Editorial: Movement to change equalization program could start at upcoming election

Not to harp on a subject I have already addressed in a previous editorial, but the flawed equalization payment program in Canada could be addressed as a referendum voted on by Albertans during the upcoming provincial election – with your help.

In other words we can do something about this unfair “share the wealth” program with cooperation from our provincial government, and a bit of a movement is proceeding throughout Alberta, which is hoping to light a fire under Premier Notley on this issue.

It works like this: according to the Supreme Court of Canada, if voting results in “a clear majority . . . on a clear question,” the federal government has “a constitutional duty to negotiate” the issue “in good faith.” That result was made clear during the Quebec referendum on separation, and it might just be the type of action Alberta should take to curb the hundreds of billions of dollars that have exited our “have” province mostly for Quebec since the equalization program began in 1957. . . . contd.