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On Monday afternoon, Saskatchewan’s trade minister told reporters he was actually scrapping the licence plate policy, not simply suspending it.

And then he declared victory. Really? Bonk suggested he had won the fight by getting Bilous to agree that Alberta would abide by a trade panel’s final ruling on the provinces’ beer war.

But when has Bilous ever said he would not abide by the ruling?

This whole fiasco seems to have been generated by Wall’s intense, if not irrational, dislike of an NDP government next door.

His government backed down Monday for two reasons — it faced a potential $5-million penalty if it lost the battle, and this is Wall’s last week as premier before he retires Jan. 27.

His cabinet didn’t want to continue this self-destructive melodrama without the main protagonist.

The Notley government is quietly jubilant with Monday’s turn of events — and with the prospect of Wall’s imminent departure.

“I’m not about to weigh in too much on the personality difference between Premier Notley and Premier Wall,” said Bilous. “My hope is the new premier (of Saskatchewan) will recognize that there’s more opportunity and more we can get done for the people of Alberta and Saskatchewan if we work together rather than try to take political cheap shots.”

Bilous pointed out this is the second time in the last 12 months Saskatchewan has backed down over a trade dispute. The first happened last March when the Wall government sent letters trying to entice Alberta companies to relocate to Saskatchewan.