Kenney claims Equalization has become unfair to Alberta. 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. You are welcome to republish this Policy Options article online or in print periodicals, under a Creative Commons/No Derivatives licence. 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. 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. Why does there seem to be such a dislike of Alberta/Albertan - Reddit That one defies logic and explanation. Confederation is hopelessly broken. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney meets Trudeau on Parliament Hill in May. He should try making that case in Calgary. Bernier said this practice makes the provinces look poorer than they actually are and games the system. It seems like a more benign entity now for being merely opportunistic in its pursuit of an ever-better deal for Quebec. 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. So did Donald Trump. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Sixty-three per cent of Manitobans also see Saskatchewan as a pal. But even if the province reverted to its old system, most Albertans would still pay more than . A rule that made sense a decade ago, when Canada was in recession, might not make as much sense today. Whether Alberta should return to a "flat tax" on income has been the subject of debate recently. More than a generation ago, Pierre Trudeau opted for a conventionalapproach to this dilemma. Right-wing extremist groups 'prevalent' across Canada, study warns That seemed a bit much. Super Bowl-winning athlete talks football, his medical career and the importance of skin care. Were not alone., RELATED:Encana doesnt want to be Canadian anymore, and Trudeau shrugs. You are either with Alberta or you're against it. Welcome to your #1 resource for answers to any question in the world about anything, answered by at least one Canadian. No one is talking about transitioning B.C.s forestry industry, despite the fact that the provinces forests are a major carbon sink. 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? If you earn $250,000 a year, you'll pay about $4,000 less in Alberta than in B.C. Quebec: Does anyone know what is required to get from Quebec to usa? Fred Youngs was a journalist for CBC News in Winnipeg, Calgary and Toronto. Alberta's income tax 'advantage' exists for the poor and the rich, but 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 At his rally, Downing anticipated this: Someone called us the Bloc Rednecois and thats okay. Though it seems the biggest bone both Alberta and Saskatchewan have to pick is with Quebec. Finally, there's one question that's not random, rare or fantastical: Why do so many Albertans so viscerally loathe Justin Trudeau? We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Another interesting discovery from the survey was what appears to be Alberta taking the reigns as the most resentful province in the country. Canadians entertained racist thoughts they wouldnt speak in public. Why are Albertans so mad? Everything you need to know - nationalpost All of this will be used as proof of the underlying logic of Wexit: that the liberal East looks down at you while it takes your wealth. Jason Kenney, the premier of Alberta, does not get such an easy ride. Except during federal election campaigns and big crises, 'politics' in Quebec means 'provincial politics' almost exclusively. bothered by it. 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. But, middle-income Albertans who account for the bulk of the population pay more than those in Ontario and B.C. 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%. 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. The top one per cent ofearners paid 31.5 per cent of the total income tax collected in Alberta that year. The Albertans truly believe that Quebec is the succubus province of the entire country. Yet Alberta isnt passing legislation like Bill 21, which would bar members of the public service from wearing religious garb. It's the politicians that are the problem, B.C. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Angus Reid. They look ugly. (Quebec's income tax rates, by comparison, start at 15 per cent.). THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. 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. The government of Canada notes that there is one circumstance in which it is proper to display the flag inverted: 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. But even if the province reverted to its old system, most Albertans would still pay more than people in B.C. And it should have sufficient funds say, $500 million a year to make an impact on the ground in that province. The oil price crash that continues to weigh on the economy was no politicians fault. The party that was founded as an explicitly separatist vehicle. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Calling BS: Newfoundlanders Are NOT the Country's - The Overcast When Kenney pins this decline on Trudeau, the East is not wrong to be a bit baffled. Access articles from across Canada with one account. 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.