This is so stupid. Maybe we should create a bunch of independent little Vatican-like countries around each oil well. What a bunch of money and power clowns. The world is moving past all of that and they still haven't figured it out yet.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

'The world is moving past all that' is highly inaccurate. The world still runs on diesel and gas - if it didn't the Strait of Hormuz being blocked wouldn't matter, but it obviously does and the whole world is feeling the pinch right now. We're using and going to use oil for decades to come.

[–] Karmanopoly@lemmy.world -4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think the West is just fed up with sending billions back to Ottawa in exchange for nothing.

For example... Ottawa has given away $25.5 billion to Ukraine. Think how many hospitals or walk in clinics that could build nationwide

This is the train of thought of westerners right now

[–] loonsun@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Medical care is a provincial issue, blame your province not the federal government

Also as a Ukrainian Canadian, I don't think you have any idea about how close the two nations are and essentially how many Ukrainians are your neighbours if you live in the west.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes medial care is provincial - but Alberta's beef is that we send billions out east and dont get any of it back. If we didn't have to send it, we could have billions to spend on our own services. Meanwhile other provinces (not mentioning any names, eh, Quebec?) take billions every year while playing the 'have not' province game because they dont count their rich hydro electric as a resource in the equalization formula. We're being gamed and everyone, including Ottawa, knows it but they dont want to piss off Quebecers and lose their votes so they keep this unfair system going.

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

but Alberta's beef is that we send billions out east and dont get any of it back.

Except that pipeline that Trudeau built for Alberta.

Or the health transfers that Trudeau was trying to send to the provinces, but every conservative provincial government rejected it because the feds wanted guarantees that the money would be specifically used for Healthcare and nothing else.

And those are only 2 of the biggest ones in recent years.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ok, the use of "any" isn't accurate. We dont get MOST of it back. We send about 20 billion a year more to Ottawa than we get back. Compared to what Ottawa takes, the "gift" of a pipeline isn't exactly altruistic of Ottawa considering the billions in tax revenue it generates.

[–] loonsun@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Ok, the question though is what do you want from that money? Is there something you find the federal government is obligated to provide but doesn't from the oil money?

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Good question. We just want Ottawa to get out of the way and let us do it ourselves. We dont want more funding we just want to not have to send so much of it away that we cant spend what we raise on our own healthcare, education and social programs.

[–] loonsun@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

So are you proposing an increase to provincial taxation in exchange for a reduction in federal taxation? Also is financing the real barrier in the Western Provinces making these changes?

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago

Why would we need an increase in provincial taxation? If we don't have to send 20 billion to Ottawa next year, we can fund a lot of projects on our own without increases to the taxpayer, that money can go straight into provincial coffers.