A party that treats its major industry as a font of dark oil money funding the Conservative party and a network of sympathetic media outletsa position no less cynical or conspiratorial than the anti-communism hysteria generated in the West. But an angry Twitter outburst aimed at Newfoundlanders because they voted for Liberals? Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels. The oil crash of 2014 and subsequent economic decline becomes a manifestation of divine justice. 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 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. We need to phase them out. But then so did Brexit. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Attendees line at the bar to put their names and addresses to paper so Wexit can collect the necessary minimum 250 signatures required to start a new federal political party. That would be a virtual impossibility. We lived through the Klein years, the population surge, and the rise of an Alberta-based prime minister. No province can unilaterally strip the equalization principle from the Constitution, and the referendum threatens to expose a discontent with Confederation that it cannot possibly relieve. The 40 per cent of earners above them paid 28.7 per cent of the tax. What to know about the PM's brother, Federal government reaches agreement for a new wage deal with striking workers, Jamie Sarkonak: Censorious Liberal attempt to block news article shows why they want to control the internet. The movement will probably be riddled by alt-right wannabes, conspiracy theorists, and anti-immigration zealots. So did Donald Trump. From a purely environmental perspective the arguments used against the oil sands can be deployed against these, too. Read more about cookies here. I wouldnt be surprised to see Wexit morph, in the national subconscious, into a fever dream of white nationalist uprising. Hate hate hate hate. What would happen to Quebec and Canada if Quebec separated? Perhaps Albertans would be more amenable to talking about this transition if this countrys commitment to climate change didnt seem so selective. Low-income and high-income Albertans, meanwhile, enjoy the lowest taxes in the country. We could talk about macroeconomic oil demand, the unemployment rate, the economic argument for pipelines like the Trans Mountain expansion; Bills C-69 and C-48, the oil price differential, the public purses dependence on oil and gas royalties. The point isnt to deny that kooks and racists live in Alberta, nor to litigate which province is most racist, but rather to note that the stereotype serves a particular political function. There are various reasons why this approach either won't work or won't suffice this time around. If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is. Eugene Lang is assistant professor at the school of policy studies at Queens University. We have enabled email notificationsyou will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. It's silly to say that all people in one province have strong feelings about all people in another province. If you earn $250,000 a year, you'll pay about $4,000 less in Alberta than in B.C. B.C., along with the other two most popular provinces Quebec and Ontario, feels isolated: 43 per cent of British Columbians say they dont feel any other provinces are close or friendly, that number is 41 per cent in Ontario and 30 per cent in Quebec. Email: sxthomson@postmedia.com | Twitter: stuartxthomson. It was a move that produced nothing but recrimination. But I have a perspective and thoughts about where the frustration and anger come from that was formed from my time in Calgary, and by a brother-in-law in Red Deer who never misses a chance to remind me how important the oil and gas industry is to Ontario's economy. Even where theres some love, its unrequited by Ontarians. He's French. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Angus Reid. Ginned up, the crowd chants: The West wants out. If we want to discuss politics, that's another situation altogether. There is a moral component to which industries were choosing to transition. The oil sands are greenhouse gas intensive. In the 1970's, Trudeau created the National Energy Plan. This is typically expressed by income percentile, and those at the very top pay by far the most, per person. Here's total per capita federal transfers to prov govts for 2016/17. Canadians feel about our greenhouse-gas intensive lifestyles. As you can see from the interactive graph below, Alberta's highest-income earners carry a higher proportion of the tax burden than those in Ontario or Canada-wide. Alberta's income tax 'advantage' exists for the poor and the rich, but not those in between | CBC News Loaded. The attendees are mostly white; at least one has shown up wearing a Harley Davidson jacket patched with a Confederate flag, but there is as much Eddie Bauer in the room as leather. And, sure enough, Elections Canada forms are flying around the room. That assumption emerged from Quebec's past attempts at an independence referendum. As you can also see from the interactive chart (by comparing the yellow and blue columns) the advantage for high-income earners would increase with a return to the flat tax. Sixty-three per cent of Manitobans also see Saskatchewan as a pal. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. There are various reasons why this approach either wont work or wont suffice this time around. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Our work is not to make federalism work, Blanchet said in his election-night speech, shortly after so many praised him for being so polished and articulate in the debates. There are lots of good reasons for that. If he doesnt want to listen, no amount of representation will make a difference. And there is no point in continuing to try to explain anger and alienation to people who do not want to hear it. Sorry, PEI. How much are these payments Alberta is making? He was senior producer and executive producer for CBC Newsworld (now CBC News Network) in Calgary from 1991 until 2006. The modern era of Alberta alienation began under Pierre Trudeau. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. The West wants out.. Off the top, separating from Canada seems like a very bad idea. Payments from the federal government to have-not provinces are based on their fiscal capacity, but wealthier provinces receive nothing. 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 . I have no doubt that Wexit is siphoning some of the far-right populist fuel that keeps websites like Reddit and 8Chan blinking with discontent well into the early morning hours on weekdays. He is a senior fellow with the, Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, Trinity College, University of Toronto. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay, Rex Murphy and others. That makes Alberta the best province, from an income-tax point of view, to be living on low income. Trudeau bought the TMX line though the purchase offered absolutely no electoral benefit to himself or his party. So, between a government they hatenot dislike, but hatea slump in oil prices, real challenges attracting investment, and a sense that Quebec, Ontario and B.C. About 178,000 people in Alberta reportedindividual incomes of $150,000 or more in 2015, the most recent year for which detailed data is available. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Sure, they understand the province's frustration with B.C. Alberta is also thought to have bought its own trouble because it didnt hoard its oil gains, Norway-style. Welcome to your #1 resource for answers to any question in the world about anything, answered by at least one Canadian. 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. In an election year, said Kurl, the complicated Canadian family makes it difficult for any party leader to campaign on a unified message. Whether its on here, or r/Canada, or r/BritishColumbia or any other non-Albertan sub. It's the place for possibilities,amarketplace of ideas. Ottawa isnt going to give a bunch of rednecks a fair hearing, or a fair deal. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. The other big part of the story is the resentment of Alberta, which is also especially significant in terms of Albertans feeling not particularly close to any province other than Saskatchewan, said Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute. 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. The delays included resistance from Albertans who weren't sure they had enough material to sell East and a preference to sell to the United States. I don't pretend to have answers or solutions. Premier Jason Kenney has become one of the most hated leaders in modern Alberta history, according to a new poll by ThinkHQ. The characature of "Albertan" means more to people here than the truth. A friend described everyone from Ontario as assholes. 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. We simply dont want our little island ruined by the same thing that is going on in the rest of Canada. Shut down the oil sands and avoid the much harder questions about why they exist. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. In this case, the Angus Reid Institute found that the most disliked province was none other than Quebec. The green left has been leading a campaign to landlock our energy. It isnt calling for a values test for new immigrants. At that level, Albertans pay more than both Ontarians and British Columbians. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Quebec Premier Franois Legault. The only headquarters this government is passionate about preserving are the ones named SNC and located in Montreal, apparently. I just had to comment because long gone are the days of the nice Newfoundlander, and there is a good reason for that. Kenney created a "war room." Where Alberta only feels they are close with Saskatchewan. He did. Souhaitez-vous ragir cet article ? 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. It's the politicians that are the problem, B.C. Even Facebook online. 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. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau forgot to mention Alberta during his Canada Day speech on the weekend, some aggrieved westerners reached for a familiar response to a slight from the East. The reason for the negative reviews about Quebec according to the poll is due to an average of only 5% of Canadians believing that the province is "close with or friendly" to the province they reside in. Facing a massive budget shortfall in the wake of the 2015 oil-price crash, the short-lived government of Jim Prentice introduced plans to kill the flat tax, but never passed the legislation before his Progressive Conservatives were defeated by Rachel Notley'supstartNDP. He did. Super Bowl-winning athlete talks football, his medical career and the importance of skin care. Whether it's the place you grew up or a place you simply love to visit, every Canadian definitely plays favourites. The differences are largely aesthetic and emotional. Hate is an understatement. That means half of Albertans earned less than that amount, and half earned more. No doubt some attendees were shocked by the sight of an upside down flag at the front of the room. Canada's right-wing extremist movement is a motley crew of white supremacists, anti-government "sovereignists" and pro-militia crusaders who, despite being disorganized and prone . The reason for the negative reviews about Quebec according to the poll is due to an average of only 5% of Canadians believing that the province is "close with or friendly" to the province they reside in. Just more than one-third of all Canadians believe Alberta gives more than they get to Confederation, while 16 per cent believe Saskatchewan does, too, followed by Atlantic Canada and Ontario, tied at 15 per cent. Alberta has subsidized Quebec for decades. A similar kinship was seen between the Atlantic Province, though Alberta was also in the mix as one of New Brunswick . You can even find embryonic western separation movements cropping up in the comment sections of news stories about the equalization program. We are a country in which proximity or geography may or may not play a role in how close we feel to each other, very much depending on the other factors at play, Kurl explained. They look ugly. 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.). As in the early 1980s, oil and gas is the flashpoint between Ottawa and Alberta. Our family lived in Calgary for more than 15 years before moving back to Ontario. Ive just noticed that Albertans (online and even when you talk to them in RL), they seem to hate Qubec alot and will also blame a lot of things on Qubec. And, 21 per cent of Quebecers feel that way about their own province, too. Nearly 40 years ago, in February 1980, Pierre Trudeau won a majority government with two seats in western Canada and none west of Manitoba. Next to pipelines, the thing Alberta Premier Jason Kenney seems to want most is a concession on Equalization, the program that redistributes $19 billion in federal revenue from richer to relatively poorer provinces, to ensure comparable levels of public services can be delivered across the country. That's a matter of political debate. There is an attempt, here, to prise the iron-grip loyalty of the crowd, not just from the country, but from the conservative voting habits that have sustained the province for generations. The program intends to make sure provinces are providing comparable services across the country, but more often it is a political talking point. This year, about $18 billion will be doled out to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, with $11 billion going to Quebec alone. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. The oil price crash that continues to weigh on the economy was no politicians fault. So, what do they ask? iberal East looks down at you while it takes your wealth. When we hear different premiers talking about wildly different competing priorities or pointing out a sense of lack of parity or unfairness around certain issues, that is something that is very much in alignment with what people in their own provinces are thinking, said Kurl. There are a variety of factors to consider, The Eco 5 launches in Canada today reduces volume of food waste up to 90 per cent, The best in budget-friendly, lightweight and dual-action hair dryers, 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. Some suggest Justin Trudeau should do likewise today and bring an Alberta senator into his cabinet. Are you considering a Move to Alberta? Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Why wouldn't someone from the Alberta government even an MLA with an hour of time to kill meet with Greta Thunberg in Edmonton? Get email updates from your favourite authors. Tax burden lowest in Alberta, Saskatchewan: Conference Board of Canada, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. 2023 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. When Kenney pins this decline on Trudeau, the East is not wrong to be a bit baffled. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Alberta, they explain, just should have voted for a Liberal party that hates it. By comparison, the bottom 50 per cent paid2.3 per cent of the income tax. We arrived in Calgary well after the devastation of the National Energy Program, but we heard our friends' stories of lost jobs, lost houses and lives lost to suicide. So if the PM 'forgets' to mention Alberta in his speech, can we 'forget' to send equalization payments? 57% of Albertan respondents saw BC as unfriendly towards their own province, while 47% of British Columbians though similarily about their neighbours to the east. Would this restore the "Alberta tax advantage" of the Klein era? When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Most Albertans love Montreal, and many comment about how all the women are beautiful. RELATED:Trudeau needs an Alberta unity strategy if he wins, Were announcing, right now, a watershed and a new reality in Canadian politics. There are random questions. That was enough to attract the support of eight MLAs from the province. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. 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. 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). Super Bowl-winning athlete talks football, his medical career and the importance of skin care. Albertans hate people from Ontario. READ MORE:Netflix Canada Announces The Official Date That The Harry Potter Movies Are Coming. 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. Kenney claims Equalization has become unfair to Alberta. A similar kinship was seen between the Atlantic Province, though Alberta was also in the mix as one of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundlands favourite. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. The NDP will never look after us. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Kenney has promised to hold a referendum on Equalization if the program is not changed to reduce the unfairness he perceives in its design. 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. '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. Let me ask: if you lived in a country where a plurality believed resource royalties more properly belonged to the nation as a whole rather than the province, how tempted would you be to save it? Their taxes would be lower stillif the province were to revert to its flat tax system. The polling, drawn from an online survey of more than 4,000 Canadians across the country who are members of the Angus Reid Forum, a group of survey respondents, also says that a primary criticism from residents in Alberta and Saskatchewan, is that they dont benefit in proportion to whats provided to the rest of the country, as discontent over equalization payments bubbles up. My personal favourite is the do-they-really-believe-that question, as in: Do Albertans really believe that the Liberals would spend $4.5 billion to buy a pipeline only to kill it? Whether Alberta should return to a "flat tax" on income has been the subject of debate recently. and Quebec over pipeline opposition. 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. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay, Rex Murphy and others. Franco Terrazzano: Canadians are united. 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. Me: Forget about it. The oil price crash that continues to weigh on the economy was no politicians fault. This goes a long way back to the corrupt and irrational politics of Alberta. Ontarians arent fond of anyone; Alberta is the province most-liked by Ontarians, but only 28 per cent of them hold that affection; and 40 per cent of Ontarians dont consider any other province to be particularly close to them. Why are Albertans so mad? Alberta is sometimes depicted as the author of its own misfortunesand the knock isnt entirely unfair. 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. Source:National Post,Angus Reid Institute. And it should have sufficient funds say, $500 million a year to make an impact on the ground in that province. The only difference is that we are cutting the parasite of Eastern Canada off from our necks, Downing continues. The transformation that took place while it was travelling across the Prairies was so complete that few now remember that the convoy was not some kind of white nationalist uprising. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. 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. A national media based primarily in the East seemed to declare the Bloc the only unmitigated winner in this federal election. But neither has Trudeau done much to ease fears or restore trust. and. Bernier said this practice makes the provinces look poorer than they actually are and games the system. One thing I have noticed is that people criticize Alberta a lot. There is at least one major politician in this country who has publicly expressed a desire to separate from Canada if he didnt get his way politically. In fact, the equalization fund comes from general federal revenues and grows each year in line with the economy. Secondly, I would say that we should not let Justin Trudeau and his policies make us feel unwelcome in our own country. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Confederation is hopelessly broken. If you have a favourite, you also likely have a least favourite - whether you realize it or not. If Canada seems a little less alarmed by the prospect of a thriving Bloc, perhaps its because we can sense that the actual threat to Confederation posed by the party has passed. But the bust was inevitable and predictable. Narcity Media Inc. Quebec is getting no love in this recent study that shows which provinces Canadians love and hate the most. I know my values very well, even if I no longer recognized Canada.. As news of Alberta's relaxing restrictions spreads across the country, people in Ontario are starting to call upon the provincial government to close off our borders to anyone from that province . Here is alinkon how to do it. Have an idea? Unlike people in the rest of the country, who were subject to progressively higher tax rates that increased with income, Albertans paid the same rate a flat 10 per cent regardless of how much money they made. This isn't necessarily shocking, considering Quebec's Premier Franois Legault publicly stated "no social acceptance for a pipeline that would pass through Quebec territory." No one in Alberta appears overly bothered by it. Seventy-one per cent of those in New Brunswick, for example, look fondly at Nova Scotia and 51 per cent of those in Newfoundland and Labrador look at Nova Scotia as a friend. Around $100,000, Albertans pay less than Ontarians but still more than people in B.C. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. And there is no point in continuing to try to explain anger and alienation to people who do not want to hear it. This gives a sense of how many individuals fall into each income category, but there's another measure that Statistics Canada also tracks the share of total tax paid. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Does it even need to be fixed? And what consideration is owed to a pack of hard-luck deplorables? The survey, part of a four-part series on western Canadian identity, found that, on average, just five per cent of Canadians outside Quebec believe that Quebec is close with or friendly towards their own province; whats more, 53 per cent believe that la belle province takes more from Confederation than it gives. 7. Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. Here, we answer common questions and dispel some myths about the most resilient Alberta bogeyman. That is why we are rude to you, we don't want you here, nor do we want your modern problems that you have on the mainland. Not because I am some political seer, but because I know where Bridgeland is in Calgary, how glorious Kananaskis is, and how treacherous Highway 2 can be in the winter. Eventually, the questions wend their way to separation. RELATED:The answer to Justin Trudeaus Western cabinet problem. The phrase "Alberta tax advantage" figured heavily into thebudget introduced by Ralph Klein's government in the year 2000, which made income-tax reform a key plank. 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. by Eugene Lang. Click or tap on the tabs below to switch between jurisdictions: In a nutshell, Albertansacross the income spectrum pay less tax on their earnings than people in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The idea was overwhelmingly approved by members of the newly formed party at their first annual general meeting.
Southern Baptist Deacon Handbook,
13/52 Urban Dictionary,
Kelly's Roast Beef Tartar Sauce Recipe,
Laminate Flooring Shims,
Ahsoka Tano Midichlorian Count,
Articles W