Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently told Radio-Canada's Téléjournal Acadie in New Brunswick that he doesn’t anticipate making any “big changes” to Canada’s equalization program if the Conservatives form government after the next election.This is very disappointing for a number of reasons.First, equalization is a federal transfer program designed to ensure provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide “reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.”Or, that's the theory, at least.In practice, as you probably know by now, the way the program is actually implemented is incredibly unfair.Some things (like oil and gas) count for some provinces (particularly Alberta and Saskatchewan), while other things (like Hydro) don't count for other provinces (like Quebec).This is just the most famous example of quirks in the formula.The way the formula is interpreted is also politically biased at its core.It assumes that higher tax rates are better than lower tax rates, and so punishes provinces with lower tax rates, because they chose to have the 'wrong' policies and 'chose' not to collect more taxes.(Interestingly, it doesn't do the same if a province chooses not to develop their resources).All of this shows that, while Poilievre’s decision to avoid reforming equalization may be politically expedient, it comes at a cost.Western Canadians, particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, already contribute more to the federal tax pool per capita than other provinces.Yet, they receive nothing from equalization and face policies that hinder their economic growth, such as the Trudeau government’s anti-energy agenda.Worse, equalization creates a cycle of dependency.Equalization is like welfare — “have-not” provinces are disincentivized from pursuing pro-growth economic policies because they rely on federal transfers from the “have” provinces.If they made the hard choices to fix their policies, they'd lose their equalization welfare cheques - so why bother?Meanwhile, western provinces are left to bear the brunt of federal policies that limit their ability to generate wealth while sending billions eastward.While Poilievre may reverse some of the Justin Trudeau administration's anti-energy policies, his reluctance to address the systemic economic disparities in confederation could leave the west vulnerable to future governments hostile to its interests. For Albertans, this signals that even electing a Conservative majority government may not resolve the fundamental imbalances driving western alienation.Remember — 62% of Albertans voted to abolish equalization in a 2021 referendum. Even substantial reform of equalization was already a compromise for Albertans.Now, with reform seemingly off the table, many Albertans may see this as confirmation that Confederation will never be fair for them.If Poilievre’s government fails to address these disparities, it risks deepening divisions within Canada.A future federal government that views the west as a cash cow could ignite another wave of western alienation — one far larger and more consequential than the last.In turn, Poilievre could inadvertently become the unwitting architect of a separatist wave that leads to Canada’s undoing, not because of what he does, but because of what he fails to do.If Confederation is to survive, it must undergo substantial reforms to ensure national fairness. Equalization reform is a necessity for national unity.Help us send a clear message to Poilievre.Sign our petition today to Tell Pierre Poilievre: Equalization Has To Go.
