logoalt Hacker News

jeromegvyesterday at 11:08 PM1 replyview on HN

> If we were a separate country, all that money would stay in Alberta.

Yes. But you’d have to pay for your own border, army, customs, etc, etc.

By that logic every single province could separate, become a country, and then what? Is that supposed to be more cost efficient? Would the economy and free market between each province better? Would Alberta oil be worth the same price without having pipelines going through every province?

And then, why not have Calgary separate from Alberta. After all money from Calgary pays for roads in Edmonton and smaller towns. Surely we don’t want money leaving Calgary, if Calgary was independent, Calgary could keep its own money and not have their money “siphoned out”.


Replies

dismalaftoday at 12:03 AM

> Yes. But you’d have to pay for your own border, army, customs, etc, etc.

And? $45 billion of the Federal government's revenues come from Alberta. Another poster put the estimate of all these things at $26 billion. Sounds like an amazing deal.

> After all money from Calgary pays for roads in Edmonton and smaller towns

Municipal funds pay for roads, generally speaking. Provincial grants are only if it's proven that the road is essential infrastructure for the benefit of the whole province. The Federal government also gives grants from time to time.