated with disdain by AB.

Like Chantal Hebert said on At Issue - substitute "BC" with "Quebec" in this story, and imagine how that would have gone.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 18h

Because the market will fix itself Simon!

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 18h

So is BC's response to claim that Canada isn't working, claim there is one (2, 6, 9??) bad laws that have to be repealed, pass a provincial sovereignty act, threaten a referendum on sovereignty and then wait for Carney to respond favourably?

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 19h

Of course. Rustad's bargaining strategy is basically to capitulate immediately.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 19h

And I do love how Kenney just dismisses BC’s concern because it’s a national project. As if the climate isn’t a national concern.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 19h

Really glad the the first major interview on CBCs flagship radio news show, The Current, about the new pipeline deal is with Jason Kenney.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 20h

A fascinating read about how a left party/movement transforms into a more bureaucratic mainstream institution. The iron law of oligarchy might be one of the most apt institutional theories ever created. It is proven true repeatedly.

Inside the rise and fall of Podemos: ‘We believed we had a stake in the future’

The long read: The leftist party exploded out of Spain’s anti-austerity protests in 2011 and upended Spain’s entrenched two-party system. I was instantly captivated – and for the next decade, I worked...

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Cathy Holtslander 🇨🇦 🏳️‍🌈 @holtscat.bsky.social · 20h

Its like saying 5 wrongs make 1 right. This MOU has no teeth and emboldens provinces to use extortion to get concessions from the feds. Here's the text of the "implementation plan". These deadlines are ridiculous and insulting to serious policy-making.

Screenshot of Implementation Committee clause of Canada-Alberta pipeline MOU

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 21h

To say nothing of the communities along the way that had not been consulted or have given their consent. It seems to create a ton of bad blood to appease one very particular critic. It also alienates whole swaths of his own political base.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 21h

For this 3D chess analogy to be true, we have to assume that the policy result (getting a strong industrial carbon reduction) occurs while simultaneously limiting the production of more tar sand products. It seems to me that this deal ramps up production and increases risks to the BC coast.

Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 1d

Mark Carney managed to trade a pipeline that will never get built for meaningful progress on industrial carbon pricing and electricity interties — both of which will get more wind and solar built.

Remember when people thought he wasn't good at politics? www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/o...

The method to Mark Carney’s madness

The memorandum of understanding with Alberta might look like surrender. Look closer

www.nationalobserver.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

Political success in 2025!

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah fair.

Stewart Prest @stewartprest.ca · 1d

One can agree or disagree with the reasons for his decision, but I hope everyone can see the value of politicians standing by their convictions in this way. www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

Steven Guilbeault resigns from Mark Carney’s cabinet

Before entering elected politics, Guilbeault was a famed environmentalist.

www.thestar.com

Reposted by David Webster

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

Lets face it, this is a good day for oil companies, businesses, and those in the oil sector. Its a bad day for the environment and for reconciliation with Indigenous nations whose lands this thing will go over. As Blanchet stated, this is the official end of Canada's climate commitments.

Ottawa-Alberta agreement clears federal hurdles for west coast pipeline, suspends clean energy regulations

Federal government won’t implement its oil and gas emissions cap, and both sides will consult with B.C. on project, MOU says

www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Jim Clifford @jimclifford.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve given Carney the benefit of the doubt for the past few months given his credentials on climate before entering politics. But I don’t see the difference between Liberals and Conservatives on this issue anymore. What policies would be different if the Conservatives won?
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Liberal minister resigns over Carney's energy deal, while B.C. premier 'anxious' over potential pipeline | CBC

www.cbc.ca

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

Not yesterday’s Liberal party.

Calgary Climate Hub @calgaryclimatehub.ca · 1d

#cdnpoli #MarkCarney

@GottaLaff @gottalaff.bsky.social · 1d

Liberal MP quits Carney’s cabinet over energy deal with Alberta #Canada

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 1d

The method to Mark Carney’s madness

The memorandum of understanding with Alberta might look like surrender. Look closer

www.nationalobserver.com

Reposted by Marco Festa‐Bianchet, Charles W. Smith, Alan Richardson , and 1 more Marco Festa‐Bianchet, Charles W. Smith, Alan Richardson, Ryan K. Brook

Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 1d

Trudeau-era environment minister Steven Guilbeault has published a resignation letter detailing the reasons for his departure from Carney's cabinet.

He directly cites today's MOU:

Statement by Steven Guilbeault

This afternoon, it is with great sadness that I submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, Minister of Nature and Parks Canada, as well as his Lieutenant in
Quebec. As you know, I chose to enter politics to champion the fight against climate change
and the protection of the environment. Over the past ten years, our country has made historic progress in reducing climate pollution, protecting nature and the environment, while our economy continued to grow. I believe I have contributed to these advancements, and I remain deeply proud
of the achievements I have helped bring forward:
• Standing up to tech giants and major polluters • Implementing Canada's first emissions reduction plan, slowing their growth and
placing them on a downward trajectory
• Establishing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act • Developing the country's first national climate adaptation strategy to protect our
communities
• Eliminating harmful single-use plastics • Implementing the most ambitious nature conservation plan in the country's
history
• Continuing the modernization of the Official Languages Act • Making historic investments in arts and culture, including during the COVID-19
crisis and in the most recent budget Changes in our relationship with the United States have led to profound disruptions
affecting the global order, diplomatic relations, and the economy. I understand and share the Prime Minister's efforts to ensure our country

First, there was no consultation with the Indigenous nations of the West Coast of British Columbia or with the provincial government, who would be greatly affected by
this agreement. Furthermore, a pipeline to the West Coast would have major environmental impacts, particularly as it could cross the Great Bear Rainforest, contribute to a significant increase in climate pollution, and move Canada further away from its greenhouse gas
reduction targets. Lifting the tanker ban on the West Coast would also significantly increase the risk of accidents in the region. This moratorium was established in 1972 following a unanimous vote in the House of Commons, notably because navigation in the Hecate Strait is highly dangerous. Its removal would also hinder the creation of a marine conservation area in the Great Bear Sea, a project our government has been actively developing with Indigenous partners and the government of British Columbia for
several years, protecting more than 100,000 km of this ecologically sensitive region. We cannot hope to decarbonize our economy without decarbonizing the electricity
sector. The proposal to exempt Alberta from the Clean Electricity Regulations in exchange for stricter industrial carbon pricing rules and the Pathways project is, in my view, a
serious mistake. As shown in the analysis submitted to the House of Commons, without this regulation, the electricity sector-which has halved its pollution over the past 20 years-would return to an upward emissions trajectory. This regulation also saves lives by reducing air pollution, generates over $3 billion in healthcare savings, and ultimately reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by 182 million tonnes.

Finally, over the past few months, several elements of the climate action plan I worked on as Minister of the Environment have been, or are about to be, dismantled: the consumer carbon pricing, the Zero Emission Vehicle standard, the oil and gas sector emissions cap, the framework to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and the Clean Electricity Regulations. In my view, these measures remain essential to our climate
action plan. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the citizens of Laurier-Sainte-Marie for the trust they have placed in me since 2019. I will continue to represent them as their
Liberal Member of Parliament with dedication. I also thank the Prime Minister for the honor of serving in his cabinet and as his
lieutenant in Quebec. When I entered politics, it was because I had a deep conviction that I could make a difference in fighting climate change and protecting our environment. My commitment to leaving a better world for the future of our children and our planet
remains unchanged.

Steven Guilbeault
Member of Parliament for Laurier-Sainte-Marie

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Calgary Climate Hub @calgaryclimatehub.ca · 1d

#cdnpoli #MarkCarney

@GottaLaff @gottalaff.bsky.social · 1d

Liberal MP quits Carney’s cabinet over energy deal with Alberta #Canada

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Liberal MP quits Carney’s cabinet over energy deal with Alberta | CBC

www.cbc.ca

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Stewart Prest @stewartprest.ca · 1d

One can agree or disagree with the reasons for his decision, but I hope everyone can see the value of politicians standing by their convictions in this way. www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

Steven Guilbeault resigns from Mark Carney’s cabinet

Before entering elected politics, Guilbeault was a famed environmentalist.

www.thestar.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

💯

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Jeremy Appel 🍉 @readtheorchard.org · 1d

Total capitulation www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Carney, Smith sign sweeping energy deal, pledge new pipeline to West Coast

Federal government won’t implement its oil and gas emissions cap, and both sides will consult with B.C. on project, MOU says

www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Avi Lewis @avilewis.ca · 1d

1/ Mark Carney has betrayed all of us by making a pipeline pact with Danielle Smith. A real nation-building project would expand the renewable energy of the future while creating thousands of jobs - powerlines not pipelines.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

Just an absurd and unconstitutional bill.

Quebec government to table bill banning prayer rooms in public institutions

Muslim students at Concordia University say they’re deeply troubled by the plan as it is an important gathering place for the community

www.theglobeandmail.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

Puns are acceptable in this context.

Christopher Crawford @crawfordchrisv.bsky.social · 2d

All of the other teams pursuing Cease can now desist.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

Oh hells yes.

Stoeten @stoeten.bsky.social · 2d

Do people here know yet that Heyman is reporting the Jays have signed Dylan Cease for 7/210?

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Stoeten @stoeten.bsky.social · 2d

Do people here know yet that Heyman is reporting the Jays have signed Dylan Cease for 7/210?

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 2d

Alberta says allowing doctors to work in the public system and bill patients privately will shorten wait times for everyone, while keeping costs down. But critics say the plan will make care worse for everyone. Q+A w/ @carrietait.bsky.social, Braden Manns www.cbc.ca/listen/live-... via @cbcnews.ca

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Christopher Crawford @crawfordchrisv.bsky.social · 2d

All of the other teams pursuing Cease can now desist.

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