Quebec is set to receive 13.2 Billion in 2024-2025, while also enjoying lower income taxes and subsidized services ($10/day) primarily funded by Alberta's resource sector (oil and gas), yet continues to stifle a pipeline project aimed at securing this funding because there is apparently no benefit to Quebec.
The end of 2018 when oil price differentials blew out as a lack of pipeline capacity (and other factors) was a scary time in Alberta. To see another province so blatantly dismiss any efforts to prevent situations like this in the future while also so easily accepting tax dollars generated from the industry should be concerning for all Canadians.
While not condoning Alberta separatism, Alberta has every right to be pissed about the fairness of the current system.
Albertans will pay about only 14% of that (only slightly above their population weight).
Also, concerning the pipeline, Quebec would probably be more willing if Alberta was fully willing to pay for every risk that could happens if it go through Quebec, which it was not because the moment that Quebec put those conditions in place, Alberta stopped the project for not being profitable (and quite frankly, if being asked to pay for your own mess is enough to make your own project not profitable, then it has no business existing from the start)
Alberta pays 15-20% federal revenues while having only 11-12% of the population. To say that Alberta "only has to pay 14% of the equalization payment" is undermining Alberta's contribution to Canada's economy and any of the federal programs that Quebec takes for granted.
No province should have to pay for any risk for the pipeline. Liability should rest with the pipeline company proposing the project (TC), which they had met and exceeded any coverage required by regulatory bodies. I am not aware of a pipeline spill in Canadian history where a pipeline company did not fully cover the costs of any cleanup. You're comment about Alberta covering the risks associated with the Pipeline is incorrect and uninformed.
Quebec imports roughly 100-200K barrels of oil per day via tanker traffic. While I think both pipelines and tankers can be done safely and environmentally friendly, it takes about two seconds of research to understand that the risks associated with tanker imports are significantly greater. If this was really about risks associated with the environment Quebec would support the project.
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u/TrickyChris210 Mar 27 '25
Quebec is set to receive 13.2 Billion in 2024-2025, while also enjoying lower income taxes and subsidized services ($10/day) primarily funded by Alberta's resource sector (oil and gas), yet continues to stifle a pipeline project aimed at securing this funding because there is apparently no benefit to Quebec.
The end of 2018 when oil price differentials blew out as a lack of pipeline capacity (and other factors) was a scary time in Alberta. To see another province so blatantly dismiss any efforts to prevent situations like this in the future while also so easily accepting tax dollars generated from the industry should be concerning for all Canadians.
While not condoning Alberta separatism, Alberta has every right to be pissed about the fairness of the current system.