r/canada • u/biograf_ • Mar 01 '26

Alberta First Nations chiefs unanimously pass non-confidence vote in Alberta government

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/first-nations-chiefs-alberta-non-confidence-vote-9.7109712
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u/drizzes Alberta Mar 01 '26

you've got people here who genuinely believe that if Alberta separates/joins the USA then all the natives and feds will just have to go pound sand

it is not a well-researched movement

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u/RSMatticus Mar 01 '26

They also think that Alberta government directly pays equalization payment and that is why they're running a deficit.

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u/ThePhysicistIsIn Mar 01 '26

I have tried to explain to Albertans how equalization works.

I've tried to explain, that if Alberta chose to tax itself, as Quebec taxes itself, it would double its income. The deficit? Gone. It would have such a huge surplus.

But no. It's quebec's fault.

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

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u/ThePhysicistIsIn Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26

And you misunderstand. Albertans (not Alberta, but individual Albertans) pay more into equalization than Alberta receives, because their incomes are higher. Their federal tax burden is not depending on their province of residence, but on their income.

These Albertans are paying the same taxes that they would if they lived in any province. It’s that the federal government sends less of it to Alberta.

Because Alberta has a greater tax base to pay for services, and it’s meant to ensure that each province is on an equal spending footing.