tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14068948.post7835724555898998860..comments2024-03-10T04:16:27.797-04:00Comments on Lord Kitchener's Own: Tories still insist on messing with Ontario...Lord Kitchener's Ownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08348376638620272991noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14068948.post-21966814159142408602008-03-27T14:33:00.000-04:002008-03-27T14:33:00.000-04:00I just don't see the end-game here. What is the a...I just don't see the end-game here. What is the advantage for the feds in attacking McGuinty?<BR/><BR/>The only theory that resonates with this and everything else they've done, is they want to weaken the federal system to the point that the country breaks up to a loose association of provinces. Make Canada a mini EU. Its the only theory that holds up to scrutiny over this government's tenure.<BR/><BR/>There isn't a damn thing they've done to strengthen or unite the country, that's for sure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14068948.post-17926266440474353402008-03-27T13:52:00.000-04:002008-03-27T13:52:00.000-04:00Keep in mind too Sean that I'm not just talking "e...Keep in mind too Sean that I'm not just talking "equalization" I'm talking "federal transfers" too.<BR/><BR/>That "equalization" is "unequal" is the whole point, but things like the the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer are not doled out to the provinces on a per capita basis either. So even though 40% of the money doled out by the feds comes from Ontario (again, this is not just equalization), only a fraction of that is actually allocated for Ontario (although to be fair, the feds gave Ontario a top up on the CST this year to bring it up to the per capita norm, and have promised that Ontario will be treated equally on a per capita basis with reference to Health transfers... though not until 2014-2015). <BR/><BR/>So, for Health transfers from the feds today for example, Ontario gets much less per capita than most other provinces. This is not "Equalization", it's manipulating federal transfers outside of the equalization program to create "equalization plus". <BR/><BR/>So, many provinces get equalization, PLUS more money per capita in health and social transfers from the feds than Ontario does. Also, some provinces that don't receive "equalization payments" still effectively get "equalization" because they get higher levels of per-capita transfers from the feds for health and social spending than Ontario does. So, you can be a "have" province and still be subsidized by Ontario.<BR/><BR/>For example, if you look at Health and Social transfers from Ottawa to the provinces, Alberta gets about $1,754 in 2008/09 per Albertan, while Ontario gets about $1,683 per Ontarian (Quebec gets about $2,582 per Quebecker, the eastern provinces between 3,200 and 3,700 per person, while B.C. and Saskatchewan are also in the 1,600 range with Ontario). Again, all this is OUTSIDE the equalization formula.Lord Kitchener's Ownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348376638620272991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14068948.post-65163815576010288272008-03-27T12:50:00.000-04:002008-03-27T12:50:00.000-04:00Ah, I didn't know that Sean! Excellent. I think ...Ah, I didn't know that Sean! Excellent. I think B.C. is also now a giver, not a taker (or will shortly be). However, I usually still use Ontario and Alberta as examples because a) it's been those two for a long time, and b) I think they give significantly more than B.C. or Sask., even if both B.C. and Sask. are now "have" provinces.<BR/><BR/>Regardless, under almost any measure Ontario is most harmed by the nature of transfers. 40% of the money in the pile that Ottawa doles out to the provinces comes from the people of Ontario, and we get about 25% of the transfers from Ottawa. That difference is about $20 billion that leaves Ontario taxpayers pockets every year to be redistributed to the rest of the country by the feds. Even the other "have" provinces aren't contributing anywhere NEAR $20 billion a year to the "have nots".Lord Kitchener's Ownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348376638620272991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14068948.post-42093951207086162962008-03-27T11:36:00.000-04:002008-03-27T11:36:00.000-04:00Saskatchewan is also a recent addition to "have" s...Saskatchewan is also a recent addition to "have" status.Sean S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03144610271786881954noreply@blogger.com