Lorne Calvert and, now possibly Danny Williams, have decided to call Harper’s bluff and may sue over the new equalization formula. To me, it seems like Calvert’s holding a 2-7 off suit, because I can’t for the life of me see any sort of legal justification for his claim. Even if natural resources are a provincial jurisdiction, there’s no reason they can’t be included in the equalization formula.

More likely, the upcoming provincial election in Saskatchewan and Calvert’s sagging poll numbers are the catalyst behind this. However, after declaring the end of “the long, tiring, unproductive era of bickering between the provincial and federal governments”, having several provinces sue the federal government, certainly can’t be good optics for Harper.