Quote:
Originally posted by Cheese@Sep 17 2005, 11:06 AM
Either we are little countries within a large land mass where everyone can do what they please without worrying about their neighbors...
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Thats precisely it, and we can only ignore it for so long.
Canada has always been two or three nations... Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes... now its definitely more. Logical people would have never made Canada as it is today, but it was convenient for the British and necessary for Upper Canadian politicians to insulate themselves from the US civil war and other concerns within the continent.
As for Alberta having to share more... come on Cheese, you're smarter than this. Since 1961, Alberta has gone through two recessions, and has been a net contributor of $350 billion dollars with zero years of receivership. Pre-1961, the money Alberta received was equal to every other province due to post-war and post-depression reinvestment schemes... before that, the National Policy kept Alberta poor to prop up Eastern businesses, rather than use the cheaper, more efficient (and frankly better) US products available to them at that time. So don't try to say that Alberta owes Canada jack. If they want some money, give Alberta jurisdiction over the national parks in the province, and allow it to be administered here, where we'd make twice the money and still charge less and keep them beautiful and untouched.
We do more than our bit for queen and country here and to ask for more is like a spoiled brat asking his sibling for some of their allowance after squandering all of theirs recklessly. Maybe the Government should mandate some auto factories to Alberta, or give us proceeds from hydro, forestry, fisheries, tourism, agriculture, and everything else that happens to exist in any other province that should be shared. This isn't a centralized government, this is a nation of nations, and any attempt to screw with the uneasy peace will inevitably end with the destruction of Canada as we know it.
Good on Klein. I'd make an even tougher statement if the Feds start moving... touch it and we leave, and try to take BC and Saskatchewan with us.