Improving Fiscal Fairness in Canada

The Alberta Transfer Meter (ATM) shows the staggering total of transfers that have gone from Albertans’ federal taxes and EI premiums to other provinces from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2019.

In other words, over 20 years Albertans sent a net $79,870 per person to Ottawa that was spent in other provinces, or $319,480 for a family of four.

In 2018 alone, during the midst of an economic downturn made much worse by policies, signals, and other decisions made by the Federal and other provincial governments, that family of four contributed a net $16,917 to Ottawa that did not come back to Alberta.

It is clear that Albertans make a disproportionate contribution to the federal government and the transfers that it sends to other provincial governments to provide health care, social services, infrastructure, and other spending. To give some perspective on the other side of the equation, the net transfers from Albertans over the last two decades meant a benefit of $41,801 per family outside Alberta. That’s an incredible sum that they received in federal and provincial spending that they did not have to pay for through taxes or debt.

It is also clear that the Federal government, as well as some provincial counterparts, are pursuing policies and making decisions that are not only costing Albertans jobs and livelihoods in Alberta today, but also damaging investor confidence in Alberta so thoroughly that it jeopardizes our children and grandchildren’s prospects at financial security.

Fairness Alberta will improve Canadians’ understanding of how Alberta’s success improves their communities, and how our federal government puts numerous barriers in the way of Alberta’s future prosperity.