News

Around Red Deer April 12th…..

Published

8 years ago

6 minute read

2:34 pm – Recruitment is underway for a Citizen Engagement Group that will play an important role in shaping the future of environmental sustainability in Red Deer. Read More.

2:28 pm – The redevelopment of Red Deer’s Riverlands neighbourhood is about to gear up. Read More.

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12:25 pm – Saskatoon Police are hoping to identify a woman believed to be from the Red Deer or Rocky Mountain House area that may have information that could be helpful to a series of investigations they’re involved in. Read More.

10:35 am – On April 11th, Edmonton Police arrested Michael James Racicot on his outstanding warrants from events on March 16 in Ponoka. Racicot has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Ponoka Provincial Court on April 21 at 9:30 am. He’s accused of being involved in a series of multi-jurisdictional traffic offences and identity theft incident last month.

10:26 am – Red Deer RCMP are looking for public assistance to identify a man who stole a kitten from the Petland store located in south Red Deer shortly after 2:30 pm on April 7. Staff are concerned for the well-being of the kitten as it requires medication for a heath condition. If you have information about this incident, please contact Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or report it online at www.tipsubmit.com.

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10:18 am – The Town of Blackfalds is preparing for it’s Annual Municipal Census next month! Read More.

10:13 am – Middle and high school band students (Grades 5-12) in the Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division will participate in the Red Deer Festival of the Performing Arts at Red Deer College on the mainstage on April 18, 19 and 20. Read More.

10:01 am – Red Deer RCMP are looking for two men in a stolen truck accused of trying to steal an ATM from a north end convenience store this morning. Read More.

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9:52 am – Red Deer City Councillors rolled up their sleeves to lead by example and take part in this year’s Green Deer Campaign on Tuesday. Councillors picked up garbage and other debris south of 67th Street between Taylor Drive and 59th venue in the annual city-wide spring clean-up. Green Deer encourages residents to pick up garbage around their homes and businesses to help keep our community looking it’s best after the winter snow melt.

9:45 am – Road crews will be street sweeping on the following Innisfail streets today:

50 St from tracks to Hwy 2A
49 Ave from 53 St to 48 St
50 Ave from 53 St to 48 St
51 Ave from 53 St to 48 St
Alley from 53 St to 49 Ave
Alley from 51 Ave to 49 Ave
Hwy 2A and 50 St Intersection
Hwy 2A from 51 St to Cottonwood Rd

9:41 am – Registrations are now open for Programs in Innisfail. Read More.

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9:36 am – Innisfail Municipal Enforcement is hosting a FREE Child Car Seat Clinic today at 6 p.m.! Learn how to safely install your child’s car seat, and have it inspected by a certified car seat safety technician. The clinic will be held in the Municipal Enforcement bay adjoining the Town Office (4943 53 St.).

9:30 am – Sylvan Lake Town Council is preparing for the upcoming busy summer season by tweaking some of it’s bylaws. Read More.

9:22 am – Annual Fire Hydrant testing and flushing is underway in Sylvan Lake. Read More.

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9:16 am – Parking restrictions in effect in Sylvan Lake for street sweeping. Details here.

9:09 am – The following streets are scheduled for sweeping in Blackfalds today:

Aspen Lakes Boulevard
Almond Cr.
Ash Cl.
Arrowwood Cl.
Aurora Heights Boulevard
Alderwood Cl.
Artemis Pl.
Aztec Cr.

8:52 am – A search of the Red Deer River in Red Deer on Tuesday turns up nothing after reports that a man may have entered the river at the Gaetz Avenue Bridge. Read More.

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8:47 am – Lacombe City Council has awarded construction contracts for it’s Main Street Improvement Project getting underway 24th. Read More.

8:35 am – Lacombe City Council has voted to renew it’s Emergency Services Mutual Aid Agreement with the City of Red Deer. Read More.

8:28 am – Red Deer Mounties arrested over half a dozen people committing traffic infractions between April 6th-10th, with most found to have outstanding warrants out for their arrest. RCMP also seized stolen vehicles, drugs, weapons and counterfeit currency in the process. Read More.

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Broken ‘equalization’ program bad for all provinces

Published on November 21, 2024

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Alex Whalen and Tegan Hill

Back in the summer at a meeting in Halifax, several provincial premiers discussed a lawsuit meant to force the federal government to make changes to Canada’s equalization program. The suit—filed by Newfoundland and Labrador and backed by British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta—effectively argues that the current formula isn’t fair. But while the question of “fairness” can be subjective, its clear the equalization program is broken.

In theory, the program equalizes the ability of provinces to deliver reasonably comparable services at a reasonably comparable level of taxation. Any province’s ability to pay is based on its “fiscal capacity”—that is, its ability to raise revenue.

This year, equalization payments will total a projected $25.3 billion with all provinces except B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan to receive some money. Whether due to higher incomes, higher employment or other factors, these three provinces have a greater ability to collect government revenue so they will not receive equalization.

However, contrary to the intent of the program, as recently as 2021, equalization program costs increased despite a decline in the fiscal capacity of oil-producing provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In other words, the fiscal capacity gap among provinces was shrinking, yet recipient provinces still received a larger equalization payment.

Why? Because a “fixed-growth rule,” introduced by the Harper government in 2009, ensures that payments grow roughly in line with the economy—even if the gap between richer and poorer provinces shrinks. The result? Total equalization payments (before adjusting for inflation) increased by 19 per cent between 2015/16 and 2020/21 despite the gap in fiscal capacities between provinces shrinking during this time.

Moreover, the structure of the equalization program is also causing problems, even for recipient provinces, because it generates strong disincentives to natural resource development and the resulting economic growth because the program “claws back” equalization dollars when provinces raise revenue from natural resource development. Despite some changes to reduce this problem, one study estimated that a recipient province wishing to increase its natural resource revenues by a modest 10 per cent could face up to a 97 per cent claw back in equalization payments.

Put simply, provinces that generally do not receive equalization such as Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan have been punished for developing their resources, whereas recipient provinces such as Quebec and in the Maritimes have been rewarded for not developing theirs.

Finally, the current program design also encourages recipient provinces to maintain high personal and business income tax rates. While higher tax rates can reduce the incentive to work, invest and be productive, they also raise the national standard average tax rate, which is used in the equalization allocation formula. Therefore, provinces are incentivized to maintain high and economically damaging tax rates to maximize equalization payments.

Unless premiers push for reforms that will improve economic incentives and contain program costs, all provinces—recipient and non-recipient—will suffer the consequences.

Authors:

Alex Whalen and Tegan Hill

National

Liberals, NDP admit closed-door meetings took place in attempt to delay Canada’s next election

Published on November 12, 2024

Todayville

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

Pushing back the date would preserve the pensions of some of the MPs who could be voted out of office in October 2025.

Aides to the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that MPs from the Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) did indeed hold closed-door “briefings” to rewrite Canada’s elections laws so that they could push back the date of the next election.

The closed-door talks between the NDP and Liberals confirmed the aides included a revision that would guarantee some of its 28 MPs, including three of Trudeau’s cabinet members, would get a pension.

Allen Sutherland, who serves as the assistant cabinet secretary, testified before the House of Commons affairs committee that the changes to the Elections Act were discussed in the meetings.

“We attended a meeting where the substance of that proposal was discussed,” he said, adding that his “understanding is the briefing was primarily oral.”

According to Sutherland, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, it was only NDP and Liberal MPs who attended the secret meetings regarding changes to Canada’s Elections Act via Bill C-65, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act before the bill was introduced in March.

As reported by LifeSiteNews before, the Liberals were hoping to delay the 2025 federal election by a few days in what many see as a stunt to secure pensions for MPs who are projected to lose their seats. Approximately 80 MPs would qualify for pensions should they sit as MPs until at least October 27, 2025, which is the newly proposed election date. The election date is currently set for October 20, 2025.

Sutherland noted when asked by Conservative MP Luc Berthold that he recalled little from the meetings, but he did confirm he attended “two meetings of that kind.”

“Didn’t you find it unusual that a discussion about amending the Elections Act included only two political parties and excluded the others?” Berthold asked.

Sutherland responded, “It’s important to understand what my role was in those meetings which was simply to provide background information.”

“My role was to provide information,” replied Sutherland, who added he could not provide the exact dates of the meetings.

MPs must serve at least six years to qualify for a pension that pays $77,900 a year. Should an election be called today, many MPs would fall short of reaching the six years, hence Bill C-65 was introduced by the Liberals and NDP.

The Liberals have claimed that pushing back the next election date is not over pensions but due to “trying to observe religious holidays,” as noted by Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen.

“Conservatives voted against this bill,” Berthold said, as they are “confident of winning re-election. We don’t need this change.”

Trudeau’s popularity is at a all-time low, but he has refused to step down as PM, call an early election, or even step aside as Liberal Party leader.

As for the amendments to elections laws, they come after months of polling in favour of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.

A recent poll found that 70 percent of Canadians believe the country is “broken” as Trudeau focuses on less critical issues. Similarly, in January, most Canadians reported that they are worse off financially since Trudeau took office.

Additionally, a January poll showed that 46 percent of Canadians expressed a desire for the federal election to take place sooner rather than the latest mandated date in the fall of 2025.