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432-00129 (Taxation)
Petition to the Government of Canada
We the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:
Whereas:
- Alberta is the largest contributor to the federal equalization program, having contributed over $600 billion since the 1960s, and not having benefitted from the equalization program since 1962;
- When the current equalization formula was set in 2014, Alberta was experiencing record economic growth;
- Since 2015, Alberta has experienced a jobs crisis and an economic slowdown that has been made worse by legislation introduced by the Liberal government, such as Bills C-69 and C-48, which have had, and will continue to have, devastating impacts on Alberta's economy;
- The Liberal government expects Albertans to continue to submit to an unfair equalization formula that provides benefit to other regions of the country while blocking Alberta from growing their own economies and developing their natural resources; and
- The Alberta government has launched the Fair Deal Panel to consult with Albertans on how best to define and secure a fair deal for Alberta within Confederation.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
Immediately work with the government of Alberta to address the equalization program's unfair treatment of Alberta and ensure a fair deal for Albertans within Confederation.
Response by the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Omar Alghabra
The Government of Canada is committed to fostering productive and constructive relationships with all provinces and territories of Canada.
We recognize that many Albertans have faced economic hardship in recent years due to declines in commodity prices and the capacity to export energy resources.
The Government took significant and bold action to help Albertans with Canada’s 2018 purchase of Trans Mountain Corporation, which is in the process of completing the Trans Mountain Expansion project. This major project will substantially increase Alberta’s capacity to export energy.
We are committed to getting Canadian resources to new markets. We offer our unwavering and strong support to workers in Canada’s natural resource sectors who have faced tough times recently.
The current equalization formula was introduced in 2007 by the previous Conservative government. In 2018, the federal government renewed the equalization program without changes. The next legislated review of the equalization program will take place in 2023-24.
Over the past year, the Government of Canada has done its utmost to work collaboratively with Alberta on a range if important issues, no more so than during the current pandemic. The Government of Canada has invested massively to support Alberta businesses, including the oil and gas industry, and directly supported Albertans during the biggest economic downturn in almost a century through number of initiatives and programs.
We are in regular contact with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, as well as other Alberta ministers, mayors, business leaders and community stakeholders to strengthen relationships and to identify additional areas for collaboration between our governments.
We know that Canada only succeeds when every region and province – including Alberta – succeeds.
October 19, 2020 (Petition No. 432-00129)
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.