Schadenfreude and Equalization
I've been observing the firestorm over equalization payments with a certain degree of amusement. I didn't realize that Stephen Harper was part of the May-Dion coalition, but it appears that he too is willing to help work against Peter McKay's re-election by ousting Bill Casey from caucus and daring Nova Scotia to take the federal government to court.
The irony of all of this is that I have long thought that the Atlantic Accord was a terrible idea, and I thought Paul Martin was an opportunistic fool for making side-deals on equalization with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It is hard enough to get Alberta and Ontario to swallow the deal without creating additional loopholes to avoid allowing other provinces to graduate to "have" status. But Harper was a fool to promise not to touch the Accord, and so he's getting his come-uppance, and I'm delighting in his misery.
It's ultimately a case in electoral math, though. The Conservatives have very few seats in the Atlantic region, and seem to have decided to write them off as losses, in the hopes of more gains in Ontario and Quebec. I suspect though, that if Saskatchewan also turns on Harper, that all of this fighting with these provinces will prove to be a zero-sum game.
Labels: equalization, Nova Scotia, Stephen Harper
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posted by Matt @ 8:47 am
3 comments
3 Comments:
you're right! If there is an election this year we will get another minority government
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070612/liberals_lead_poll_070612/20070612?hub=Canada
Today's Decima poll. Note that the CPC is down in both Atlantic Canada AND Quebec.
Here is Harper's written promise. It has nothing to do with the Atlantic Accords.
http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2006/exec/01harper.pdf
Non-Renewable resources are nothing more than uncashed capital.Kinda like if your auto industry sold out and the profits were taxed or included in the equalization formula which by the way is only calculated for Social and Health equality for the federation it does nothing to build infrastructure or a provinces economy.IE remove the tax exemption.
By clawing back a provincially owned capital resource against the social and health transfers no have not province will ever become a have province and contributor to this federation at least on paper because NL contributes 4 times more per capita now to the GDP of this country than any other canadian.
The fact of the matter is canada is a systemically flawed democracy.It is more like the Empire of ontario and the colonies. In no way shape or form is there any equity amongst the provinces not in the HOC which I understand but the Senate and the Supreme Kangaroo Court of canada which has 3 judges from ON 3 from QU and 3from the colonies. Where are the morals ethics values standards and concerns of the other provinces being equally represented nowhere.
I don't blame harper nor do I blame Ontarians for not wanting the systemically flawed system to change because as it stands right now it is geared in their favor. But if canada is to continue to exist it has to change or cease to exist.
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