Stelmach throws down the gauntlet on equalization.

[HeresyLives]

Alberta to chase feds on equalization


One day after shuffling his cabinet, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach is signalling a confrontation with the federal government over equalization.

Stelmach has put his new finance minister, Ted Morton, in charge of negotiating with Ottawa to update the equalization deal because he says it doesn't work for Albertans.

Alberta pays a lot more money in federal taxes than it receives, yet the province is criticized for its vast energy wealth, which helps many other Canadians, said the premier on Thursday.

"Especially after the discussion at Copenhagen, where much of the criticism was placed on this province, and yet our contribution — this last economic downturn, the worst year since the 1930s — was well over $21 billion and that cannot continue and we have to have that discussion in Canada," Stelmach said to reporters in Calgary

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/01/14/alberta-equalization-cabinet-stelmach-morton-liepert-oil.html

[DRex]

1. By "Albertans," Stelmach means "Oil Companies..."

Watch for the Albertan's royalties from the oil companies to be attacked next.

All this amounts to is Stelmach trying to help certain rich friends dodge their taxes, The only reason Alberta pays more in taxes is because it makes more. They are not taxed at a higher rate than anywhere else by the federal gov't. It's attempted tax evasion with the Premier's help. A rich PEI resident pays more for equalization than I do, as a poor Alberta resident.

Of course, in practice, Alberta puts more into the coffers of federal gov't than does PEI, of course, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't contribute our fair share.

Why, after all, should these oil companies not be allowed to dig up half of Alberta in search of the dirtiest oil on the planet without having any obligation to the people of Alberta or Canada generally? It's their right to make billions and billion without having to share it with anyone, isn't it?

The greed is incredible.

[HeresyLives]

2. They always use the words 'per capita'.

As in Albertans pay more 'per capita' than anyone else.

Meanwhile Ontarians kick in $20B, with only a slight discount of a few million this year, and there's not a peep.

[DRex]

4. Right, and that says a lot...

about who is actually complaining here. Would Stelmach take on the feds for Albertans, or would Stelmach go to war for Oil companies? Who does he really listen to? Not me.

It's always the people who can really afford to part with the money that complain the loudest.

[HeresyLives]

6. Trouble is when bust turns into boom,

they complain just as much as they do when they need a hand.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[daleo]

5. Alberta politics

When in doubt, attack the feds. It doesn't matter that Harper and Stelmach are nominally in the same party. I think the Harperites are probably leaning towards the Wildrose Party, anyway, as they will be even more accommodating to the oil industry than the Alberta Conservative Party, and that's saying a lot.

[Spazito]

7. Stelmach is in BIG trouble here and so he plumps his feathers...

and is gonna take on the 'big guys', yeah, right. The right is now split in Alberta and it looks like the Stelmach faction is not doing well ergo "tough talk" needed.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[JBoy]

9. LOL. You're trolling in the small pond. The big league action is over in General Discussion.

[Spazito]

10. Damn I love our mods!

You people are awesome! As for the troll, you didn't make it past 4 posts!


:rofl: