Inequality
Ralph Klein has announced Alberta will opt out of equalization if Alberta's oil revenue is included in the formula.
My source in Klein's office has also let me know that Ralph Klein intends to opt out of the following as well:
-UNESCO
-The off-shore accord
-Canada's mission to Afghanistan
-The Ontario teachers pension plan
-The Treaty of Versailles
-The United Federation of Planets
UPDATE: Check out BBG for everything you wanted to know about equalization but were too afraid to ask. I must admit, I agree with his analysis.
My source in Klein's office has also let me know that Ralph Klein intends to opt out of the following as well:
-UNESCO
-The off-shore accord
-Canada's mission to Afghanistan
-The Ontario teachers pension plan
-The Treaty of Versailles
-The United Federation of Planets
UPDATE: Check out BBG for everything you wanted to know about equalization but were too afraid to ask. I must admit, I agree with his analysis.
posted by calgarygrit at
2:01 p.m.
31 Comments:
Out with a bang. Might as well leave a mess for the next Emperor of Alberta to mop up.
By
Omar, at 3:02 p.m.
It seems funny that he wants to violate the constitution by pulling out of equalization. Maybe the rest of the country should violate the constitution and put resources under federal control.
Also, in Star Trek History, Australia stayed out of the United Federation of Planets for awhile.
By
Concerned Albertan, at 3:10 p.m.
He's Crazy. The Ontario Teacher's Pention Plan rocks. We own almost everything.
By
S.K., at 3:17 p.m.
HAHAHAH.
Funneh. :)
By
Ryan Ringer, at 3:28 p.m.
k o - I don't even know how you pull out of equalization. It's a formula and Alberta doesn't pay a cent into equalization. I don't really see how Alberta can proclaim that they refuse to be included in calculations (should Harper decide to include them) since they don't really have a say in it. If anyone could give me some logistics for how you can pull out of equalization, I'd love to hear them.
More importantly, how did Australia stay out of the UFP?
By
calgarygrit, at 3:36 p.m.
He won't pull out. He is just doing that to pick a fight with the feds. Whenever he picks a fight with the feds, his numbers go up, so a smart political move in my view.
By
Monkey Loves to Fight, at 3:44 p.m.
Klein is going to buy the have not provinces and put their people on buses to BC. It worked once before.
By
Anonymous, at 4:05 p.m.
He was already asked once by this hour has 22 minutes if he was in New Brunswick to buy the Province. He walked away and said something insulting at the same time.
By
S.K., at 4:13 p.m.
Buy New Brunswick? Well, NB does produce more potatoes than PEI..or so my NB friends tell me.
Can we then further trade Bernard Lord to Nova Scotia for a ride on the Bluenose II?
By
JL, at 4:35 p.m.
withdrawing from the UFP is a dangerous move for Alberta to take.
Who else would we join? The Romulan Star Empire?
By
daveberta, at 6:27 p.m.
Haha, fools! Leave the Federation and the Cardassians will take over!
By
IslandLiberal, at 7:31 p.m.
We can do without the Federation, thank you very much. Let's get rid of that deadweight, i.e., the rest of Canada. No more handouts for losers.
By
George, at 7:48 p.m.
The United Federation of Planets?!?
Okay - now I know you're pulling my leg.
By
deaner, at 7:58 p.m.
No more handouts for losers.
And this from the peanut gallery of a 100 year old province who's only asset is oil. It certainly cannot export much else.
By
Omar, at 8:52 p.m.
And this from the peanut gallery of a 100 year old province who's only asset is oil. It certainly cannot export much else.
That kind of talk produces the interprovincial ill-will that we should all want to avoid.
By
IslandLiberal, at 10:33 p.m.
He was already asked once by this hour has 22 minutes if he was in New Brunswick to buy the Province.
I think it was Newfoundland. 22 Minutes is filmed in Newfoundland, no?
By
Yining Su, at 10:56 p.m.
That kind of talk produces the interprovincial ill-will that we should all want to avoid.
islandliberal,
Did you not bother to read the obtuse comment made by Werner Patels, M.A that prompted my comment?
By
Omar, at 11:21 p.m.
I think it was Newfoundland. 22 Minutes is filmed in Newfoundland, no?
yining,
22 Minutes is produced in Halifax, NS.
By
Omar, at 11:23 p.m.
Fair enough. I am wrong.
By
Yining Su, at 11:44 p.m.
I guess I was confused because so many of the cast are from Newfoundland.
By
Yining Su, at 11:58 p.m.
Newfoundland is confusing.
By
daveberta, at 12:43 a.m.
While the net effect of equalization amounts to a transfer of money from one province to another, the mechanism of equalization is that the federal government gives money to have-not provinces. Money that comes out of the general fiscal framework of the federal government, i.e. federal taxes etc. While the payments to provinces are based on a formula that uses data on provincial revenues, not one cent of equalization comes from provincial coffers, nor does it come from witheld federal transfers to provinces (sorry matt). it is a purely federal program funded purely by federal dollars. There is no way for a province to 'opt out' of equalization, barring a have-not province refusing the money and refunding it to the feds (like that would happen).
Not that Klein is per se wrong in opposing changes to equalization: Any enrichment of the program increaes the net fiscal contribution of Albertans and Ontarians, and so is against economic self-interest of residents of those provinces. But all he's doing when he threatens to 'pull out' is being a blowhard.
By
Ken, at 11:07 a.m.
How did Australia stay out of the UFP? Did they decide they didn't want to be part of earth anymore? Can a country really make that kind of decision?
By
daveberta, at 11:41 a.m.
Well, Australia stayed out of the United Earth Government that was set up following the third world war (aka nuclear holocaust). They weren't nuked to hell, and decided why should they help everyone else rebuild?
If my memory serves me right they joined the United Earth Government ten years after the United Federation of Planets was formed.
By
Concerned Albertan, at 11:50 a.m.
I did not know that.
Kind of goes along with that Flash cartoon where everybody gets nuked except Australia, prompting them to say "WTF, mate?"
Educational.
By
Jason Townsend, at 2:07 p.m.
What a proud day for the Alberta PC and Liberal Parties! Klein threatens to pull out of equalization and Kevin Taft says hooray.
Liberal Leader Kevin Taft also endorsed the position. "Who knows how it will end, but Ralph Klein is doing the right thing to stand up for Alberta," he said.
"Klein, is of his own kind!"
Apparently Klein has friends.
By
Brian C, at 2:50 p.m.
Has anyone seen this latest fiasco with the don Joe Volpe?
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060527/volpe_donations_060527/20060527?hub=Canada
By
Rav Mlait, at 1:58 p.m.
matt; equalization is paid out from the federal government and all provinces making less than the average get cash to bring them up to the average.
So if you included AB's resource revenue, it would raise the average and therefore the federal government would have to pay out more to other provinces to bring them back to the average.
So it wouldn't be AB neccesarily paying, but the federal government would have to pay out more, therefore cuting somewhere else.
Could all be a part of Harper's fiscal imbalance plan.
By
calgarygrit, at 1:09 p.m.
From the Star Trek wiki:
It is a common belief that Australia was the last state to join the United Earth Government in 2150, but Australia holding out was only used by Beverly Crusher as a hypothetical example when discussing the eligibility of the fractured planet Kesprytt with Jean-Luc Picard in TNG: "Attached."
By
The Invisible Hand, at 12:33 a.m.
Exactly. My question is where?
Wherever they want, I suppose. The rule would just dictate that the government has to give more money to the have-nots. The opportunity cost could be higher taxes, lesser tax cuts, reduced federal services, lower debt repayment, etc.
Thing is, we really wouldn't have any idea which one(s) it was, since (to continue the Star Trek theme) it's an "alternate timeline".
By
The Invisible Hand, at 1:59 a.m.
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