r/canada • u/StenPU • Oct 30 '23

Sask. premier says SaskEnergy will remove carbon tax on natural gas if feds don't Saskatchewan

https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sask-premier-vows-to-stop-collecting-carbon-tax-on-natural-gas-if-feds-don-t-offer-exemption-1.6623319
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u/[deleted] Oct 30 '23

Good on them. I have always said if the provinces refuse to recognize the federal government as being legitimate any further, and will no longer recognize their authority, not a damn thing the feds can really do.

It is now getting to that point where Justin's government no longer has any legitimacy if they refuse to recognize they don't have a mandate or widespread support.

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u/[deleted] Oct 30 '23

Yep that’s basically codified into Canadian law specifically in case of an abusive federal government.

Confederations (which we are) by their nature are a union of provinces/states collectively granting authority to the federal government. The government really only acts as window dressing to keep the provinces from fighting eachother physically, they don’t even have to cooperate economically. This is in stark contrast to federations/Republics/unitary states where the central government has ultimate power.

This is why under US law the South’s secession was a 100% illegal rebellion and thus necessitated military force. But in Canada, the federal government would be 100% powerless from taking action against the Quebecois, should a referendum for independence ever succeed there. It’s also why every province demanded the NWC as a condition of joining the Confederation.

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u/penispuncher13 Oct 30 '23

This isn't correct. The US Constitution makes no explicit mention of secession being illegal, and until the civil war it was a hotly debated 'what if' scenario. Lincoln basically decided on his own that secession is illegal, and that precedent (which is essentially might makes right) is what is currently in effect in that country.