Once again so many misconceptions about equalization.
Equalization does nothing at all that would allow lazy Maritimers to sit on their asses all winter.. Rather, it helps fund healthcare and education in the "have not" provinces such that they're able to provide services to the level of the national average.
And if anyone thinks that this provides no direct benefit to Alberta, think again. During this massive labour shortage, where do you think the majority of educated workers are coming from? Hundreds of thousands of Albertans were born and educated in other provinces yet now live, work, and pay taxes here. And unlike foreign immigrants, workers moving here from "have not" provinces don't need any extra paperwork or citizenship to start their new jobs immediately.
Also, why is it that people in Calgary and Edmonton complain bitterly about seeing their federal tax dollars paying for schools and hospitals in Winnipeg, Moncton, or Halifax, yet those same people don't complain at all about their provincial tax dollars paying for schools and hospitals in Fort Vermillion, Milk River, or Vegreville? Just as there are "have not" regions in Canada, so too are there "have not" regions in Alberta -- we just don't call them as such. Where's the outrage that taxpayers in Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray are footing the bill so rural Albertans can have healthcare and education that meets the provincial standard of quality?
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