He left the CBC earlier this year. Alberta alone is still Alberta landlocked, and the solution won't be south of the border, because pipeline politics can be as tangled there as they are here. The survey also asked respondents if they thought that there might be one province in the Federation that gets more than they give by being a part of Canada, and the consensus overwhelmingly showed Quebec as that province even from Quebecois themselves. Whether Alberta should return to a "flat tax" on income has been the subject of debate recently. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. 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. That means half of Albertans earned less than that amount, and half earned more. A national media based primarily in the East seemed to declare the Bloc the only unmitigated winner in this federal election. 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%. If you earn $250,000 a year, you'll pay about $4,000 less in Alberta than in B.C. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Super Bowl-winning athlete talks football, his medical career and the importance of skin care. Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Pierre Trudeau appointed multiple senators from the West to his cabinet. Scan this QR code to download the app now. | Do you have something to say about the article you just read? Super Bowl-winning athlete talks football, his medical career and the importance of skin care. Why wouldn't someone from the Alberta government even an MLA with an hour of time to kill meet with Greta Thunberg in Edmonton? It seems like a more benign entity now for being merely opportunistic in its pursuit of an ever-better deal for Quebec. Alberta separatism has never really been taken seriously by anyone, because every time it's just some half-baked attempt to 'own the Libs'. If you view the province as a collection of regressive hicks whose only claim to wealth is that they were lucky enough to be born on valuable dirt, then it becomes very easy to decimate that wealth. It's the politicians that are the problem, B.C. Worryingly, from a national unity perspective, Canadas least favourite province is Qubec, the poll found, Top picks for different budgets, brands and other preferences. The NDP will never look after us. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. 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. It will take at least that much to contain Alberta alienation after this election outcome. Quebec: Does anyone know what is required to get from Quebec to usa? That was enough to attract the support of eight MLAs from the province. 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. Ottawa isnt going to give a bunch of rednecks a fair hearing, or a fair deal. (Of those, about 57,000 earned more than $250,000.). 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. But then so did Brexit. 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. Its Albertas fault that it has no one at the table in Trudeaus cabinet. Nefarious far-right conspiracies born in the dark heart of oil country, though never quite proven, are assumed. 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 . Confederation is hopelessly broken. I dont know if this separatist sentiment in AlbertaWexit, if we mustis something to worry about. Again, the most recent data comes from 2015. But even if the province reverted to its old system, most Albertans would still pay more than . No one in Alberta appears overly bothered by it. 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. If so, what is an Albertan meant to conclude from this? Yes, all the way back to the 1930's. Right now it has roughly 20-25% support, and we can all guess exactly which 20% that is. All rights reserved, But neither has Trudeau done much to ease fears or restore trust. are happy to take redistributed . There is a militancy to some of Wexits language and memestalk of civil war, for exampleand pictures of men in full military garb, that could foreshadow something darker and more violent. Pipelines have been an especially touchy subject for Western Canada, to say the least meaning Quebec's public stance against them was never going to go over well. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Hate hate hate hate. What would happen to Quebec and Canada if Quebec separated? Alberta heard not a peep from him when Encana announced last week that it would move its headquarters from Calgary to Denver. The only headquarters this government is passionate about preserving are the ones named SNC and located in Montreal, apparently. For example, Quebec and Manitoba have government-owned hydro companies and could artificially keep prices low. In 1957, the Liberals pushed through a trans-national pipeline to deliver natural gas from Alberta to central Canada after several years of delays, crises and complications. Thus began the modern era of Alberta alienation. 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. For now, Ill pass. There is a perception in the rest of Canada, outside of Quebec, that Quebecers are not close, are not interested, are not engaged, with the rest of the country.. Transportation is one of this countrys top greenhouse gas culprits, yet I cannot imagine Trudeau making a similar comment about southwest Ontarios car manufacturing plants, nor Quebecs aviation industry. After all, what good has that done? Please attribute the author(s) and mention that the article was originally published by Policy Options magazine. Monday morning, we are going to file our applications with Elections Canada for the official registration of Wexit Canada.. Our family lived in Calgary for more than 15 years before moving back to Ontario. Quebec Premier Franois Legault. 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. The provinces suffering is proper and righteous. But the fact that it gains any traction at all is a telling sign of the fear, frustration and anger in Alberta. That seemed a bit much. 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. They look ugly. Often they want to know what makes Albertans so irate and angry at just about everyone else in Canada, and, in particular, those of us in the now-fabled 905 area code. The former lacks even the veneer of democratic legitimacy, though it is constitutionally valid. Forty-four per cent of Quebecers consider Ontario a friend, but just 12 per cent of Ontarians feel that way about Quebec. 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. But even if the province reverted to its old system, most Albertans would still pay more than people in B.C. And it is undeniable that Alberta is ponying up more money than it receives from the feds and it certainly receives less than other provinces. 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. Bernier said this practice makes the provinces look poorer than they actually are and games the system. There are no easy answers to the questions that siege mentality raises. (Can't see the chart? Secondly, I would say that we should not let Justin Trudeau and his policies make us feel unwelcome in our own country. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. 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. 2023 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Whether Alberta should return to a "flat tax" on income has been the subject of debate recently. We simply dont want our little island ruined by the same thing that is going on in the rest of Canada. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Sure, they understand the province's frustration with B.C. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Once again, Albertans are going to see their own grievances reflected back at them through warped glass. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. But it is going to take more than a part-time sage like me or a full-time one, for that matter to come up with the answers. If Ontario and Quebec, with the first- and second-largest gross domestic products respectively among the provinces, can have their own federal agencies for economic development, so should Alberta, which has the third-largest GDP not to mention the biggest economic adjustment challenge of any province if Canada is to move down the path to the decarbonization of its economy. 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. 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Thats all you are.. And 77 per cent of Albertans say that Saskatchewans a friend; 75 per cent of them reciprocate that feeling. Here is how Rachel Notley could really take the boots to B.C. The indifference of the nation is justified. As if he needed the boost. But on one particular subject, at least amonga small group, I am the go-to person. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. That would be a virtual impossibility. from Ottawahe has been lambasted as a politician attempting to stoke that sentiment for his own political gain. 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. You can even find embryonic western separation movements cropping up in the comment sections of news stories about the equalization program. Where Alberta only feels they are close with Saskatchewan. 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. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. While Ontario and B.C. In October Pierre Trudeaus son Justin was re-elected with a minority government with no seats in the Prairies. Alberta is sometimes depicted as the author of its own misfortunesand the knock isnt entirely unfair. There is a militancy to some of Wexits language and memestalk of civil war, for exampleand pictures of men in full military garb, that could foreshadow something darker and more violent. Jen Gerson: 'Wexit' reflects a cartoon version of the province that other Canadians find easy to attackbecause it spares them the burden of self-examination, By Jen Gerson Through propaganda, many Albertans have come to see oil as part of their identities and it has led them to resist the diversification of their economy and adequate social safety nets, which is creating a feedback loop where the higher the unemployment and the worse their economic woes are, the more they blame liberals/leftists, the federal To this day the NEP retains mythic status in Alberta as the example of a central Canadian project inimical to Albertas economic interests. It may buy time for the Trans Mountain pipeline to be built, for economic conditions to improve, or for political tensions to ease. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. This province continues to offer high quality services and low taxes that keep it in thrall to resource royalties that are long gone and likely never coming back. The United Conservative Party, meanwhile, recently endorsed a return to a flat tax. 7. Most Albertansstill pay a 10-per-cent income tax rate, but those who earn more than $128,145 per year now pay 12per cent on earnings above that threshold. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. A friend described everyone from Ontario as assholes. Why are Albertans so mad? 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. Email us at:calgarytheroadahead@cbc.ca. A new poll released by theAngus Reid Instituteseems to have found the answer to Canada's most disliked province. Chief among them is Trudeau's Senate policy, which is founded upon nonpartisanship in the upper chamber, with no Liberal Senate caucus and no senators in the cabinet. Now that Alberta has been downgraded to a non entity do we still have to send billions in equalization payments? Kenney claims Equalization has become unfair to Alberta. 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. We need to phase them out. 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. 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. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Now, as did his father, Justin Trudeau must find a way to provide westerners with power. That is going to take time. The rate increases further, maxing out at 15 per cent on income above $307,547. People were way friendlier for instance. The differences are largely aesthetic and emotional. READ MORE:Netflix Canada Announces The Official Date That The Harry Potter Movies Are Coming. 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. Read more about cookies here. Low-income and high-income Albertans, meanwhile, enjoy the lowest taxes in the country. ago Favoured Alberta Son? Just one per cent of Albertans and two per cent of Saskatchewanians feel Quebec is friendly towards their province. Why would we give them what they want?. 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. 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 . I don't pretend to have answers or solutions. That and more apparently qualifies me in the eyes of friends and family to explain Alberta. (Can't see the chart? Perhaps the bigger issue with the program, however, is a rule established in 2009 by the Harper government, of which Kenney was a senior minister that links the growth rate of the transfer to nominal GDP. On the other end of the spectrum, about 950,000 Albertanshad incomes of less than $25,000. And, 21 per cent of Quebecers feel that way about their own province, too. And they are not of Alberta, but rather of Canada. Thus began the modern era of Alberta alienation. Editing the piece is not permitted, but you may publish excerpts. Please reach out right away and we can start ma. 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. If these statements seem insufficiently pro-Canada, I cant help but contrast the treatment Kenney gets to that of Yves-Francois Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois. 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. Meaning it might be time for Canadians to reconcile and hug it out. Ontarians aren't 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 don't consider any other province. That's a Federal Government problem, not an Alberta/Quebec problem. Still, the Atlantic provinces absent Prince Edward Island because the sample size was too small consider each other friends. Were not alone., RELATED:Encana doesnt want to be Canadian anymore, and Trudeau shrugs. All of this will be used as proof of the underlying logic of Wexit: that the. Except during federal election campaigns and big crises, 'politics' in Quebec means 'provincial politics' almost exclusively. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. I know what an oil boom feels like, and how it feels when it goes bust. In February, oil patch workers and Yellow Vest protestors set out from northern Alberta to demonstrate against Bills C-48 and C-69the latter dubbed the no more pipelines bill for its byzantine restructuring of the countrys regulatory process. The data definitely aligns with many Canadian's belief that Quebec is not particularly interested in the rest of Canada or engaged with the country. 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. Kenney created a "war room." It is very much a story of unrequited love in different parts of the country, said Kurl. Rather than shame the province out of the folly of separatism, I fear this will have the opposite effect. Souhaitez-vous ragir cet article ? For merely bringing up the fact that separatist sentiment in Alberta is on the risea trend apparent years before he returned to Midnapore from Ottawahe has been lambasted as a politician attempting to stoke that sentiment for his own political gain. 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. And, sure enough, Elections Canada forms are flying around the room. All was forgiven and forgotten. Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. Eventually, the questions wend their way to separation. I can't stand Harper. The gap between Alberta and B.C. The oil crash of 2014 and subsequent economic decline becomes a manifestation of divine justice. At the front of the dark, wood-panelled hall, a Canadian flag held aloft by two hockey sticks was displayed, inverted, on stage. We are cutting this parasite off from your wallets.. Or, at the very least, to greet the crisis playing out in this province with smug contempt. Could Alberta pull off a full-blown boycott of Quebec? Tax burden lowest in Alberta, Saskatchewan: Conference Board of Canada, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. The differences are largely aesthetic and emotional. iberal East looks down at you while it takes your wealth. Receive direct access to our top content, contests and perks. 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. The UCP government (and the NDP) need to face facts, Trudeau hates Alberta! 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. But an angry Twitter outburst aimed at Newfoundlanders because they voted for Liberals? 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. The Angus Reid Institute looked to answer that question with their most recent study, asking a random sample of 4,024 Canadians from all over the country to speak to their provinces relationship with the other members of the federation. (In that first year, the rate increased to 10.5 per cent for income above $125,000 and maxed out at 11.25 per cent on earningsabove $300,000.). 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. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney meets Trudeau on Parliament Hill in May. Its even chillier in New Brunswick, where just 13 per cent return Quebecs affection (40 per cent said they felt close with their neighbour). Having just won a commanding mandate from the province by articulating many of its lingering grievances, he can make a uniquely credible case for Canada. That's a matter of political debate. The differences in fiscal capacities among the provinces have narrowed since that time, yet this escalator has pushed up overall program costs from about $14 billion in 2009 to nearly $19 billion this year. The West wants out.. You are welcome to republish this Policy Options article online and in print periodicals. 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. Alberta, they explain, just should have voted for a Liberal party that hates it. As in the early 1980s, oil and gas is the flashpoint between Ottawa and Alberta. RELATED:The answer to Justin Trudeaus Western cabinet problem. Theyve been the subject of years of protests and exposs. (For those interested in the nitty-gritty details, these calculations include both the high-income surtax and the health premiums charged in Ontario as part of the income-tax system. It's the place for possibilities,amarketplace of ideas. But, middle-income Albertans who account for the bulk of the population pay more than those in Ontario and B.C. Ontario isn't friendly, Alberta resents everyone else and nobody likes Quebec: poll, 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? Given its ugly far-right antecedents, and the lack of any plausible path toward creating a land-locked prairie state, its hard to know whether western separatism is going to remain the sort of thing that more serious people will only discuss sub rosa. (Please note, if you will, that everything east of Manitoba is considered the East to me.). The Canadian Press, by Jason Franson. When Kenney pins this decline on Trudeau, the East is not wrong to be a bit baffled. It's around the $150,000 mark that Alberta returns to the lowest income-tax burden of all provinces. 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? 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. That does not mean that Albertans hate people from Quebec, it means that Alberta want to stop subsidizing Quebec when the Alberta economy is in trouble. 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. Theyre a scapegoat, a channel for all the guilt and anxiety that we. Here, we answer common questions and dispel some myths about the most resilient Alberta bogeyman. British Columbia, on the other hand, is the odd one out in the western clique: just 21 per cent of people in other western provinces say B.C. Then he stepped into his manic, prairie-carnival-barker patter: Everybody is behind this movement. They ask why it seems like the discussion always has to be a zero-sum game. Rather than shame the province out of the folly of separatism, I fear this will have the opposite effect. It's another example of you're with us or ag'in us. Justin Trudeau speaks on Canada Day. Finance Canada recently completed a review of Equalization but the government refused to make any substantive changes to the formula. It will take at least that much to contain Alberta alienation after this election outcome. Even Facebook online. Albertans were the largest proponent to their province getting the short end of the stick by being a part of the country though both Ontario and Saskatchewan thought the same about their own home turf. When Justin Trudeau forgot to mention Alberta during his Canada Day speech, aggrieved westerners reached for a familiar response to a slight from the East. But the most common target of this rally is, in fact, mainstream Conservative politicians; Kenney, Stephen Harper and Andrew Scheer, who oversaw the current equalization formula that is pulling out billions worth of revenues more than what Alberta receives in transfers and services. Top smartwatches to sport: Great options to track your fitness, Laurent Duvernay-Tardifsets sights on what's next, Top performing coffee grinders for the perfect morning cup, EXCLUSIVE: Vitamix introduces FoodCycler turning food waste into plant food, 5 high-performance blow dryers for all hair types, tap here to see other videos from our team. Robson Fletcher's work for CBC Calgary focuses on data, analysis and investigative journalism. Click here for a version that should work with your mobile device.). You can see how it all breaks down in the chart below. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Landlocking ourselves through separation is not a solution, he said. Shut down the oil sands and avoid the much harder questions about why they exist. It doesnt seem to be enough to perceive Albertans as wrong, or mired in a declining oil-and-gas industry that produces significant greenhouse gas emissionsthey must also be bad people. 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.
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