tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post4086220480638656143..comments2023-09-22T06:22:50.820-06:00Comments on Ken Chapman: Worth a Readkenchapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11384045981190810115noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-42557240090215752332007-03-18T17:13:00.000-06:002007-03-18T17:13:00.000-06:00eric at 6:46 - Equalization is not "quasi-enshrine...eric at 6:46 - Equalization is not "quasi-enshrined in the Constitution." <BR/><BR/>IT IS actually Part III Section 36 of the Constitutional Act of 1982. <BR/><BR/>Here is the exact wording:<BR/> <BR/>PART III<BR/>EQUALIZATION AND REGIONAL DISPARITIES<BR/> <BR/>Commitment to promote equal opportunities 36. (1) Without altering the legislative authority of Parliament or of the provincial legislatures, or the rights of any of them with respect to the exercise of their legislative authority, Parliament and the legislatures, together with the government of Canada and the provincial governments, are committed to <BR/>(a) promoting equal opportunities for the well-being of Canadians; <BR/>(b) furthering economic development to reduce disparity in opportunities; and <BR/>(c) providing essential public services of reasonable quality to all Canadians. <BR/> <BR/>Commitment respecting public services (2) Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation. (96)kenchapmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11384045981190810115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-2700856297658000242007-03-14T18:46:00.000-06:002007-03-14T18:46:00.000-06:00Exactly, the equalization has nothing to do with t...Exactly, the equalization has nothing to do with the GOA. Provinces cannot control this regime as it is quasi-enshrined in the Constitution. The issue of course is whether Alberta should get any equalization payments; Quebec gets billions each year and to what avail? They'll still swamped in debt with the lowest productivity ratio in Canada. The question is whether the government of Canada should interfere with the market to artificially boost the economies of some provinces or allow the market forces to run their course. It is not surprising that the far left would wholeheartedly agree with such a program.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-37904590731228691812007-03-14T18:00:00.000-06:002007-03-14T18:00:00.000-06:00The Equalization myth is always framed around the ...The Equalization myth is always framed around the old NEP myth and to the effect that equalization is somehow taking Alberta natural resource money and sending it to Ottawa. <BR/><BR/>The far right tries to make it look like a government to government forced transfer of Alberta natural resource wealth - a pure provincial jurisdiction - to Ottawa.<BR/><BR/>THAT IS NOT THE CASE. <BR/><BR/>Individual Albertan taspayers pay the same federal tax as their tax brackets dictate - just as any other Canadians, regardless of province of residence. Those are the federal funds that are used to pay the Constisutionally mandated equalization.<BR/><BR/>Albertan's don't receive equalization payment because we don't need it in order to afford a "equal" level of public services as do "have-not provinces.". <BR/><BR/>It is not a question of the difference between "Alberta" and the "government of Alberta." It is a question of individual Albertans as Canadians...nothing to do with the GOA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-76319232000616513262007-03-14T16:04:00.000-06:002007-03-14T16:04:00.000-06:00Invisible Dude: you mistate the facts. The combina...Invisible Dude: you mistate the facts. The combination of the Iranian revolution and the Iraq/Iran War resulted in crude oil prices more than doubling from $14 in 1978 to $35 per barrel in 1981. As a result of the rapid rise in oli prices the NEP was an attempt to stabilize costs for consumers in Alberta. Lougheed and the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party approved the NEP in August 1981, over glasses of champagne.<BR/><BR/>The world wide price of oil fell and by 1984, when Mulroney came to power, the price stability aspect of the NEP was unnecessary.<BR/><BR/>As the price of oil fell world-wide so did the Alberta tax revenues. The Alberta Progressive Conservatives were eager to point the finger somewhere else. There were no Liberal members of Parliament or MLAs from Alberta at that time. Blaming Ottawa and the Liberals was like shooting fish in the barrel. No contrary voice opposed the Alberta Conservatives. The finger pointing became myth and the CONs have dined out onthat myth ever since. <BR/><BR/>The CONs are fortunate that the Alberta voter is so apathetic and the Alberta media so compliant.<BR/><BR/>It is lazy politics for CONs now to dredge up this 27 year old myth. <BR/><BR/>Even Preston Manning, since 1992, has cried that Ottawa will brig in a carbon tax. Harper used that fear-mongering technique to great effect too. The irony is that Stelmach is the one that is introducing and there is virtually no peep from the voter or media. Apathy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-2128225479740958492007-03-14T06:49:00.000-06:002007-03-14T06:49:00.000-06:00Regarding the original post... that's the most bor...Regarding the original post... that's the most boring list of straw men I've ever seen.<BR/><BR/>Aptly-named Guy: <I>I have never heard an explanation how the NEP made the world wide price of oil drop.</I><BR/><BR/>It didn't, and I'm not aware of anyone ever claiming that. What it <B>did</B> do was was force Alberta to sell its oil <B>below</B> the world price (see below).<BR/><BR/>Ken: <I>Another stupid myth is that equalization takes resource money away from Alberta and gets gifted to Quebec. It doesn't - it merely uses federal taxes</I><BR/><BR/>Equalization takes money from all Canadian taxpayers (including Albertans) and gives to the poorer provincial governments (<B>not</B> including Alberta). Ergo, it takes money away from Alberta... unless you don't understand the difference between "Alberta" and "the government of Alberta".<BR/><BR/><I>THE BIG MYTH is that NEP happened but it did not destroy the Alberta economy. It might have but it was President Bush Sr. who dumped US strategic reserve oil on to the market and that collapsed the commodity prices. that tanked the Alberta economy before NEP could take hold. We changed governments before NEP was ever a factor and Mulroney dumped the NEP. More mythology that ignores facts but make good fodder for angst and angry politics who don cae to know the facts.</I><BR/><BR/>There's so much wrong with this paragraph, I'm not sure where to start. Let's see...<BR/><BR/>- The NEP was introduced in October 1980. The bottom starting falling out of Alberta's oil industry, real estate, and other sectors within <B>weeks or months</B>, while the international oil price crash didn't happen until 1985 or so.<BR/><BR/>- Bush Sr. didn't become President until 1989, over <B>eight years</B> after the NEP. I can't for the life of me imagine why you mentioned him at all.<BR/><BR/>- Canada didn't change governments until 1984, almost four years after the NEP. Plenty of time for it to "become a factor"...<BR/><BR/>- Alberta actually weathered the 1986 and 1998 oil crashes better than it did the NEP aftermath; how does that fit with your claim?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-47466097285586451032007-03-13T20:30:00.000-06:002007-03-13T20:30:00.000-06:00Baghdad bob. I think Albertans prefer a party tha...Baghdad bob. I think Albertans prefer a party that has 28 MPs from Albertan than ZERO (as well as party with no chance and, thus, no incentive to cater to AB interests).<BR/><BR/>It is true that the NEP did not in and of itself destroy the AB economy. However, what is equally clear is that the right to the resource revenues clearly falls under provincial jurisdiction. This is self-evident, but apparently not so to the LPC.<BR/><BR/>Screw the west, we'll take the rest is actually from Liberal campaign manager Keith Davey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-42048456441723663312007-03-13T16:49:00.000-06:002007-03-13T16:49:00.000-06:00Anon, the "Screw the west" expression was created ...Anon, the "Screw the west" expression was created by Conservatives to damage the Liberals. What is wierd is that Harper is taking the same approach to Alberta as the Liberals and Alberta is happy with it.<BR/><BR/>The fact is that Albertans are shockingly apathetic. If the Conservatives are for an idea it is okay. If the Liberals promote the same idea then it is eveil Ottawa screwing the west.<BR/><BR/>I have never heard an explanation how the NEP made the world wide price of oil drop. Of course, there is no explanation. It is a political fiction meant to get Albertans to hate the Conservative's rival.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-35243114226553471802007-03-13T07:55:00.000-06:002007-03-13T07:55:00.000-06:00Oberg doesn't matter if resource revenues are incl...Oberg doesn't matter if resource revenues are included in the formula IF AND ONLY IF the equalization funds get distributed on a per capita basis. <BR/><BR/>"Another stupid myth is that equalization takes resource money away from Alberta and gets gifted to Quebec. It doesn't - it merely uses federal taxes - that all Canadians pay equally within the same tax bracket - and redistributes it as per the formula."<BR/><BR/>Merely uses federal taxes and then distributes it as per the formula. YES AND ALBERTA GETS NOTHING UNDER THAT FORMULA. Essentially, the formula does not help Alberta financially; if we got rid of the formula, there would be room for an overall decease in the federal tax rate which would actually benefits Albertans.<BR/><BR/>Stating that Martin is a hero for creating the Gomery Inquiry is a little much. There was an elaborate kickback scheme that benefitted the LPC. The MINIMUM they could do is call an inquiry.<BR/><BR/>Defending the NEP, a program that violated the Constitution as it impugned a province's power over property rights, is not going to help the LPC cause in Alberta. Remember that the NEP program came with the saying "Screw the West, we'll get the rest."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-21097080003751814682007-03-12T21:35:00.000-06:002007-03-12T21:35:00.000-06:00He is pulling another rug out from under Boutilier...He is pulling another rug out from under Boutilier...who does not get anything about good governance and Alberta's role in Confederation, continentally or even intercontinentally. <BR/><BR/>Stelmach pulled the first rugs out on rebuttal of the Bad Boys of Confederation and Quebec Nation bleatings he made. Stelmach then udermined GB again by putting $400M into Ft Mc infrastructure when GB was constantly opposed to the Klein government meeting public infrastrucutre needs. Boutilier always insisted that industry and business do the government role. <BR/><BR/>Oberg gets it re equalization - it matters not to us in Alberta. The objection was built on a myth perpetrated by far right anti-Ottawa types (like Harper when in the National citizen's Coalition days) and then confused with ghosts of NEP and other crap -that never happened. Another stupid myth is that equalization takes resource money away from Alberta and gets gifted to Quebec. It doesn't - it merely uses federal taxes - that all Canadians pay equally within the same tax bracket - and redistributes it as per the formula. <BR/><BR/>Harper is gifting money to Quebec and Ontario these days like a Trudeau/Chretien Liberal. He does not need equalization to do that - even though it will pump $1B more directly into Quebec to boost Charest's last hope. Look for it to be announced in the Budget on March 19th.<BR/><BR/>So long as we use per capita based transfer payments with accurate population figures - and they don't use accurate figures and therefore Alberta's population growth does not get reflected in the transfer payments as it should. <BR/><BR/>Wait to see if Harper will do a new census as part of equalization and transfer payments to be sure we get our fair share. Do not hold your breath. <BR/><BR/>THE BIG MYTH is that NEP happened but it did not destroy the Alberta economy. It might have but it was President Bush Sr. who dumped US strategic reserve oil on to the market and that collapsed the commodity prices. that tanked the Alberta economy before NEP could take hold. We changed governments before NEP was ever a factor and Mulroney dumped the NEP. More mythology that ignores facts but make good fodder for angst and angry politics who don cae to know the facts. <BR/><BR/>Harper is a firewall guy and one who would let the truth be hidden if it served his political purposes. He may not lie like Dubya did over WMD in Iraq but he will obfuscate the truth to serve his ends. At least Martin called for the Gomery Inquiry even though he knew it would likely cost him the Prime Minister's office - which it did. That is character and governance. Have not seen that in Harper yet.<BR/><BR/>I have lots of earlier postings on this Blog about what equalization is and is not if you want to do some searching.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-85018300475758187472007-03-12T09:34:00.000-06:002007-03-12T09:34:00.000-06:00Hey Ken, what the devil is going on between Oberg ...Hey Ken, what the devil is going on between Oberg and the federal Conservatives. Alberta had long opposed resource revenues being included in the equalization calculation. Conservatives made a big fuss about opposing it during the Martin years (both of 'em!) and now Oberg is caving on this. <BR/><BR/>Why?<BR/><BR/>Is Oberg afraid of a showdown with Ottawa? I don't think so. It looks like it was an utterly manufactured fight to gore federal liberals. But now that HArper favours it, the Alberta PCs are falling in line.<BR/><BR/>Of course, this huge contradiction will pass without comment in our dismal media. Like was mentioned in a previous post, if Hitler had Albertans, he would'nt have needed to burn down the Reichstag.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-89302745914554590632007-03-12T09:22:00.000-06:002007-03-12T09:22:00.000-06:00Fanatastic post! How did the Christian right and R...Fanatastic post! How did the Christian right and Republican party get so messed up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com