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Comment by p_j_w | Hacker News Reader

>Carbon/emission considerations aside

This seems like a massive thing to just throw aside.

He's also neglecting to mention what a mammoth hydroelectric powerhouse Quebec is, because of that, they have a giant surplus of electricity that makes their utility bills extremely cheap relative to anywhere else in North America, helps manufacturing businesses and gives them the ability to export power, to boot.

Meanwhile Alberta burns (and leaks) natural gas and coal and gripes because the rest of the country is punishing them for it, and complains to high heaven that we're not making new markets for them (or others) to burn and leak more of it.

Quebec and Ontario have prioritized manufacturing over resource extraction, and that benefits their population.

Well, if Quebec is the economic powerhouse you claim it is, then surely they will be just fine if the equalization payments stop, right?

The whole point of the equalization payments is to level the playing field regarding the budget of provinces. The formula has to do with the amount of provincial taxation that a province charges its residents versus the rest of Canada. Given that the Quebec income taxes are higher, the province receives transfer payments. Some of the Federal income tax that Quebec residents pay ends up going to the province, so it's not just coming out of the income tax of non-quebec residents.

Sure, but I'm talking specifically about incentives here. If it wasn't for the inverted incentive structure that benefits them (also from fossil fuels, but that money comes from Alberta), I'm sure they'd be more than willing to extract that resource.

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