Andrew Coyne’s recent column on the kerfuffle over the Atlantic Accord and provincial equalization is worth a read. And in the “Comments” I found this not-so-little gem by “springer”:
WAC Bennett, when asked in an interview (which I remember like it was yesterday) about equalization, with his characteristically wry smile replied: “Ah, yes. That’s where Bennett writes the cheques in British Columbia, and Smallwood cashes them in Newfoundland.”
This same man, probably Canada’s most visionary political leader ever, finally lost his patience at a federal/provincial conference on the topic of “equalization”. He stated essentially that BC is a “have” province, and thus a net payer of equalization, simply because British Columbians elect good governments. He said BC has no more resource wealth or potential than does Quebec. But Quebecers do not elect good governments, and therefore it is a “have not” province and draws upon equalization paid by BC.
He said, in essence, that “equalization” subsidizes bad government, removing the impetus from voters to elect better governments.
He said that “equalization” would become entrenched, ultimately would divide the nation, and would undermine the economic prosperity of the country.
He then stormed out of the conference.
And Pierre Trudeau publicly called him a “bigot”, which in turn fired massive outrage in this province, and one of the worst outbreaks of calls for separation in BC I’ve ever seen.
Bennett was a realist, a pragmatist, a political genius, and a visionary extraordinaire the likes of which I’ve not seen since, bar none!
40 years later his words stand like a prophesy from on high.
BC endured 9 years of NDP leftwing ideological pinheads at the helm of government that reduced this province to an economic wasteland, and finally a recipient of equalization.
Thus proving, in spades, that people ultimately deserve the government they get.
BUT…
It was Canadians in other provinces of Canada who picked up the tab for our collective idiocy here in BC.
IOW, British Columbians inflicted their collective idiocy on the rest of the country.
Is that fair? Is that just?
No, not even remotely.
Had we here been forced to bear the entire brunt of our own stupidity, even if that led to the brink of bankrupt…and it almost did…I’d suggest we’ve have dumped the NDP clowns a lot sooner.
As the adage states: Necessity is the mother of invention.
Equalization effectively absolves the electorate of responsibility for their own political choices. It underwrites inefficiency, and it prolongs…apparently eternally…pain.
If we were to call it for what it truly is, “welfare”, then…assuming there’s any pride left at all in some regions of this country…leaders would run for office on the promise of getting their provinces off of the dole. IOW, they would promise good government that produces real economic results.
As opposed to, f’rinstance, tax breaks for one province literally paid for by two other provinces.
How the hell can a premier of any province stand up and boast about a “balanced budget” all the while 30% or even 40% of it, let alone so much as one penny, is paid for by other provinces???
This entire charade called “equalization”, a charade now no less than enshrined in our constitution, is beyond ridiculous and inane.
For all of it…
God help the Prime Minister who speaks out against it…’cause nobody else will.
As I like to say…
Canada, official motto: Average, and reasonably proud of it.
Well said.
