Regional Divisions heat up in Canada as Scheer and Blanchet Go After Each Other

[AbsolutSurgen]

Blanchet started it on Wednesday:

Quote

Western conservative leaders are firing back at Yves-Francois Blanchet after the Bloc Quebecois leader said he had “no advice” for Western separatists looking to create “an oil state”.

“If they were attempting to create a green state in Western Canada, I might be tempted to help them,” Blanchet said Wednesday. “If they are trying to create an oil state in Western Canada, they cannot expect any help from us.”

Andrew Scheer followed up:

 

Maybe Andrew Scheer did not understand from the campaign that we should debate without insult.

I suggest reading the lectures of the leader of the CPC: Does Alberta pay for Quebec?

Quebec is not financed by Western oil.

(I apologize for my sketchy French translation).

 

There does not appear to be much common ground in the Canadian House of Commons.  It will be interesting to see how long it will be before the next election, which is increasingly looking like it will be very divisive.

 

 

[CitizenVectron]

The CPC (and UPC in Alberta) are playing a very dangerous game. They know that the time of oil is closing, and as a result the prosperity of Alberta and Saskatchewan. But instead of choosing to be pragmatic and adapt, they are doubling-down on oil (and religious conservatism). So they push the idea of separatism for AB and SK...even though it would make the problem worse. But it temporarily helps them in the polls by making QC and ON "the enemy." 

 

The CPC is also continuing to function as if they won the election, insisting that the only way to solve the unity crisis (which is created by their own messaging) is for all of Canada to give in to AB and SK's demands of increasing oil production and transportation...even though the actual market says there is no demand for it, and 2/3 of voters voted for parties that want to be more green.

 

There is no actual unity crisis except for what the CPC, UPC, and Russian bots are making...but it might work, unfortunately.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Which North American nation will dissolve first: the United States of America or Canada?!?

[AbsolutSurgen]

 

[CitizenVectron]

1 hour ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

 

 

But equalization isn't what Alberta wants people to think it is. All people in Canada pay the same amount of income tax (and other taxes) federally. This goes into a pool. In later years, the federal government provides transfers to provinces to top up services that need additional money, with preference going to places that are not able to fund services on their own due to economic hardship. Alberta is making it sound like money is being transferred from AB taxpayers to QC residents...but it's just general revenue that is the same as how we fund policing, roads, infrastructure, etc.

 

Also, even in the middle of the oil collapse, AB residents still have the highest incomes in Canada. You want to know the real fix for AB's problems? Increase taxes. Alberta has the highest wages in the country and the lowest taxes. They are the only province without a sales tax. Simply adopting a 2% sales tax (compared to 5-9% in other provinces) would balance their budget and provide enough money for massive retraining, industry incentives for retooling, etc. But the AB government doesn't care about the people of AB, they care about picking fights and making enemies so that they can get elected continuously and skim money off the top (look up "Toryland" in AB's history).

 

There is no doubt that AB and SK are hurting...but other regions have been worse off in the past and didn't make the same stink. Newfoundland lost 17% of it's workforce due to the fishery collapse in the 90s. Ontario lost 750,000 jobs in manufacturing after NAFTA that never came back. AB and SK are going to lose jobs due to the oil collapse. But there is nothing that can be done to make oil popular again when the market doesn't want it.

[mclumber1]

Canada is the Yugoslavia of North America.  It's only held together because a strongman runs it!

[Jason]

7 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

Canada is the Yugoslavia of North America.  It's only held together because a strongman runs it!

 

[AbsolutSurgen]

20 hours ago, CitizenVectron said:

 

But equalization isn't what Alberta wants people to think it is. All people in Canada pay the same amount of income tax (and other taxes) federally. This goes into a pool. In later years, the federal government provides transfers to provinces to top up services that need additional money, with preference going to places that are not able to fund services on their own due to economic hardship. Alberta is making it sound like money is being transferred from AB taxpayers to QC residents...but it's just general revenue that is the same as how we fund policing, roads, infrastructure, etc.

 

Also, even in the middle of the oil collapse, AB residents still have the highest incomes in Canada. You want to know the real fix for AB's problems? Increase taxes. Alberta has the highest wages in the country and the lowest taxes. They are the only province without a sales tax. Simply adopting a 2% sales tax (compared to 5-9% in other provinces) would balance their budget and provide enough money for massive retraining, industry incentives for retooling, etc. But the AB government doesn't care about the people of AB, they care about picking fights and making enemies so that they can get elected continuously and skim money off the top (look up "Toryland" in AB's history).

 

There is no doubt that AB and SK are hurting...but other regions have been worse off in the past and didn't make the same stink. Newfoundland lost 17% of it's workforce due to the fishery collapse in the 90s. Ontario lost 750,000 jobs in manufacturing after NAFTA that never came back. AB and SK are going to lose jobs due to the oil collapse. But there is nothing that can be done to make oil popular again when the market doesn't want it.

That is not Angus Reid's point, nor Andrew Scheer's.

 

Quebec is one of the biggest benefactors of the equalization program (where revenue is taken from income taxes and funneled to provinces with lower provincial income).  So, they in fact benefit tremendously from the success of the Alberta oil industry -- but are actively trying to prevent that oil from cheaply coming to market by blocking oil pipelines.  I believe the people in Alberta have a right to be upset about the NIMBYism being demonstrated by Quebecers in trying to block the pipeline (while simultaneously accepting equalization payments that are partially (or even significantly) driven by the success of the oil industry that needs the pipeline).

If Quebecers continue to demonstrate the same NIMBYism, one can understand why some Albertans would want to separate, keep their taxes in Alberta (instead of putting it into general revenue) and stop funding Quebec's social programs.

 

The solution to the present Alberta deficit is to increase taxes.  That, however, that won't solve the pipeline issue.

[CitizenVectron]

5 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

That is not Angus Reid's point, nor Andrew Scheer's.

 

Quebec is one of the biggest benefactors of the equalization program (where revenue is taken from income taxes and funneled to provinces with lower provincial income).  So, they in fact benefit tremendously from the success of the Alberta oil industry -- but are actively trying to prevent that oil from cheaply coming to market by blocking oil pipelines.  I believe the people in Alberta have a right to be upset about the NIMBYism being demonstrated by Quebecers in trying to block the pipeline (while simultaneously accepting equalization payments that are partially (or even significantly) driven by the success of the oil industry that needs the pipeline).

If Quebecers continue to demonstrate the same NIMBYism, one can understand why some Albertans would want to separate, keep their taxes in Alberta (instead of putting it into general revenue) and stop funding Quebec's social programs.

 

The solution to the present Alberta deficit is to increase taxes.  That, however, that won't solve the pipeline issue.

 

There is no solution to the pipeline issue. Oil prices are depressed and will remain so barring some alternate-universe-level twist. American oil expansion has lowered prices globally and has also decreased American demand for our oil. There is no market demand for a pipeline to the coast, that is why the government had to buy the pipeline. So what is the solution is no one wants our oil due to market pressures? Just have the government buy it at market+30% rates?

[chakoo]

I feel long term this plan is going to backfire on CPC/UPC. They’re gonna cock things up like ford did in Ontario, I mean they’re already doing that.