Kenney and Moe should turn off the taps....

[jazz]

Why isn't it refined right here in Alberta and then sold as higher value product? Create jobs and higher revenue would it not?

Two reasons, the risks on refining are 10 times what they are on extraction and shipping. Remote refineries don't have access to various feedstocks like they do in the central US. A refinery could be a 50B dollar expenditure or more.

Second, there are already refineries in the US who want it and are taking it. They can handle the risk cause they are so much bigger.

And lastly, the foreign customers like china want to refine it themselves and create jobs over there.

[the big wheel]

30 years ago I read in the western producer that BC was charging one million dollars a year taxes on one railway bridge. Perhaps the prairie provinces should use taxation to broker a better deal.

They have people that have brains we don’t we just cry how smart everyone has played us.
Kenney and Harper had the power to change the equalization they were a pair of weiners couldn’t figure out how to make it work so they sat there collecting their pay boasting how they represented us now they want to separate. Because they don’t have the brain power to our smart Quebec and that’s what it all boils down to

[6V53]

A gravity tax would be a good start. Goods heading east from the continental divide get taxed and goods (grain,oil and potash) heading West get a subsidy.

[chuckChuck]

They have people that have brains we don’t we just cry how smart everyone has played us.
Kenney and Harper had the power to change the equalization they were a pair of weiners couldn’t figure out how to make it work so they sat there collecting their pay boasting how they represented us now they want to separate. Because they don’t have the brain power to our smart Quebec and that’s what it all boils down to

The current equalization formulae was their design. Moe and Kenney didn’t press Scheer into talking about changing the equalization program in the campaign. They waited till after so they could use it for political reasons. If Scheer was prime minister there would have been little attention paid to equalization.

Pallister is on the receiving end. Moe grew up in a province that benefitted from equalization. If it wasn’t for the resource sectors and high incomes Alberta and Saskatchewan would likely be receiving benefits again. It sucks to be a have province!

[flea beetle]

The current equalization formulae was their design. Moe and Kenney didn’t press Scheer into talking about changing the equalization program in the campaign. They waited till after so they could use it for political reasons. If Scheer was prime minister there would have been little attention paid to equalization.

Pallister is on the receiving end. Moe grew up in a province that benefitted from equalization. If it wasn’t for the resource sectors and high incomes Alberta and Saskatchewan would likely be receiving benefits again. It sucks to be a have province!

Why not scrap equalization altogether? Let the population move around the country to where they are needed.

[Integrity_Farmer]

Equalization exists everywhere.

As an old RM councilor once said to me "we don't only gravel the roads close to the gravel pit because it is cheaper, we gravel all the roads"

We were in Tofino BC a few years ago and the Co-op store there had the same prices and the same sale flyer as in Sask.

Equalization applies to hydo and telephone rates in most provinces

[sumdumguy]

If it wasn’t for the resource sectors and high incomes Alberta and Saskatchewan would likely be receiving benefits again.

Don’t count on it. The East will find a way to screw us out of that too.

[blackpowder]

God forbid AB has the same rights within confederation as QC. That's the issue people.

I'm afraid this pipeline bs is obscuring the root problem. Thinking Kenney all talk.

[flea beetle]

Equalization exists everywhere.

As an old RM councilor once said to me "we don't only gravel the roads close to the gravel pit because it is cheaper, we gravel all the roads"

We were in Tofino BC a few years ago and the Co-op store there had the same prices and the same sale flyer as in Sask.

Equalization applies to hydo and telephone rates in most provinces

In the case of the gravel pit, the county is collecting the same tax whether it is 1 mile or 20 miles from the gravel pit. If they want to tax everyone the same, then they have to provide the same level of service (gravel) to everyone. If they want to tax you based on how far you are from the pit, then as long as the tax proportionately goes down the farther you get from the pit, I would be happy to pay the extra freight to get the gravel. But we all know that won’t happen. The county wants their tax dollars and will decide who and where gets the gravel in what year.

In regards to the co-op, did you happen to notice who had the bigger dividend to their customers at the end of the year? I am willing to bet that the freight was charged there. It was paid for, just not directly by the customer.

The same goes for hydro and telephone. The farther out you are, the shittier your service is, yet the farther person still pays the same rate as the person who is closer and never experienced any disruptions in service. It works both ways. Maybe it is more expensive to get it to the people farther out, but they also don’t receive the same level of service.

In any case, your examples aren’t apples to apples in regards to the equalization payments. We all are expected to pay the same federal income tax regardless where we live in the country. This is where your examples would be considered apples to apples.

But then the west is also expected to pay over and above that federal tax in equalization payments, and yet receive the same or less of the Tax kitty as any other province.

[flea beetle]

In the case of the gravel pit, the county is collecting the same tax whether it is 1 mile or 20 miles from the gravel pit. If they want to tax everyone the same, then they have to provide the same level of service (gravel) to everyone. If they want to tax you based on how far you are from the pit, then as long as the tax proportionately goes down the farther you get from the pit, I would be happy to pay the extra freight to get the gravel. But we all know that won’t happen. The county wants their tax dollars and will decide who and where gets the gravel in what year.

In regards to the co-op, did you happen to notice who had the bigger dividend to their customers at the end of the year? I am willing to bet that the freight was charged there. It was paid for, just not directly by the customer.

The same goes for hydro and telephone. The farther out you are, the shittier your service is, yet the farther person still pays the same rate as the person who is closer and never experienced any disruptions in service. It works both ways. Maybe it is more expensive to get it to the people farther out, but they also don’t receive the same level of service.

In any case, your examples aren’t apples to apples in regards to the equalization payments. We all are expected to pay the same federal income tax regardless where we live in the country. This is where your examples would be considered apples to apples.

But then the west is also expected to pay over and above that federal tax in equalization payments, and yet receive the same or less of the Tax kitty as any other province.

cricket, cricket

[tweety]

Brilliant idea but we are not subsidized like other industries and other countries have invested in their agricultural infrastructure.....Canada hasn't and continues to download the costs to primary producers....in happens nowhere else .....

Bucket, how many $ a year go to Canadian Agriculture in subsidies total including tax incentives?

[bucket]

Bucket, how many $ a year go to Canadian Agriculture in subsidies total including tax incentives?

Very little to the primary producer.........if you count the secondary industries like implement mfg and R&D .... then maybe more...but few to actual farmers....

[flea beetle]

Bucket, how many $ a year go to Canadian Agriculture in subsidies total including tax incentives?

And how many of those $ go to actual farmers?

[flea beetle]

Guess we had the same thought...

[sumdumguy]

Calgary Herald article, “How Alberta pays Quebec’s Bills”, states that Alberta in 11 years, has paid almost $240,000,000,000 (240 billion) to transfer payments, 1.5 X what Ontario and B.C. paid together. That sure sounds fair to me. (Sarc)