I'll believe it when I see it.
So Alberta oil and gas sector contributed a massive….ummm…0.74% of Canada’s 535B budget?4 billion ish a year removed from direct resource revenue from Alberta every year.
So AB and BC benefitted from it at some point but now that they don't no longer like it. Does this mean if they were to be in a position to benefit from it again they will still oppose it?
- Since its inception in 1957, the Equalization program has provided benefits at some point in time to every province in Canada.
It does have a chart that is also interesting. Apparently ON does not get the enormous amount that is often portrayed. It does show that 3 western provinces does currently lead the way in funds.
There are also things that sit counter the concept of equalization :You can access the historical data for the equalization payments sent to each province at the following links:
Historical Transfer Tables: 1980 to present - Equalization Entitlements (1957-1980) - Open Government Portal
Historical Transfer Tables: 1980 to present - Equalization Entitlements (1981-2023) - Open Government Portal
Dataset extracted from the federal support to provinces and territories transfer tables from 1980 to present.open.canada.ca
Alberta's grievance is rooted in the fact that it hasn't received equalization payments since 1967, and over the program's entire history it has only received about $90 million from the program. On the other hand, some provinces have received equalization payments since day one, notably Quebec and Atlantic Canada. In particular, Quebec has received over $300billion in payments.
Ran the some numbers based upon your link:You can access the historical data for the equalization payments sent to each province at the following links:
Historical Transfer Tables: 1980 to present - Equalization Entitlements (1957-1980) - Open Government Portal
Historical Transfer Tables: 1980 to present - Equalization Entitlements (1981-2023) - Open Government Portal
Dataset extracted from the federal support to provinces and territories transfer tables from 1980 to present.open.canada.ca
Alberta's grievance is rooted in the fact that it hasn't received equalization payments since 1967, and over the program's entire history it has only received about $90 million from the program. On the other hand, some provinces have received equalization payments since day one, notably Quebec and Atlantic Canada. In particular, Quebec has received over $300billion in payments.
Comparing the armouries of my unit Debney vs Currie, its like night and day, ones a modern, purpose built facility that enables a CSS unit to not only function but grow, the other is a relic that wasn't built to be an armoury, repurposed, without the room to grow, or even support proper training.It worked down here. After being in the new facility for 20 years now, I can not envision even our oldest dinosaurs poo-pooing the idea. Best move we ever made in support of the Reserves. The old armouries, taken over by the University, is now a downtown gem. Everyone is happy. The template is there, other places just need follow it.
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Welcome to SoCA
www.uwindsor.ca
Major FA Tilston VC Armoury - National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials (NICMM) - Memorials - Remembrance - Veterans Affairs Canada
Remember Canada’s Veteranswww.veterans.gc.ca
The local armoury my daughter goes to for cadets has a dirt floor in the basement.Not quite, but close.
Of course, that might mean demolishing a large number of Reserve Armouries to rebuild to modern standards and to provide necessary training spaces. And apparently giving modern training facilities to the Army Reserve goes against tradition.
There's lots of infra that needs divestment, not refurbishment.
I'll have to take your word for it, since 1914 and 1939 were a bit before my time, and 1970 was just a tad before I entered law enforcement.War Measures Act 1914, 1939, 1970.
The army didn't have to cover the civilian bases. The civilians and the army were put under common authority.
The reason was that war was and is a whole of society endeavour.
National Security, likewise, is a whole of society endeavour. It demands contributions from civilians and uniformed personnel, armed and unarmed, military and civil.
In war time all of those line items come out of one common budget directed to one purpose.
It is only in peacetime that society is afforded the luxury of people creating stovepipes and building empires for personal benefit.
And the longer the peace the more entrenched become the empires.
In a state of war how many of those paramedics, firefighters, police officers and CAF members would be covered under the National Defence budget?
Defence expenditures and NATO’s 2% guideline
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm
Okay that is probably a fair point.For the record I am not looking to add the RCMP and CSIS budgets to the funds that count towards the NATO national defence budget.
I am saying that national security is more than national defence and there are a lot of overlaps.
In my view the NATO 2% is a subset of a national security budget that is justifiably in the 5% range and should be considered as such holistically.
Okay that is probably a fair point.
But I tend to doubt if spending on National Security is 5% unless you really open the taps on what is National Security.
No they are saying that in only 10 more years Alberta will have paid back what it cost to buy and build Trans Mountain (~$38.5-40 billion). Of course that's calculated with no interest. If we were to calculate interest at current rates it would probably be closer to 25-30 years (or more).So Alberta oil and gas sector contributed a massive….ummm…0.74% of Canada’s 535B budget?
So it should have only paid, what…0.5%? Less%
Fair enough and now I think I get what you are driving at, but I think you are approaching what Kevin is saying about "opening the taps on what is National Security", particularly with your earlier inclusion of Fire and EMS. Public and emergency services do all sorts of things that try to ensure a civil and safe society and a functioning State (allegedly), but I would hardly put them in the National Security tent. Traffic collisions, domestic disturbances and barking dogs are hardly matters of National Security. Why not highway maintenance crews that plow the highways in the winter? Without them, police, fire and EMS could not get around.70,000 CAF
70,000 Police Officers in Canada
The Brits spend as much on the Home Office as they do on Defence.
Throw in all the other agencies to which I alluded upthread.
Then start adding all the private security associated with protecting infrastructure...
You get to 5% in a hurry.
I'm not saying we should do that, that's just silly, but just pointing out that transfer payments are not the only way federal dollars are expended to benefit voters in different areas.
I think fundamentally NATO doesn't care what you are doing domestically, it's what you can bring to the table for an Article 5, and everything that supports that.70,000 CAF
70,000 Police Officers in Canada
The Brits spend as much on the Home Office as they do on Defence.
Throw in all the other agencies to which I alluded upthread.
Then start adding all the private security associated with protecting infrastructure...
You get to 5% in a hurry.