The province of Alberta has always been a thorn in the flesh of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who seems to hold a grudge against the province’s economic success. Anyone who speaks in favour of Alberta or for the rights of Albertans ends up facing retribution. This is what happened with Justice Russell Brown. He is known to be the most reliable defender of Alberta’s rights and hence has got himself punched out.
A Canadian Supreme Court justice has been placed on paid leave following an alleged drunken brawl at a resort in Arizona.
A US Marine Corps veteran alleged in a police case report submitted in January that Justice Russell Brown was accused of”unwanted touching” of a female guest at the resort that month.
After that, the veteran claimed he punched Mr. Brown “a few times” in a dispute. But Mr Brown has refuted the charges and termed the report “demonstrably false”.
Since February 1st, Justice Russell Brown has been on leave while the judicial monitoring agency investigates the situation.
There are nine justices on the Supreme Court of Canada. Mr Brown was appointed in 2015 and was elevated to the court by ex-PM Stephen Harper. Brown’s sole western colleague on the court is Justice Sheilah Martin who was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself. Tradition dictates that three judges are from Ontario, one from Atlantic Canada, and just two from four western provinces, both of whom have deep Alberta and Calgary connections.
Now, one of them has got himself punched out and that’s why Brown’s absence from the court has raised concerns in Premier Danielle Smith’s circle. Premier Danielle Smith’s office is “very concerned about the timing” of a Supreme Court justice’s forced leave of absence.
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All this evil targeting will lead to Brown not taking part when the court considers Ottawa’s appeal of a decision regarding the Impact Assessment Act, also known as the “no more pipelines bill,” next week. Two years ago, it was extremely divisive and was formerly known as federal Bill C-69.
In a 4-1 decision, the Alberta Appeal Court ruled that Bill C-69 is unconstitutional.
Even though eight out of ten provinces support Alberta’s viewpoint, Ottawa argues that it is valid. So, that means that only P.E.I. and Nova Scotia are remaining impartial in the Supreme Court proceedings.
The Impact Assessment Act’s chances of surviving Alberta’s rejection were already slim. Without Brown’s voice and vote on the court, Alberta’s rejection of the Impact Assessment Act is even more likely to fail.
Coming back to the targeting. During a recent convention in Arizona, Brown got into a fight.
Brown has always annoyed his judicial group and why won’t he? After all, he had diverging viewpoints from his peers who simply wanted him out of office.
Now, due to his absence, the case will be considered by eight judges next week, which increases the likelihood of a tie vote. But, the court may avoid the potential impasse by excluding one more judge.
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The 2021 denial of Alberta’s argument that Ottawa’s carbon tax was unconstitutional gives us an excellent sense of how this might proceed.
In terms of economic prosperity, Alberta has been rated higher than any other province largely due to its prudent and conscientious leadership.
The allegations against Brown have been widely discredited and are believed to be part of a smear campaign to silence Brown and prevent him from representing Alberta’s interests in the court.
It is clear that Trudeau’s hostility towards Alberta is nothing more than propaganda. He is determined to force his green energy policies on the province, even if it goes against their interests. He is willing to use any means necessary, including demonizing and discrediting anyone who stands in his way. It is a shame that the Supreme Court, which should be impartial and unbiased, has been dragged into this political quagmire.
