Theyve been the subject of years of protests and exposs. Daily Hive is a Canadian-born online news source, established in 2008, that creates compelling, hyperlocal content. You can see how it all breaks down in the chart below. From the usual short-fused social media users to conservative leaders, its not hard to find anger in Alberta about equalization payments. Saskatchewan, too, has raised issues around how Equalization is calculated, as has Ontario. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. And 77 per cent of Albertans say that Saskatchewans a friend; 75 per cent of them reciprocate that feeling. 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. He did. 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. That subject is Alberta, and ever since the election and shutout of the Liberals in that province, family, friends and casual acquaintances have been asking variations of this: What's with Alberta? from Ottawahe has been lambasted as a politician attempting to stoke that sentiment for his own political gain. We have provincial governments who have got our backwere not isolated. Whether it's the place you grew up or a place you simply love to visit, every Canadian definitely plays favourites. And there is no point in continuing to try to explain anger and alienation to people who do not want to hear it. I had long chalked this up to habit. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney meets Trudeau on Parliament Hill in May. 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. But the fact that it gains any traction at all is a telling sign of the fear, frustration and anger in Alberta. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Ontario came a distant second, and the Atlantic provinces landed third overall. And what consideration is owed to a pack of hard-luck deplorables? To this day the NEP retains mythic status in Alberta as the example of a central Canadian project inimical to Albertas economic interests. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/7xbZlMfyk5. Except during federal election campaigns and big crises, 'politics' in Quebec means 'provincial politics' almost exclusively. 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? At best, it may prove to be a kind of political harm-reduction strategy, a pressure valve for separatist sentiment. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. 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. The Trudeaus and western alienation - Policy Options Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 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. 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. Well, I'm glad you asked. (Can't see the chart? Confederation is hopelessly broken. 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. 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. What's the deal with Alberta? | CBC News Its a sign of open disrespecteven war, in some places. We need to manage the transition off of our dependence on fossil fuels. Though it seems the biggest bone both Alberta and Saskatchewan have to pick is with Quebec. (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. 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. Monday morning, we are going to file our applications with Elections Canada for the official registration of Wexit Canada.. Here is alinkon how to do it. The Edmontonian spent nearly 30 years driving trucks all over Ontario and Alberta before coming to terms with what he called his "shame." "Some people, like, come out of college, university, they . 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. Sure, they understand the province's frustration with B.C. 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. and Ontario. Thus began the modern era of Alberta alienation. 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. Their taxes would be lower stillif the province were to revert to its flat tax system. is Canadas favourite province, but not because of the people, poll finds, 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. He sees the program as transferring revenue from Alberta taxpayers to governments in other provinces. But they also can hold two contradictory thoughts in their heads, and they don't doubt that Albertans in the energy industry need more help and support for whatever the future holds. Email us at:calgarytheroadahead@cbc.ca. 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. Please reach out right away and we can start ma. have lower tax rates at their bottom brackets (5.05 per cent and 5.06 per cent, respectively), their basic personal exemptions are also about half that of Alberta. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. 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. 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. This was the first year that the "flat tax" no longer applied in Alberta, but the progressive tax rates didn't escalate as quickly then as they do now. The top one per cent ofearners paid 31.5 per cent of the total income tax collected in Alberta that year. The Liberals will never look after us. To make matters worse, 53% of the Canadians in the study believe that Quebec takes more than it gives to the Confederation. Didnt he buy you a pipeline?. In fact, the equalization fund comes from general federal revenues and grows each year in line with the economy. Jason Kenney, the premier of Alberta, does not get such an easy ride. A year later the Trudeau Liberals unveiled the infamous National Energy Program (NEP). 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. Right-wing extremist groups 'prevalent' across Canada, study warns 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. (Can't see the chart? The latter is perhaps worse, though there is recent precedent for it. Me: Forget about it. But even if the province reverted to its old system, most Albertans would still pay more than people in B.C. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. In an election year, said Kurl, the complicated Canadian family makes it difficult for any party leader to campaign on a unified message. It seems like a more benign entity now for being merely opportunistic in its pursuit of an ever-better deal for Quebec. Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. (Please note, if you will, that everything east of Manitoba is considered the East to me.). I really believe at heart most Albertans are patriots, he said in a press conference delivered the day after the federal election. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. But the bust was inevitable and predictable. Politics in Alberta is weird, and we live in weirder times. Why are Albertans so mad? Everything you need to know - nationalpost The Canadian Press, by Jason Franson. Nor is it shocking that within the crowd were dyed-in-the-wool racists and white nationalists. I dont know if this separatist sentiment in AlbertaWexit, if we mustis something to worry about. Copyright 2023 Buzz Connected Media Inc. Daily Hive is a Canadian-born online news source, established in 2008, that creates compelling, hyperlocal content. But neither has Trudeau done much to ease fears or restore trust. If you forget about us, tweet after tweet from Alberta read, perhaps well forget about our payments to the equalization program. For merely bringing up the fact that separatist sentiment in Alberta is on the risea trend apparent years before he returned to Midnapore. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. (David Kawai/Bloomberg/Getty Images). Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Goldy had showed up uninvited and offered her own rants from a cherry-picker located a block away from the main stage. 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. Quebec: Does anyone know what is required to get from Quebec to usa? Perhaps Albertans would be more amenable to talking about this transition if this countrys commitment to climate change didnt seem so selective. 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. Even Facebook online. A recent Ipsos poll conducted for Global News found that roughly half of all Canadians entertained racist thoughts they wouldnt speak in public. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay, Rex Murphy and others. 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. A national media based primarily in the East seemed to declare the Bloc the only unmitigated winner in this federal election. 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 Road AheadisCBC Calgary's special focus on our city as we build the city we want the city we need. And it's generally true that Albertans pay less tax on the whole than other Canadians, when you add up all the different types of taxationthat all three levels of government throw at us. The gap between Alberta and B.C. 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. God help any federal leader whos trying to campaign on a united message because this is not a country that is feeling united.. Rather than shame the province out of the folly of separatism, I fear this will have the opposite effect. 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. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. (The values in the interactive chart now show provincial taxes minus the federal abatement.). Audience Relations, CBC P.O. 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 Most Albertans love Montreal, and many comment about how all the women are beautiful. grows as you approach $75,000. The NDP will never look after us. Once again, Albertans are going to see their own grievances reflected back at them through warped glass. Answer (1 of 10): You tell me. Nefarious far-right conspiracies born in the dark heart of oil country, though never quite proven, are assumed. 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.