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Politics : Canadian Political Free-for-All -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gulo who wrote (3793)	3/29/2004 4:36:33 PM
From: Gulo	Respond to of 37073

"How Equalization Harms Have-Not Provinces: Anti-Growth Policies Supported by Alberta Transfers" with PETER HOLLE, President, The Frontier Centre for Public Policy A Fraser Institute Policy Briefing Thursday, April 15, 2004 - CALGARY The Fairmont Palliser, 133 - 9th Avenue SW, Calgary Registration & Casual Buffet Lunch 12:00 pm; Presentation 12:15 pm; Adjournment 1:30 pm About the Issue: Canada is comprised of eight provinces that are supported through equalization transfers from only two "have" provinces - Alberta and Ontario. Canada's "have-not" regions in continue to fall behind despite over $200 billion in this additional spending. Recently, the equalization system took back $835 million in payments from Saskatchewan because its oil industry generated $668 million in resource revenues - 125% claw back! Aren't the incentives such that that province would be ahead if the oil industry simply closed down? It is critical that policy-makers understand the complicated equalization "welfare trap" that the majority of the provinces find themselves in. Does equalization pay provinces to maintain unattractive environments for economic growth by propping up a high spending/high taxing status quo? Using Manitoba as a case study, what can we learn about the connection between its large public sector, comparatively high taxes, and these high outside transfers? About the Speaker: Peter Holle is the president of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, a regional think tank based in Winnipeg. Peter was a senior policy analyst for the Province of Saskatchewan in the 1980s where he worked on regulatory reform and the privatization of crown services and assets. The Fraser Institute is an independent economic research institute with offices in Vancouver, Calgary & Toronto.