After all, what good has that done? From a purely environmental perspective the arguments used against the oil sands can be deployed against these, too. In the 1970's, Trudeau created the National Energy Plan. That would be a virtual impossibility. How do you get Justin Trudeau to say Alberta?Quit paying equalization. Can it be fixed? READ MORE:Netflix Canada Announces The Official Date That The Harry Potter Movies Are Coming. And because the money comes out of general federal revenue, theres no way for Albertans to stop funding it short of refusing to pay their taxes. The Road AheadisCBC Calgary's special focus on our city as we build the city we want the city we need. That's quite a broad generalization! Even Facebook online. I just had to comment because long gone are the days of the nice Newfoundlander, and there is a good reason for that. 2023 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Why would we give them what they want?. from Ottawahe has been lambasted as a politician attempting to stoke that sentiment for his own political gain. Nevertheless, Trudeau should consider putting Equalization on the agenda of the next First Ministers Meeting to try to resolve some of these long-standing frictions and forge a stronger consensus on this key instrument of fiscal federalism. The top one per cent ofearners paid 31.5 per cent of the total income tax collected in Alberta that year. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. I have written before about the particular folly of Kenneys promise to hold a referendum on equalization, an exercise that will provide Albertans with little more than theatre. That's a Federal Government problem, not an Alberta/Quebec problem. But in the end, I tell them, it is a telling example of Albertans' belief that their economic might, their enterprise and their hard work have again been taken for granted by a Liberal government that promised to be different, open and inclusive. Landlocking ourselves through separation is not a solution, he said. If we want to discuss politics, that's another situation altogether. Once your province has cultivated a reputation for being a redneck backwater, well, thats a hard one to break. Sign up for our newsletter and get a curated list of the top Naturally, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba all stuck together, with Alberta and Saskatchewan seeing the closest bond of all provinces at 75% and 77% of respondents viewing the other province as especially close. An Albertan looking at equalization with the glass half-full might say the province's wealth, relative to the rest of Canada, means it's too rich to need help and that's a good thing. The protestors themselves, patch workers with little experience in political organization or communications, lacked the common sense or discipline to eject such people. What's even more surprising is that 21% of Quebecers actually agree! fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Trudeau needs an Alberta unity strategy if he wins, The rise of Albertas unapologetic petro-patriots, Encana doesnt want to be Canadian anymore, and Trudeau shrugs, Re-election means never having to say youre sorry, The answer to Justin Trudeaus Western cabinet problem, Why Jason Kenneys proposed referendum is so puzzling, The uproar over Unplanned, and Canadas messed-up politics, Albertas straight-talking, belligerent statesman launches his own era, Albertas election, and the ugly politics in store for Canada, What Alberta voters should know about Jason Kenney and the UCP. The rally began with a presentation that heavily implied that Canada is on the verge of a communist takeover; that the environmental movement is a front for a communist plot to establish some kind of one-world government. A friend described everyone from Ontario as assholes. More than a generation ago, Pierre Trudeau opted for a conventionalapproach to this dilemma. Instead, they recall Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer, who addressed the convoys rally in Ottawa, allegedly speaking at the same event as racist alt-right personality Faith Goldy. trending stories every day. (Please note, if you will, that everything east of Manitoba is considered the East to me.). Alberta heard not a peep from him when Encana announced last. Many Albertans circle this square with the assumption that Trudeau bought the pipeline to kill ita conspiracy that doesnt make much sense when you consider the expansion would be dead already if the federal government had done nothing. Part of it is a surname that reminds Albertans of a profoundly painful economic calamity at the hands of a previous Liberal government, one that was perceived to be out of touch and arrogant, and they sense the same thing today. You are either with Alberta or you're against it. Next, longtime provincial Conservative party organizer Craig Chandlerwho earlier this year was the campaign manager for Jason Kenneys Economic Development, Trade and Tourism Minister Tanya Firtook to the stage to shill for an Alberta First purchasing program encouraging residents to opt for products produced by their neighbours. Every Canadian Province Agrees That They Hate Quebec, seems to have found the answer to Canada's most disliked province, Canada's Provinces Were Just Ranked From Best To Worst & One Got Serious Flak, Alberta Was Ranked Canada's 2nd Least Favourite Province & Its People Are The Problem, These 9 Maps Divide Canada Differently Including By Who Hates Toronto, Ontario Is One Of The Only Provinces That Feels Respected By Other Canadians, I Live In One Of Canada's Least Favourite Provinces & Here's Why It Doesn't Deserve The Hate, A Surprising Amount Of Albertans Want To Separate From Canada, Canadians Revealed Which Countries Give Them Bad Vibes & 2 Spots Are 'Clearly At The Bottom'. Email: sxthomson@postmedia.com | Twitter: stuartxthomson. The government of Canada notes that there is one circumstance in which it is proper to display the flag inverted: as a symbol of distress. 'God help any federal leader whos trying to campaign on a united message because this is not a country that is feeling united'. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Were not alone., RELATED:Encana doesnt want to be Canadian anymore, and Trudeau shrugs. Rather than shame the province out of the folly of separatism, I fear this will have the opposite effect. With apologies to Anne McLellan, who was tapped to be an informal advisor on Alberta to the Liberals, this lack of representation seems solely a concern to people who live in Ontario. Tensions have been high between Canadas westernmost provinces, with Alberta and BC being at odds over the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project for the better part of 2018. Read more about cookies here. It is very much a story of unrequited love in different parts of the country, said Kurl. They do not include Medical Services Plan premiums in B.C., which are collected separately.). Here is alinkon how to do it. The Alberta agency should be headquartered in Calgary, the heart of the provinces business community. Its Albertas fault that it has no one at the table in Trudeaus cabinet. Ottawa isnt going to give a bunch of rednecks a fair hearing, or a fair deal. That one defies logic and explanation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Some suggest Justin Trudeau should do likewise today and bring an Alberta senator into his cabinet. It seems like a more benign entity now for being merely opportunistic in its pursuit of an ever-better deal for Quebec. For example, Alberta pulls in about $1,388 per capita, while Nova Scotia gets $3,243 per capita in federal transfers. The oil price crash that continues to weigh on the economy was no politicians fault. Equalization only accounts for about eight per cent of the discrepancy in money going to the federal government and money going back to Alberta, but it tends to draw most of the anger. No doubt some attendees were shocked by the sight of an upside down flag at the front of the room. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Hate hate hate hate. What would happen to Quebec and Canada if Quebec separated? In 2012, he said on Radio-Canada: I always say, if there came a point where I thought Canada really was Stephen Harpers Canadathat we were against abortion, against gay marriage, that we went backwards in 10,000 different waysmaybe Id consider making Quebec a country. From racists rooted out in bars in Brooks, Alta., to the the anti-Semitic ramblings of school teacher Jim Keegstra, whose firing helped form Canadas hate speech laws, to the anti-semitism within the early Reform Party, to Stephen Harpers alleged hidden agenda. This was brought in as part of the "flat tax" system that Klein introduced and has been maintained to this day, with increases for inflation. (Can't see the chart? The Wexit Facebook page now boasts about a quarter-million members and its founder, Peter Downing, took to the front of the room wearing an Edmonton Eskimos jersey and asked the crowd to remove those caps to observe a moment of silence for the Alberta workers who have committed suicide since oil priced dropped in 2014, and the province lost an estimated 150,000 jobs. The Green Party will definitely never look after us and now we see the Conservatives dont have our best interests in mind, said rally speaker Ambrose Ralph. Photo: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney delivers his State of the Province address to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce in Edmonton on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. At least, not yet. More than four in every five Albertans surveyed stated that Quebec was unfriendly towards their province, while views from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and even neighbouringOntario were around the same all at more than 50%. Answer (1 of 10): You tell me. Rather it seems like a chain of "unrequited love in different parts of the country" according to Shachi Kurl, the executive director of the Angus Reid Institute. : You cant make a choice between whats good for the environment and whats good for the economy.We cant shut down the oilsands tomorrow. | CBC News Loaded, Fred Youngs doesn't claim to be a sage, but on one particular subject, he's the go-to guy among his neighbours in the "905.". An Albertan looking at equalization with the glass half-full might say the provinces wealth, relative to the rest of Canada, means its too rich to need help and thats a good thing. Eventually, the questions wend their way to separation. Now as then, figuring out how to provide westerners with power in a government in which they have no elected representation is a major preoccupation in Ottawa. Ontario came a distant second, and the Atlantic provinces landed third overall. Thats all you are.. Quebec Premier Franois Legault. It may buy time for the Trans Mountain pipeline to be built, for economic conditions to improve, or for political tensions to ease. Thus began the modern era of Alberta alienation. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. I wouldnt be surprised to see Wexit morph, in the national subconscious, into a fever dream of white nationalist uprising. Alberta's income tax 'advantage' exists for the poor and the rich, but not those in between | CBC News Loaded. Saskatchewan, too, has raised issues around how Equalization is calculated, as has Ontario. Prince Edward Island was omitted from the chart due to too small of a sample size. In an election year, said Kurl, the complicated Canadian family makes it difficult for any party leader to campaign on a unified message. The movement will probably be riddled by alt-right wannabes, conspiracy theorists, and anti-immigration zealots. Off the top, separating from Canada seems like a very bad idea. We ask that you follow these guidelines. Pundits based in Toronto have responded to the last month's federal election results by offering reams of opinions explaining to Albertans why their current predicament is entirely their own . Finally, there's one question that's not random, rare or fantastical: Why do so many Albertans so viscerally loathe Justin Trudeau? Everything you need to know about the federal equalization program, Florida Panthers refuse to sell tickets to non-U.S. residents as Leafs move to second round, FIRST READING: The evidence against Trudeau's claim he didn't 'force' vaccination, Who is Alexandre 'Sacha' Trudeau? It will take at least that much to contain Alberta alienation after this election outcome. It feels too futilelike trying to explain an emotion (and a not-always-rational one, as is the way with emotions)to people who dont want to hear it. Sixty-three per cent of Manitobans also see Saskatchewan as a pal. The characature of "Albertan" means more to people here than the truth. Read more about cookies here. When regional development agencies were created in the late 1980s, the intent was for them to focus on have-not regions. Alberta, they explain, just should have voted for a Liberal party that hates it. I know what an oil boom feels like, and how it feels when it goes bust. Albertans hate people from Ontario. With lower prices, the two provinces take in less revenue and so receive more equalization money. When Kenney pins this decline on Trudeau, the East is not wrong to be a bit baffled. Shut down the oil sands and avoid the much harder questions about why they exist. After spending more than a decade reporting from Alberta, I have to confess that Im tired of trying to explain western alienation to the East. There are no easy answers to the questions that siege mentality raises. What the institute found was that many provinces saw a kinship with their border-sharing neighbours though there were a few exceptions. Flipping the tables found BC and Alberta actually at odds, with respondents seeing each the other province as less close or friendly towards their own. The only difference is that we are cutting the parasite of Eastern Canada off from our necks, Downing continues. Finance Canada recently completed a review of Equalization but the government refused to make any substantive changes to the formula. Robson Fletcher's work for CBC Calgary focuses on data, analysis and investigative journalism. Whether youre private sector, public sector, labour, youre the workers, youre immigrants, Indigenous communities again, for people from tight-knit communities, people who have to work three extra jobs, three extra jobs, and they get to keep more of their own money. Now, as did his father, Justin Trudeau must find a way to provide westerners with power. I could waste more time explaining the current equalization formula and its faults; delve into the decades-old constitutional arguments that affirmed provinces rights to their resource royalties, or discuss the respective greenhouse gas emissions intensity of various subtypes of crude, based on well-to-wheel measurements. That is going to take time. For one, its enshrined in the constitution that the government is committed to the principle of making equalization payments. Its tough to get around that. Nearly 40 years ago, in February 1980, Pierre Trudeau won a majority government with two seats in western Canada and none west of Manitoba. Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. The 40 per cent of earners above them paid 28.7 per cent of the tax. For example, Quebec and Manitoba have government-owned hydro companies and could artificially keep prices low. We could go back in time, to the National Energy Program, to 1905, to Frederick Haultain, to the doomed province of Buffalo; to the railways, the crow rate, and the robber barons of the East. That makes Alberta the best province, from an income-tax point of view, to be living on low income. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Western Diversification is mandated to support economic diversification but also acts as an important advocate for regional interests in Ottawa, both within the bureaucracy and, usually, through a responsible minister at the cabinet table. Ive seen a version of this play out in greater or lesser form again and again in reporting from Alberta. He appointeda number of senators from the West into his cabinet as ministers and ministers of state, to represent the interests of those provinces lacking Liberal MPs. Though the fact may seem hard to fathom to those in the East, a truly committed federalist has no better ally in Canada today than the premier of Alberta. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. November 7, 2019, The baseball caps were sold to the side of the rally at the Boot Scootin Boogie Dancehall last Saturday night. Whether its on here, or r/Canada, or r/BritishColumbia or any other non-Albertan sub. All facts for votersto consider, as another debate over income tax looms. Not only are Canadians surprisingly willing to throw theirleast favourite province under the bus, but it seems that a lot of Canadians also share the same feelings. And thirdly, I would say we have allies across Canada. Here's total per capita federal transfers to prov govts for 2016/17. The oil price crash that continues to weigh on the economy was no politicians fault. A key but often overlooked part of Alberta's income-tax system is the generous personal exemption that everyone receives. So did Donald Trump. The rate increases further, maxing out at 15 per cent on income above $307,547. The Ontario group, formed in fall . Bernier said this practice makes the provinces look poorer than they actually are and games the system. Baked into that moral calculus is an implicit political one: its a very fine thing to wipe an industry off the map in a part of the map that doesnt matter. There are various reasons why this approach either wont work or wont suffice this time around. Franco Terrazzano: Canadians are united. But then so did Brexit. Pundits based in Toronto have responded to the last months federal election results by offering reams of opinions explaining to Albertans why their current predicament is entirely their own fault. People were way friendlier for instance. Alberta is sometimes depicted as the author of its own misfortunesand the knock isnt entirely unfair. https://t.co/y03ojZNZv8. Forty years and another Trudeau later, Albertans feel they're still on the outside looking in at a moment when their future is under siege. A year later the Trudeau Liberals unveiled the infamous National Energy Program (NEP). So I suppose its not surprising that a convoy that left Alberta as a protest about pipelines arrived in Ottawa as a white nationalist vanguard. Conversely, the highest-income Albertans still pay the lowest taxes in the country, even with the progressive tax brackets the province recently adopted. Shut down the oil sands and avoid the much harder questions about why they exist. Secondly, I would say that we should not let Justin Trudeau and his policies make us feel unwelcome in our own country. In the interim until the Liberals can elect someone in Alberta one of the Liberal MPs from either Manitoba or perhaps the Territories could be an acceptable cabinet minister. Through its advocacy role with other departments in Ottawa, the agency could bring a distinct Alberta voice to many important issues, at various levels of discussion and decision-making. Then he stepped into his manic, prairie-carnival-barker patter: Everybody is behind this movement. Its invariably about which person will send the right message to a particular province or regions citizens to convince them that they will be heard in Ottawa. There is a moral component to which industries were choosing to transition. The oil sands are greenhouse gas intensive. Canadians are seen as friendly people on the international stage, but just how neighbourly are we with our fellow patriots across the country? But how many people does this actually represent? Thats our term for ourselves. But when people think of taxes, they often think first of income tax. A recent article in Vice noted that Downing, a former soldier and RCMP officer, had a history as a far right conspiracy theorist. Its hard to glean whether these are ambitious political organizers or keyboard warriors with delusions of grandeur. Welcome to your #1 resource for answers to any question in the world about anything, answered by at least one Canadian. The modern era of Alberta alienation began under Pierre Trudeau. The Three Percenters' private Facebook groups reveal the Alberta chapter has nearly 3,000 members, although the Vice report estimates only 150 to 200 are active. I can't stand Harper. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Still, the Atlantic provinces absent Prince Edward Island because the sample size was too small consider each other friends. Payments from the federal government to have-not provinces are based on their fiscal capacity, but wealthier provinces receive nothing. (Can't see the chart? And in the meantime, we have to manage that transition.. week that it would move its headquarters from Calgary to Denver. We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Alberta is also thought to have bought its own trouble because it didnt hoard its oil gains, Norway-style. Alberta, with its lower tax rates and lack of provincial sales tax, doesnt have the same luxury because the equalization program assumes the province could just raise taxes if it needed to. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. There is a moral component to which industries were choosing to transition. The oil sands are greenhouse gas intensive. At that point, Albertans pay about $1,200 more in provincial income tax than their neighbours to the west. Sure, they understand the province's frustration with B.C. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. If Trudeau wants to listen to the grievances of the West, he can pick up the phone and talk to anyone he likes. But it may also provide a pressure valve for separtist sentiment. It is very much a story of unrequited love in different parts of the country. We lived through the Klein years, the population surge, and the rise of an Alberta-based prime minister. Some Albertans look at per capita federal transfer payments equalization is just one and the massive amount of federal income tax flooding into Ottawa from Alberta, and believe theyre getting a raw deal. Its a sign of open disrespecteven war, in some places. The idea that Alberta is making payments into an equalization fund is a common misconception and probably generates a lot of the misplaced ire for the program. And there is no point in continuing to try to explain anger and alienation to people who do not want to hear it. EDMONTON Quebec is the least popular province in Confederation, according to new polling from the Angus Reid Institute. The gap between Alberta and B.C. Even still, the wild west ranked each other reasonably high on the charts, with BC coming in as third most close with Albertans, and Alberta landing as BCs number one (though, technically, none was BCs first choice). It was a move that produced nothing but recrimination. Why wouldn't someone from the Alberta government even an MLA with an hour of time to kill meet with Greta Thunberg in Edmonton? Except during federal election campaigns and big crises, 'politics' in Quebec means 'provincial politics' almost exclusively. One thing I have noticed is that people criticize Alberta a lot. Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. The idea was overwhelmingly approved by members of the newly formed party at their first annual general meeting. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. In his failed bid for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives, MLA Richard Starke said the province had to stop offering charity to the rest of the country when it had fiscal problems at home. that Downing, a former soldier and RCMP officer, had a history as a far right conspiracy theorist. Its hard to glean whether these are ambitious political organizers or keyboard warriors with delusions of grandeur. Absolutely. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Though overall if the data shows anything, it's that there aren't any two provinces that outwardly share the same love for each other.
