Welcome to Lead Not Leave: a team of academics, policy wonks, political activists and journalists forging a practical path forward for our fellow frustrated federalists.
Sorry but I don't see how this will be successful without tons of aggrieved whining and stamping of feet - I don't see a single reference to Trudeau OR the NEP!
Life is for the living. A great many humans have come and gone in 40+ years. If separatists are still aggrieved about policies from that long ago, they really need to learn to move on with their lives!
Do tell that to the people and businesses who lost everything. Perhaps if you had lived their lives you might not be able to get on with yours,, I suspect.
Is the entirety of Alberta's well-being seriously that contingent upon one specific potential pipeline? Does nothing else matter on a question of separation?
The intentional stifling of the industry that is by far Alberta's largest is quite important. If the federal government had limited the auto industry or hydroelectricity in Ontario or Quebec, those provinces would doubtless make a real end to those limitations a litmus test.
What astonishes me is the federal government's fanatical commitment to throttling oil and gas. From where I sit in Toronto, it seems insane to endanger the integrity of the country over climate policy which can have no practical impact whatsoever.
I question if the MOU is getting its traction because of the level of separation. Alberta will never be able to lead with a minority stake in the parliament and Senate. I hope this groups starts educating the rest of Canada on what would happen if Alberta leaves, currency death spiral, huge tax increases etc. We need less “Hey Alberta” if you leave your going to have to work talk and more holy crap we are going to hurt even more if they leave talk.
Yes the next 5 months are going to be messy, will the Oct Referendum bring an end to issue -NO.
While some, maybe even most, strongly question how & why we are on this path at all but to someone like me a right leaning Albertan of 72 years it is the culmination of years of anger & frustration with the relationship and the treatment we have received from the most of the ROC throughout the decades. The list is long and includes items from culture to economics.
But I would ask all of you to not just focus on the "where are we now" but look much deeper into what I call the "Root Cause" of how we got here.
For the ROC now is the time to really try & understand the deep rooted frustration many Albertans have and hopefully see that yes there is something here and yes maybe we have been negligent in the way we have treated you & taken you for granted.
Don't just talk about your desire for us to stay in Canada you need to start a TRUE process of recognizing our concerns & actually doing something to address them. For example:
-congratulations Quebec, Ont & BC you were blessed with green Hydro -we weren't so should we freeze?
-my guess is because 95% plus of Albertans can't speak fluent enough French we can never be considered of a senior political or bureaucratic post -is this right?
I could easy list another 10 of these irritants but you get my drift.
So ROC is now the time to step up & make meaning changes to address this long simmering list of issues. All for now. Let the games begin.
Well, I hope to see real policies that have a hope of effecting real positive change instead of just more of the same tinkering around the edges for fear of alienating those who are currently enjoying systemic favouritism.
A lot of people in Alberta complain about provincial transfers/equalization. Here's a radical policy suggestion I've made here before:
What if ... instead of sending money to provincial governments, the federal government sent money to PEOPLE, using a negative income tax basic income (no, not a livable income, people still need to understand individual responsibility), so that those people who really needed it, got it, and those who didn't, didn't.
And to help pay for this, provincial transfers/equalization would be cancelled. And to offset the loss of these funds, provinces would no longer responsible be for personal welfare.
What would happen is that the tax rates in Quebec and the Maritime provinces (not including NL) would have to go sky high to offset the loss of equalization payments, whereas not so in the rest of the country.
THAT to me is proof positive that the current provincial equalization scheme is not fair.
Welfare should be a program based on personal circumstances, not governmental ones. Giving welfare to governments is a recipe for waste. We're living it now.
If the tax bases of the Maritime provinces are too small to support their governments (as the loss of equalization proves), then it seems to me that the obvious logical conclusion is that they should either amalgamate or scale back their governments drastically. It should be clear that their geographical size reflects 18th-19th century communication and transportation limitations that simply aren't applicable to 21st century realities.
Frankly, I wonder what the point of having provinces is anymore, because it seems to me that they're mostly just a reflection outdated social (tribal) attitudes that some people still haven't managed to shake off yet.
I think there is no incentive for equalization changes if you are a have-not province. I expect it won't be long before we hear calls for have-not provinces to get off equalization.
I find it somewhat revealing (and a little annoying) that a province with 12% of the Canadian population, that contributes 15% of Canadian GDP, is getting 90% of the Line's attention. As someone who has lived and worked for a short time in Alberta, I do know what would solve this; no one from Alberta should be allowed to participate on this committee nor belong to any "separation movement", without living in another part of Canada first. That would perhaps change the frame of reference and bring about a more reasonable and measured discussion by all parties.
The Line covers national issues and regional issues all over the country. Currently Alberta stories are impactful to the national conversation.
I do agree that living in another part of the country is informative for a broader world view, but disallowing lifelong Albertans… perhaps elevate the conversation. Which is exactly what Lead not Leave is working to do.
2. I see no Eastern Laurentian names on the list ( read: Federal Liberals).
3. The MOU is political theater at best: between BC, aboriginal buy in and a massive Carbon Capture boondoggle, we may as well just admit that all pipelines will run south.
Welcome initiative, thanks for doing this.
Sorry but I don't see how this will be successful without tons of aggrieved whining and stamping of feet - I don't see a single reference to Trudeau OR the NEP!
Absolutely critical because the NEP is still living memory for boatloads of Albertans - like Gen X who grew up under it.
Life is for the living. A great many humans have come and gone in 40+ years. If separatists are still aggrieved about policies from that long ago, they really need to learn to move on with their lives!
Do tell that to the people and businesses who lost everything. Perhaps if you had lived their lives you might not be able to get on with yours,, I suspect.
When the MoU doesn't lead to any new pipelines, will you admit that reconciliation with Canada has failed?
Or is that a can that can be endlessly kicked?
Is the entirety of Alberta's well-being seriously that contingent upon one specific potential pipeline? Does nothing else matter on a question of separation?
The intentional stifling of the industry that is by far Alberta's largest is quite important. If the federal government had limited the auto industry or hydroelectricity in Ontario or Quebec, those provinces would doubtless make a real end to those limitations a litmus test.
What astonishes me is the federal government's fanatical commitment to throttling oil and gas. From where I sit in Toronto, it seems insane to endanger the integrity of the country over climate policy which can have no practical impact whatsoever.
Thank you for doing this. We need and want Alberta in Canada.
A very credible team! Go Team!
I question if the MOU is getting its traction because of the level of separation. Alberta will never be able to lead with a minority stake in the parliament and Senate. I hope this groups starts educating the rest of Canada on what would happen if Alberta leaves, currency death spiral, huge tax increases etc. We need less “Hey Alberta” if you leave your going to have to work talk and more holy crap we are going to hurt even more if they leave talk.
Please let me know what I can do to help.
Sad that you have to do this, excellent that you do. I support.
Yes the next 5 months are going to be messy, will the Oct Referendum bring an end to issue -NO.
While some, maybe even most, strongly question how & why we are on this path at all but to someone like me a right leaning Albertan of 72 years it is the culmination of years of anger & frustration with the relationship and the treatment we have received from the most of the ROC throughout the decades. The list is long and includes items from culture to economics.
But I would ask all of you to not just focus on the "where are we now" but look much deeper into what I call the "Root Cause" of how we got here.
For the ROC now is the time to really try & understand the deep rooted frustration many Albertans have and hopefully see that yes there is something here and yes maybe we have been negligent in the way we have treated you & taken you for granted.
Don't just talk about your desire for us to stay in Canada you need to start a TRUE process of recognizing our concerns & actually doing something to address them. For example:
-congratulations Quebec, Ont & BC you were blessed with green Hydro -we weren't so should we freeze?
-my guess is because 95% plus of Albertans can't speak fluent enough French we can never be considered of a senior political or bureaucratic post -is this right?
I could easy list another 10 of these irritants but you get my drift.
So ROC is now the time to step up & make meaning changes to address this long simmering list of issues. All for now. Let the games begin.
Well, I hope to see real policies that have a hope of effecting real positive change instead of just more of the same tinkering around the edges for fear of alienating those who are currently enjoying systemic favouritism.
A lot of people in Alberta complain about provincial transfers/equalization. Here's a radical policy suggestion I've made here before:
What if ... instead of sending money to provincial governments, the federal government sent money to PEOPLE, using a negative income tax basic income (no, not a livable income, people still need to understand individual responsibility), so that those people who really needed it, got it, and those who didn't, didn't.
And to help pay for this, provincial transfers/equalization would be cancelled. And to offset the loss of these funds, provinces would no longer responsible be for personal welfare.
What would happen is that the tax rates in Quebec and the Maritime provinces (not including NL) would have to go sky high to offset the loss of equalization payments, whereas not so in the rest of the country.
THAT to me is proof positive that the current provincial equalization scheme is not fair.
Welfare should be a program based on personal circumstances, not governmental ones. Giving welfare to governments is a recipe for waste. We're living it now.
If the tax bases of the Maritime provinces are too small to support their governments (as the loss of equalization proves), then it seems to me that the obvious logical conclusion is that they should either amalgamate or scale back their governments drastically. It should be clear that their geographical size reflects 18th-19th century communication and transportation limitations that simply aren't applicable to 21st century realities.
Frankly, I wonder what the point of having provinces is anymore, because it seems to me that they're mostly just a reflection outdated social (tribal) attitudes that some people still haven't managed to shake off yet.
Are we bold enough to make a real change?
I think there is no incentive for equalization changes if you are a have-not province. I expect it won't be long before we hear calls for have-not provinces to get off equalization.
Thank you all for doing this. Together we are strongest.
So happy to see this! Thank you.
Excellent! Thank you for doing this!!
I find it somewhat revealing (and a little annoying) that a province with 12% of the Canadian population, that contributes 15% of Canadian GDP, is getting 90% of the Line's attention. As someone who has lived and worked for a short time in Alberta, I do know what would solve this; no one from Alberta should be allowed to participate on this committee nor belong to any "separation movement", without living in another part of Canada first. That would perhaps change the frame of reference and bring about a more reasonable and measured discussion by all parties.
The Line covers national issues and regional issues all over the country. Currently Alberta stories are impactful to the national conversation.
I do agree that living in another part of the country is informative for a broader world view, but disallowing lifelong Albertans… perhaps elevate the conversation. Which is exactly what Lead not Leave is working to do.
And no one who hasn't at least been to Alberta should be allowed to weigh in either. Fair is fair..
Remainer here: but.....
1. Renaming The West Wants In is thin gruel.
2. I see no Eastern Laurentian names on the list ( read: Federal Liberals).
3. The MOU is political theater at best: between BC, aboriginal buy in and a massive Carbon Capture boondoggle, we may as well just admit that all pipelines will run south.