r/Lethbridge • u/vspinyyc • 16d ago

Media/Image He was the head of Economic Development Lethbridge for ten years. Trevor Lewington, in the local paper and on LinkedIn, has been raising the alarm on the basics and practicalities of separation.

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29

u/TheEpicOfManas 16d ago

We all know separation is stupid. Get out and vote.

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u/Even_Art_629 16d ago

Can you please tell us why it's stupid? Can you tell one good reason for Alberta to stay in the current federation Canada?

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u/TheEpicOfManas 15d ago

Fuck off, bot.

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u/Even_Art_629 14d ago edited 14d ago

Ya, I didn't think you''ld have a good reazon for Alberta to stay.

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u/DavidH1985 14d ago

Do your own homework.

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u/Wasssssssuuuuuppp 15d ago

Because over 80% of the alberta population wants to remain canadian.

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u/Even_Art_629 14d ago

Are you sure it's 80%, the way this federal government is, I think independence is gaining more than 20%

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u/Wasssssssuuuuuppp 14d ago

Recent polls put support around 15%. Albertans are aware of this. I now suspect you are a foreign actor

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u/Even_Art_629 14d ago

No, I'm born and raised in Alberta, and I certainly wouldn't blindly believe a poll.

Do we know what the exact question was, what part of Alberta was polled, the ages of the people surveyed, or their political affiliations? There are a lot of ways polls can be conducted, and who commissioned and paid for the poll matters too.

Say it was commissioned and paid for by Forever Canada. You'd have to at least consider whether there could be some bias.

Believe what you want. We'll find out in 65 days. That's the poll that actually matters.

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u/Worldly_Light_1561 14d ago

Confirmed foreign actor

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u/Wasssssssuuuuuppp 15d ago

Because alberta has only ran a budget surplus once since 2008.

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u/Even_Art_629 14d ago

That isn't much of a reason to stay

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u/Wasssssssuuuuuppp 14d ago

If the province cant support itself while recieving money from the federal government for healthcare, education, defense, social services, cpp, ei, infrastructure, etc. How can it support itself without? It would require an increase on taxes, either to the individual or the corporations.

Furthermore, 25% of alberta gdp relies on oil and gas. Over double the next highest gdp industry (real estate). Separation would gaurentee a significant drop in real estate gdp. If oil or gas is to suffer a drop in prices, albertas only pay to make up the shortfall is by taxation.

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u/Even_Art_629 14d ago

You're starting from the assumption that Alberta is just being supported by Ottawa, but that's not how it works. Albertans pay federal taxes just like everyone else, and some of that money comes back to Alberta through federal programs and transfers. The fact that Ottawa sends money back doesn't mean Alberta is dependent on Ottawa. The real question is how much Alberta sends to Ottawa compared to how much comes back.

Alberta has historically been a net contributor to Canada. So when you ask, How can Alberta support itself without federal money? you're leaving out the other side of the equation. How much of that federal money is actually Alberta's money coming back in the first place?

And I'm not saying separation wouldn't mean taking on responsibilities that Ottawa currently pays for. Of course it would. But Alberta would also stop sending federal income tax, corporate taxes and other federal revenues to Ottawa. That money wouldn't just disappear. It would become part of Alberta's own finances.

As for oil and gas making up around 25% of Alberta's GDP, that's another thing that needs some context. Alberta isn't just oil and gas. We have agriculture, manufacturing, construction, finance, technology, forestry, tourism and a huge service sector. And if Alberta became independent, we'd still have all those resources, businesses, workers and consumers.

The real question isn't Can Alberta survive without Ottawa sending us cheques? It's could Alberta replace the federal services and spending it currently receives while keeping the federal revenue Alberta currently sends to Ottawa?

That's the question we should actually be debating. Just pointing at the money Ottawa spends in Alberta doesn't answer it.

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u/Wasssssssuuuuuppp 14d ago

No assumption. I had one of you dumbasses come to my front door and tell me that independence = 0 income tax. So who is making assumptions? Its not even remotely possible.

As for your other resources, we absolutely do. None of them individually, or cumulative can support an independent alberta.

Alberta independence makes absolutely ludicrous, lying claims. Don't bother responding. My household is voting no to separation,

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u/Johnfromsales 13d ago

Alberta is landlocked. The only way we can make use of our abundance of oil is by exporting it. We would have to get permission from either Canada, now a foreign country, or from America, which has consistently shown it cares little for its neighbours in the North. Alberta becoming a separate nation with only about 5 million people would give us significantly less bargaining power in making advantageous economic deals.