Edmonton, AB, October 20, 2020 – Today, Fairness Alberta released a poll showing that 87% of Ontarians believe Alberta’s economy is “very” or “moderately important” to Canada’s economic recovery. Fairness Alberta recently launched an online campaign and billboards in Toronto and Ottawa showing that Ontarians can’t keep federal finances afloat on their own: while they contributed a net $98 billion from 2007-2018, another $240 billion from Albertans still failed to fully cover the $378 billion that went from the government to the rest of Canada.
“It is reassuring to see so many people recognize how critical Alberta’s economy has been to Canada and how much we need Alberta’s economy productive again to recover from this Covid-induced jobs and fiscal crisis,” said Fairness Alberta Executive Director Dr. Bill Bewick.
The poll, from a weighted survey of 1,011 Canadians conducted by the Toronto firm One Persuasion Inc. at the end of September (MoE +/-3.1%), showed every major demographic agreeing by a wide margin that Alberta’s economy is important to the national COVID-19 recovery. Ontario led outside the prairies with 87% recognition; Quebecers were the lowest regional bloc but were still 72% in agreement.]
Fairness Alberta, a grassroots, non-partisan, and non-separatist association of concerned citizens, aims to increase awareness across the country of Albertans’ major contributions to Canada, while also providing clear, factual information about how Alberta’s prosperity is undermined by federal policies like the looming Green Plan programs.
“There’s a tremendous amount at stake as we navigate our way through the current crisis, including how we get Canadians working again and eventually pay this debt off,” said Dr. Bewick. “We want to give sympathetic Canadians across the country some fresh facts and other reminders of how important it is that the Federal Government shelve policies like this CFS fuel standard regime that will unfairly set Alberta’s economy back – yet again.”
Fairness Alberta launched billboards in downtown Toronto September 21st and Ottawa a week later. Our previous releases, media coverage, and presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance can be found in the NEWS section of our website. For more information on Fairness Alberta, its mandate, and future plans, please visit our website at www.fairnessalberta.ca.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Bill Bewick, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Fairness Alberta
Cell: (780) 996-6019
Email: [email protected]
Background information
StatsCan Table: 36-10-0450-01 (formerly CANSIM 384-0047) shows that from 2007-2018 Albertans paid $240 billion more in federal taxes than the federal government spent back in Alberta. For Ontario the net contribution (positive balance) was $98 billion. The rest of Canada (including a $55 billion net contribution from BC) had a net negative balance of $378 billion from 2007-2017.
The Library of Parliament provides the following helpful snapshot of provincial balances in 2017:
https://lop.parl.ca/staticfiles/PublicWebsite/Home/ResearchPublications/InBriefs/PDF/2017-01-e.pdf
The Canadian Energy Centre just released data showing Ontario’s trade with Alberta was $31.4 billion (24.2%) and that the oil and gas sector supported 68,000 Ontario jobs in 2016. https://www.canadianenergycentre.ca/the-impact-of-oil-and-gas-and-alberta-on-ontarios-economy/