Quote:
Originally Posted by AR_Six
I don't understand how this is free money. The province owns the resource. It then allows others to purchase a working interest and extract the resource, in exchange for which they may keep a portion of what they extract. If I own an apartment building and rent out a suite, how am I getting "free money"?
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Its free because Alberta (and Albertans) did nothing to earn it. We fell ass backwards into a bath tub full of oil and natural gas. Quebec, to date, has not had that good fortune. We only own it (and are therefore entitled to receive royalties for its extraction) pursuant to the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement. Quebec is essentially entitled to a (small) share of that wealth pursuant to the Equalization Program. What is the difference?