Fair Deal progress stalled… again.
Under the Constitution, every Canadian province has the right to collect its own taxes. Quebec, for example, has been collecting its own provincial taxes since 1954. Alberta collecting its own provincial taxes only makes sense. It creates jobs in Alberta for Albertans using tax money that would have been sent to and misused by Ottawa. As our province already collects its own provincial corporate income taxes, an administration system is already in place, minimizing the need for any new expenses
There’s no question about it, Alberta is getting a raw deal in Canadian Confederation.
Whether it's Ottawa land-locking our resources, seeking to kill our leading industries through regulation, or penalizing our families and communities through equalization, Albertans are fed up.
As a member of Alberta’s Fair Deal Panel, I heard from thousands of people across our province, begging the government to defend provincial jurisdiction and fight back against Ottawa’s overreach.
Under Premier Kenney, the UCP government promised progress. Yet within a year of taking office it became clear the government had no intention of taking real action.
It’s why I brought forward Motion 505, calling for Alberta to deploy every legal, economic, and constitutional tool at our disposal to win a fair deal. I was hoping to shame the government into action. Unfortunately, the Kenney government chose to continue playing politics with the issue rather than seek real results. It’s one of the reasons Kenney was turfed as UCP leader.
Albertans hoped for better with the election of Premier Danielle Smith. Yet here we are, over a year into Smith’s leadership, and progress is once again at a stand still.
The government has no plan to force Ottawa to the table to fix the equalization program, despite the democratically expressed wishes of Albertans in the 2021 referendum. Any concrete movement towards the creation of a provincial police force has stalled, with no resources for this initiative included in the budget. A proposed referendum on the creation of a provincial pension plan won’t be held until at least 2025, if ever.
Perhaps the worst part is that the government hasn’t made any real effort to move forward with the easiest and quickest way to strengthen Alberta’s sovereignty.
Under the Constitution, every Canadian province has the right to collect its own taxes. Quebec, for example, has been collecting its own provincial taxes since 1954.
Alberta collecting its own provincial taxes only makes sense. It creates jobs in Alberta for Albertans using tax money that would have been sent to and misused by Ottawa. As our province already collects its own provincial corporate income taxes, an administration system is already in place, minimizing the need for any new expenses.
The creation of an Alberta Revenue Agency was a key proposal in the Free Alberta Strategy, a policy I personally endorsed. Smith also endorsed the strategy when running for the UCP leadership. Yet since taking office, her government has taken no concrete steps towards implementing it.
For months now, the government of Alberta has been stuck playing defence against Ottawa’s increasing overreach into areas of provincial jurisdiction. Federal plans to impose a half-cocked pharmacare plan, and put a de facto hard cap on oil production make Smith’s government look increasingly weak.
If the Premier truly wants to retake the initiative, she can do so. She doesn’t need federal approval to create an Alberta Revenue Agency. She can take decisive action, and she can do it immediately.
Or, she can run the risk of becoming just another Kenney.
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