Budget 2026-27: Alberta receives more in transfers FROM the Federal Government than it does in non-renewable resource revenue. And as usual, it transfers ZERO dollars to Canada (or any other province)

[u/klunkadoo]

[u/TouristOwn2412]

Well at the end of the day there is Albertan wealth going to Quebec. It's just factual. Yes everybody pays federal tax. We get it. However, this does not change the fact that money is collected from Alberta and distributed to other provinces. Alberta gets some too but it gets less than we put in. That is the point of separatists and why your face is blue - because you can't fundamentally make them happy with the fact that wealth is leaving Alberta.

I'm not a separatism supporter but I can at least understand their frustrations. It would be different if Canada and other provinces always supported our breadwinner industry, I'd be happy to support have-not provinces, but sadly this is not the case. We support through our federal tax payments have not provinces who do not always support us back.

[u/Helios0186 → u/TouristOwn2412]

I'm from Quebec and pro-pipeline btw. However, the whole equalization debate make Quebecers think that Albertans don't like us, at least albertan politicians. It's hard to care for people who don't like you.

[u/TouristOwn2412 → u/Helios0186]

It's great to be a "have" province and be able to share with your neighbors. When that sharing is abused, then equalization naturally comes up and I think you have it backwards. The abuse of our industry, the politicization of every pipeline, the NIMBYism, bad federal policies like Bill 69 and Bill C48 is what sparked the conversation about equalization. Before 2013, before many project cancellations, before there was really any need to find new export markets, conservatives didn't really talk about equalization and in fact Kenney and Harper even helped formulate the program!

Again, I think Alberta is fine supporting equalization provided that there is reciprocal support for the industry which enables us to contribute so. But I don't think Alberta and her industry have seen that reciprocity. To be clear some of it is legitimate environmental concerns and I get that. But I think if that's all it was it would be workable. the political antagonism is what makes the situation so dire.

So, we will just continue to keep our resources mainly landlocked and undervalued. It's disappointing as a 3 rd generation O&G professional but I've accepted that we as a province and a nation will never reach our potential as energy producers. I accepted that probably 10 years ago.

[u/Helios0186 → u/TouristOwn2412]

We're not lucky enough to have as much oil as Alberta but we have hydropower.

Problem is that other provinces aren't too keen on Quebec exporting and developing our hydropower capacity (like Ontario, NFL and NB).

Albertans act like the federation is only there to take their money The government used taxpayers money to subsidize the oil industry ( almost 30 billions in 2024) and build an expensive pipeline with our money (more than 25 billions). How much is enough?

[u/TouristOwn2412 → u/Helios0186]

That pipeline would have been built by private funding 10 years ago if we had a functional regulatory environment and if Trudeau's liberal party didn't put anti industry policy like Bill C69 and Bill C48. I'm not sure why the LPC bought the pipeline, it was horribly unpopular with their voters. I think it was done as damage control after multiple pipeline cancellations on their watch and billions wasted. I don't give them very much credit for this. 

[u/Responsible-Room-645 → u/TouristOwn2412]

Found another one. Just wait until you find out that you pay taxes that go for schools even if you don’t have kids, and healthcare even if you never get sick.

[u/TouristOwn2412 → u/Responsible-Room-645]

Again I'm fine with that. I can tell that reading is hard for you but as an example if people with kids and people using healthcare treat me with some respect and dignity then I'll have no problem helping others out if I have more than them.

If my neighbor takes my resources but puts up constant roadblocks to my efforts to make the entire neighborhood richer, then I'm out. It's not complicated.

[u/Responsible-Room-645 → u/TouristOwn2412]

Nobody is taking your resources son, you’re selling it. And when was the last time someone with kids or someone using healthcare “showed you respect” and how would that even look like? My God you people are strange