Alberta brags bad-boy attitude
Patrick_Ross @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:32 pm
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/polit ... 64&k=57727
$1:
Alberta brags bad-boy attitude
CALGARY -- Alberta is "the bad boy" of Confederation and will fight for its own rights as a nation, including a provincial immigration program and equitable treatment in Canada, the province's Intergovernmental Relations Minister Guy Boutilier said Friday.
His comments come as a leading expert on the so-called fiscal imbalance says Ottawa will likely release a framework to solve the federal/provincial funding feud by as early as February in the federal budget.
Boutilier's remarks also follow Alberta's new Premier Ed Stelmach's assertions in December that Alberta is its own distinct entity and will battle for the same rights as a Quebec nation.
They also indicate the Alberta government will stir things up on the national scene over the inter-provincial struggle for a new equalization formula and whether non-renewable resource revenues should be factored into the equation.
Boutilier said it's obvious Alberta is a "powerhouse" driving the national economy, and it's not afraid to ruffle some feathers as it fights for a fair deal with the provinces and Ottawa.
"We're kind of the bad boys of Confederation," Boutilier said. "What Albertans understand is this: they contribute immensely to this country of ours, but also we want to be able to benefit from it."
But Paul Boothe, an economics professor at the University of Alberta who recently helped oversee the equalization program for Ottawa, said the province is already reaping the rewards of its place in Canada.
Many of the workers who are driving the Alberta economy come from other provinces and have had their educations funded partially by federal equalization dollars paid to those jurisdictions to fund social programs.
"Confederation is working well for Alberta," Boothe said. "I'm not interested in Alberta being a bad boy. I'm interested in Alberta being a leader."
Yet, Boutilier said Alberta and other provinces and territories are owed the same rights associated with the Quebec nation, a distinction recently approved by the House of Commons.
"Each province is a nation within a nation," he said.
What exactly that title means is open for interpretation, Boutilier noted.
However, for Alberta, he said it could be a recognition that it deserves more immigration powers to address the mounting labour crunch, and that the federal government solve a fiscal imbalance that some provinces claim sees Ottawa collecting more tax revenue than necessary.
Albertans send $29 billion a year to Ottawa in federal taxes, but only receive back $17 billion in programs and services, according to the provincial government.
Critical for provinces like Alberta and Ontario, Boothe noted, is that the federal government move to per-capita health and social transfers. The current deal factors in tax points, which erode federal transfers sent to richer jurisdictions.
Provinces also are fighting amongst each other and with Ottawa over the makeup of a new federal equalization formula. The program, which is paid for through federal taxation collected across Canada, allocates cash to "have-not" provinces in order to provide comparable levels of services at similar levels of taxation.
A handful of reports have been published recently by the provinces and a federal expert panel on how to calculate the equalization formula. A major sticking point among premiers is whether non-renewable resource revenues should be factored into the formula, with Alberta and Saskatchewan some of the provinces fiercely against it.
Including resource revenues wouldn't affect provincial coffers, but would increase the equalization dollar pool funded by federal taxes.
With provinces unable to reach any sort of agreement on a formula, Boothe said it's likely Prime Minister Stephen Harper will unveil his own plan for the fiscal imbalance in a federal budget that could be released as soon as next month.
"If they can't reach consensus, what's the federal government to do?"he asked. "They've got to move ahead."
CALGARY -- Alberta is "the bad boy" of Confederation and will fight for its own rights as a nation, including a provincial immigration program and equitable treatment in Canada, the province's Intergovernmental Relations Minister Guy Boutilier said Friday.
His comments come as a leading expert on the so-called fiscal imbalance says Ottawa will likely release a framework to solve the federal/provincial funding feud by as early as February in the federal budget.
Boutilier's remarks also follow Alberta's new Premier Ed Stelmach's assertions in December that Alberta is its own distinct entity and will battle for the same rights as a Quebec nation.
They also indicate the Alberta government will stir things up on the national scene over the inter-provincial struggle for a new equalization formula and whether non-renewable resource revenues should be factored into the equation.
Boutilier said it's obvious Alberta is a "powerhouse" driving the national economy, and it's not afraid to ruffle some feathers as it fights for a fair deal with the provinces and Ottawa.
"We're kind of the bad boys of Confederation," Boutilier said. "What Albertans understand is this: they contribute immensely to this country of ours, but also we want to be able to benefit from it."
But Paul Boothe, an economics professor at the University of Alberta who recently helped oversee the equalization program for Ottawa, said the province is already reaping the rewards of its place in Canada.
Many of the workers who are driving the Alberta economy come from other provinces and have had their educations funded partially by federal equalization dollars paid to those jurisdictions to fund social programs.
"Confederation is working well for Alberta," Boothe said. "I'm not interested in Alberta being a bad boy. I'm interested in Alberta being a leader."
Yet, Boutilier said Alberta and other provinces and territories are owed the same rights associated with the Quebec nation, a distinction recently approved by the House of Commons.
"Each province is a nation within a nation," he said.
What exactly that title means is open for interpretation, Boutilier noted.
However, for Alberta, he said it could be a recognition that it deserves more immigration powers to address the mounting labour crunch, and that the federal government solve a fiscal imbalance that some provinces claim sees Ottawa collecting more tax revenue than necessary.
Albertans send $29 billion a year to Ottawa in federal taxes, but only receive back $17 billion in programs and services, according to the provincial government.
Critical for provinces like Alberta and Ontario, Boothe noted, is that the federal government move to per-capita health and social transfers. The current deal factors in tax points, which erode federal transfers sent to richer jurisdictions.
Provinces also are fighting amongst each other and with Ottawa over the makeup of a new federal equalization formula. The program, which is paid for through federal taxation collected across Canada, allocates cash to "have-not" provinces in order to provide comparable levels of services at similar levels of taxation.
A handful of reports have been published recently by the provinces and a federal expert panel on how to calculate the equalization formula. A major sticking point among premiers is whether non-renewable resource revenues should be factored into the formula, with Alberta and Saskatchewan some of the provinces fiercely against it.
Including resource revenues wouldn't affect provincial coffers, but would increase the equalization dollar pool funded by federal taxes.
With provinces unable to reach any sort of agreement on a formula, Boothe said it's likely Prime Minister Stephen Harper will unveil his own plan for the fiscal imbalance in a federal budget that could be released as soon as next month.
"If they can't reach consensus, what's the federal government to do?"he asked. "They've got to move ahead."
danikyvor @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:36 pm
Interesting.
It's hogwash though. Alberta doesn't need to be recognised as anything! I think it's ridiculous they're even pursuing this line of thinking.
Interesting factoid: Boutillier used to be the mayor of Fort McMurray. I've met him a few times. Very charismatic.
RUEZ @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:45 pm
dimoreien dimoreien:
Interesting.
It's hogwash though. Alberta doesn't need to be recognised as anything! I think it's ridiculous they're even pursuing this line of thinking.
Interesting factoid: Boutillier used to be the mayor of Fort McMurray. I've met him a few times. Very charismatic.
I tend to agree with you, however when Quebec was recognized as a nation I believe it opened a floodgate. I believe there are many places in Canada as distinct as Quebec. In fact Nunavut has it's own languages why not recognize it as a nation rather than another territory? Certainly Alberta is very recognizable as distinct with it's oil economy, cowboys, and rednecks. The only thing that really makes Quebec different is the language, well that and the arrogance.
It's hogwash though. Alberta doesn't need to be recognised as anything! I think it's ridiculous they're even pursuing this line of thinking.
Interesting factoid: Boutillier used to be the mayor of Fort McMurray. I've met him a few times. Very charismatic.
Scape @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:51 pm
RUEZ RUEZ:
...when Quebec was recognized as a nation...
Québécois not Quebec.
Clogeroo @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:54 pm
Of course this was going to happen. I think every province can and almost should become nations too or some could be a few nations by definition. Then everyone will be back to where we were. 
Is there any point of the House of Commons doing this? No, because it really means nothing and most people don't need to be told what they are or where they came from.
Bruce_the_vii @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:55 pm
It's sure is hogwash. The dropping out of non-renewable resources from the equalization formula would drop out the oil sands. Good thinking there Harper. Polls in Alberta have it that it's not unpopular to assist the rest of the country with oil money.
I noted an article about labour statistics from Alberta the other day and average wage provincially is up from $18.85 an hour to $18.86 an hour in the last 6 months. That's one penny. There is no inflationary pressure at all on Alberta wages provincially. Typically governments wil try to spend the penny though, in this case on immigration.
RUEZ @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:57 pm
Scape Scape:
RUEZ RUEZ:
...when Quebec was recognized as a nation...
Québécois not Quebec.
Alta_redneck @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:06 pm
Hell even Jean Chretien said we were a different sort of people. Of course he was trying to insult us but we took it as a complement. So if he thinks that, it must be true.
Mr_Canada old @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:37 pm
IT BETTER NOT SEPARATATE.
I was bloody born here. I'd like to be known that iw as born in Canada.
Oh, why, Why did my family move away from Cape Briton 40 or so years ago?!
God damn separatists.
hwacker @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:41 pm
Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:
IT BETTER NOT SEPARATATE.
I was bloody born here. I'd like to be known that iw as born in Canada.
Oh, why, Why did my family move away from Cape Briton 40 or so years ago?!
God damn separatists.
I was bloody born here. I'd like to be known that iw as born in Canada.
Oh, why, Why did my family move away from Cape Briton 40 or so years ago?!
God damn separatists.
Uh, maybe cause they had no job.
Scape @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:13 pm
RUEZ RUEZ:
Scape Scape:
RUEZ RUEZ:
...when Quebec was recognized as a nation...
Québécois not Quebec.
It does change what Harper meant. I understand what your saying and I am not one to be a grammar Nazi but this is an important point that is being glossed over. You don't see the Nunavut with the 2nd official language in Canada or with the 2nd largest ethnic population do you? Campbell's notion to have 1st nations in BC nominated as a nation in Canada has more weight that either of yours but even they do not meet either of those criteria. As such no flood gate has been opened, the sun will rise tomorrow.
danikyvor @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:14 pm
Alberta won't separate. They'll never separate. For all the hot air they blow, they're making too much money and have too much going for them to separate. It's in their interests to stay part of Canada. If they separate, they no longer will be able to rub the surplus into the rest of country's nose, or the lack of pst 
camerontech @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:25 pm
Is it only Ontarians that care about CANADA as a whole before anything else?
RUEZ @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:35 pm
camerontech camerontech:
Is it only Ontarians that care about CANADA as a whole before anything else?
They are the center of the universe.
Bruce_the_vii @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:38 pm
People care.