It may not be on the official agenda, but equalization is definitely the “topic de jour” as Canada’s premiers gather this week in Gimli, Manitoba for a first ministers’ meeting. Alberta Premier Ralph Klein’s recent outburst on equalization put it there. Klein threatened to pull Alberta out of the program if its vast natural resources are factored into a revised equalization formula. Equalization is basically a federal program that transfers money from richer to poorer provinces. It’s supposed to level the playing field so that the poorer provinces can provide their residents services on par with the average. As the topic gained headlines, reporters turned to research conducted by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS), which shows equalization actually does more harm than good. AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley was in demand on news programs from Prince Rupert to St. John’s, and a dozen points in between. Among the programs was the CBC Radio morning show in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Click here to listen to this interview. Below are samples of some of the material produced by AIMS on the topic of equalization:
