The system subsidizes jobs in seasonal industries, that is, at the expense of jobs in other industries.
Equalization
EI Reform – Please Let Me Opt Out
Down in Ottawa, the concept of EI reform is heating up. One reform I would like to see is allowing people to opt out of EI coverage and self insure. As both a farmer and a self employed business person, I strongly object to paying into that fund when it does not...
New Brunswick Needs Financial Reality and Leadership
Rather than focus on old, discredited explanations for New Brunswick’s poor economic performance, leaders must acknowledge the role that excessive federal subsidies play in underperformance.
Media Release – National Coalition on Federal Transfers Launched
An informal coalition of six not-for-profit and think tank organizations have agreed the issue of federal transfers to the provinces needs to be placed firmly on the national agenda.
Featured News
Time to Stop Lockdowns, Vaccine Mandates and Crushing Our Charter of Rights
If one was to discuss the state of the world’s democracies in September of 2019, it would look entirely different than it does today in 2022. Three years ago, Canadians generally thought that: our democracy was relatively strong and citizens would defend their...
Propaganda Rules the World
One of the greatest books that explain how the world works is Propaganda by Edward Bernays. The man dubbed “the father of public relations” applied the psychological ideas of his uncle Sigmund Freud upon the masses, triggering their basic motivations to the benefit of...
Selfish is Asking High-cost Provinces to Subsidize Low-cost Provinces
Any new call for more transfers from Alberta – or Saskatchewan, BC and Ontario – is misguided. Existing redistribution schemes are already flawed.
Province Bows to PM’s Bullying
Simply put, Wall and his government have allowed themselves to be bullied by Harper. The big brother has taken the little brother’s allowance, threatening him bodily harm if he dares tell mom.
Politics Of Provincial Selfishness Hurts Canada
Every federal state in the world has national wealth redistribution similar to our equalization and federal transfers to provinces for social and economic programs — including and most particularly, the United States. Wealth redistribution isn’t nation-building, they say. It’s welfare. Recipient provinces should be shamed and disgraced into pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps.
Conrad Black On Equalization: McGuinty Is Right To Demand Its End
Dalton McGuinty is right. And to the limited extent that regional economic inequalities should be addressed other than by market forces, it should be from the general revenues of the federal government. Some provinces should not have to pay Danegeld to others, with Ottawa, collecting, redistributing and taking perennial credit for national self-preservation.
How Ontario Gets The Federal Shaft
The fact Ontario and Alberta are contributing to the social services of Canada’s so-called “have-not” provinces, is a fact known to most. Ideally, the purpose of this contribution is to help other Canadians receive the same services Ontarians enjoy. However, this is not the case.
Not All Equalization Is Created Fairly
The have-nots never think they’re getting enough, while contributing provinces argue the money allows recipient provinces to run lousy fiscal policies. While equalization aims to ensure similar levels of government services in all provinces, it measures revenue, not expenditures.
Ontario Premier McGuinty’s Speech to the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce
Premier Dalton McGuinty outlines the flaws in Canada’s transfer payment calculations. An excerpt from his speech to the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce on May 8th.
Scrap Have-Not Grants: Premier
It’s time for a new fiscal arrangement, Mr. McGuinty said, and he is promising to soon unveil tactics to get the message through to the federal government.
‘Perverse’ System Cripples Province
Mr. MacKinnon believes equalization and the equally valuable federal system of regional subsidies are killing Ontario’s competitiveness.