Why are Conservative-run Canadian provinces turning down federal cash? The answer’s in the Republican playbook

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau observed back on April 16 that the Ontario provincial government led by Premier Doug Ford was throwing roadblocks in the way of Ontario municipalities accessing federal money for needed transportation infrastructure, Conservatives responded with angry denials, and not just in Ontario.

The prime minister had told a news conference Kitchener, Ont., that over the previous year Mr. Ford’s Conservative government hadn’t approved a single infrastructure project for which federal funds were available. Mr. Trudeau called this an example of Mr. Ford’s government “letting down Ontarians.”

Ontario Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton characterized the PM’s comment as “a desperate attempt to change the channel,” a phrase that was quickly picked up and repeated by Conservative echo chambers in media and on social media.

But surely this little blip on the political radar, soon forgotten in the news coverage of the Alberta general election results that evening, from which Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party emerged triumphant, seems more credible in light of recent revelations.

I speak, of course, of the news last week that Manitoba’s Conservative provincial government has also refused to accept an offer from Ottawa to provide $5 million in federal carbon tax funds to finance green enhancements at elementary and secondary schools. The sum may be small, but, as they say, it’s…