Quebec takes more than it gives and Alberta is punching above its weight. These are the takeaways from a new Angus Reid poll on “confederational fairness.”
More Canadians believe that Quebec receives a disproportionate benefit from the nation, while Alberta is the province considered by most Canadians to get a “raw deal,” meaning it gives more to the federation than it receives.
The polling comes as provincial and territorial leaders meet in Halifax for the 2024 Council of the Federation, a biannual meeting to promote cooperation.
42% of Canadians said Quebec benefits disproportionately from its place in the nation. Conversely, 23% said Alberta gives more than it receives, ten points higher than any other province.
Alberta Institute Peter McCaffrey says this isn’t just a perception, but a fact.
“The net difference between total federal tax collected and total federal expenditures in Alberta is approximately $20 billion per year,” said McCaffrey.
While Alberta and Quebec sit on the two poles of the spectrum, residents in Saskatchewan “are most likely to feel little benefit and high levels of angst,” reads the study.
“The figures are closer in Saskatchewan, but it’s important to remember that the unfairness extends not only to direct financial transfers, but also to differences in how people, businesses, and industries are treated in different parts of the country,” said McCaffrey.
A mere 2% of Saskatchewan’s residents said they felt they got an extra advantage from being in Confederation. Conversely, 58% said they got a “raw deal,” resulting in a net alienation score of -55%, followed by Alberta at -41%. The lowest alienation score came from Quebec, where 19% felt they got an extra advantage, and 31% said they had a raw deal, resulting in a net score of -12%.
A similar poll was conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in 2019. Respondents were asked whether policies from the federal government had “hurt” their provincial economy in recent years.
In 2019, 51% of Canadians felt that the Liberals had damaged their provincial economy. In 2024, that number rose to 57%. The province where residents felt that the Liberals hurt them most was Saskatchewan, with 72% reflecting that sentiment in 2024, a slight rise from 71% in 2019.
While Alberta led the way in 2019, with 82% of its residents saying that Liberal policies hurt its economy, that number fell to 65% in 2024.
Despite the decrease, McCaffrey said that the financial transfers from west to east are larger than they’ve ever been.
“And, the federal government is seen as working against the west’s interests — actively trying to shut down the very industries that generate the taxes that pay for the subsidies that the west provides to the rest of the country,” said McCaffrey.
He added that Canadians outside of the west generally assume that the amounts are small, however they work out almost $5,000 per Albertan per year.
The degree to which Canadians felt respected by those in other provinces differed greatly. British Columbians felt they were the most respected by the rest of the country, with 64% of residents sharing that sentiment. The next closest province was Ontario, at 44%, followed by Alberta at 30%. Saskatchewan residents felt the least respected by the rest of the country, at 22%.
The report also noted general satisfaction with the direction provinces were headed.
Between 2019 and 2024, the percentage of people who were “satisfied” with how things were going in their province declined in every single province except Alberta.
“When this question was asked in January 2019, the Alberta NDP majority government under Premier Rachel Notley were nearing the end of its term, and there was significant discontent with a struggling provincial economy, especially when it came to the oil and gas industry and the lack of movement on new pipelines,” reads the study.
While residents of every province except Alberta grew less satisfied with their provinces, this dissatisfaction intensified for the nation.
In 2019, 59% of Canadians said they were “dissatisfied” with how things were going in Canada. In 2024, this number grew to 72%. The province with the least satisfied residents was Saskatchewan, at 82%.
Saskatchewan’s most recent battle with the federal government resulted in the province being granted an injunction, blocking the CRA from attempting to garnish the province’s bank accounts.
Western Canada feels alienated from the federal government, which the study deems a “long-held opinion.”
“At least four-in-five residents in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba say that ‘Ottawa always favours Ontario and Quebec.’”
McCaffrey said that provinces are tired of the federal government interfering in their provincial jurisdiction. However, he said that the solution is simple.
“The federal government needs to stay in its lane and focus on governing in the areas of jurisdiction that are granted to them by the constitution.