MLA Report: Where’s the beef? Alberta government action to fight for a fair deal is long overdue

By Drew Barnes on June 28, 2023.

Albertans have repeatedly called on their provincial government to fight for a fair deal with Ottawa.

These wishes have been expressed democratically not once, but in three consecutive occasions in general elections and referendums. Every step of the way, provincial government conservatives have promised action.

But, to quote my favourite Wendy’s commercial of 1984, “Where’s the beef?”

Whether it’s fighting carbon tax, fixing the “No More Pipelines” Bill C-69, scrapping the Bill C-48 tanker ban, or overhauling the Fiscal Stabilization program, Alberta has achieved next to nothing.

Considering the inherent weakness of the federal Liberals’ current minority government, this lack of progress is inexcusable.

Of all the Fair Deal issues, no single program is more emblematic of Ottawa’s overreach and Alberta’s failures than the widely despised equalization program.

Equalization is one of three federal transfer programs that chronically short changes our province. From 2007 to 2018 Albertans contributed $240 billion more than we received in transfers or services. Our total net payments to the rest of Canada back to 1961 amounts to more than $650 billion. The effect of this massive transfer of wealth cannot be understated. With a fair deal, Albertans could have substantially better public services, lower taxes, be free of provincial debt, and build a sovereign wealth fund worth hundreds of billions.

In 2021, Albertans voted 61.88% in favour of removing equalization from the Constitution. Here in the Medicine Hat region, support was stronger, at 69%.

The question was clear and the result was staggering. Support for scrapping equalization exceeded the result from the Charlottetown Accord constitutional referendum of 1992, which was opposed by 60.2% of Albertans. In fact, in Alberta’s entire provincial electoral history, only twice has any party won a larger percentage of the vote, once in 1975 and once in 1982.

Despite the overwhelming nature of the results, Ottawa has refused to negotiate. Trudeau is seeking to maintain the current equalization formula until 2029. This is being done through an omnibus “ways and means” motion tabled in April, with the plan buried 194 pages into a 415-page document.

This is an affront to the democratically expressed wishes of Albertans. Two months have passed, and despite big talk the Government of Alberta has not outlined any specific consequences for Ottawa.

As a member of the Alberta’s Fair Deal Panel, which was instrumental in recommending the equalization referendum, I find Alberta’s lack of tangible action embarrassing.

Vague threats of employing the new premier’s Sovereignty Act are not bringing Ottawa to the negotiating table any more than the former premier’s ambiguous press releases and increasingly whiny letters.

Albertans voted for action, not words.

Sadly, the premier and her ministers now seem poised to retreat to the Calgary Stampede barbecue circuit for an extended summer vacation.

So, over the next two months, if you find yourself in a cue for burgers being served up by an elected official, you know what to ask.