I think we already answered you several times. They already have, to all intents and purposes with the current discounts available to elites. A further consideration: Given the 50%+ premium of the US dollar over the Canadian one, AC's awards could be said to actually be cheaper than US ones, even at their new discounted levels.

A Hospitality Class ticket between YYZ and LAX might go for US$300 on a seat sale. This translates roughly to C$450. So you can say that AC's current award at 25K is actually worth 17.5K in UA miles. And the current discounted level of 20K is actually 12.5K in UA terms, thus AC is actually cheaper than UA, or any other US carrier.

Now I know some will say, yes but it takes more flying to earn AC miles since discoutned domestic fares only earn 50% mileage. But since this has been posted by a Europe-based FFers, I assume even discount miles earned will be at full value. And as we are talking for the most part US/transborder flights, such credits earned would also have been at full mileage.

I rest my case: AC awards are actually cheaper than UA, AA, DL, NW and the others!