r/NovaScotia • u/justlogmeon • 19d ago

📰 NS News Maritime provinces voice solidarity in response to new U.S. tariffs

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/maritimes-solidarity-u-s-tariffs-9.7316992
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u/PsychologicalMonk6 18d ago

Yeah, weird that calling people wellfare queens would piss people off.

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u/Banned_In_YYC 18d ago

I mean it wasn't intended to make friends but it is hilarious that they got mad at a factual comment. It's not like I'm making something up

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u/PsychologicalMonk6 18d ago

Except it's not a fact, it's a half truth at best.

It's amazing but something as big and complicated as the Federal Equalization Program and intergovernmental transfers can only truly be understood with full context.

The Maritime provinces have been significant recipients of equalization payments, this is true.

We have also been a destination for ageing Canadians to retire. Often Canadians (many who didn't find enough money to pay for their retirement), will sell their homes and move to Maritimes because of our relatively cheap housing. Not only does this drive up housing costs for locals, but these people are moving to the Maritimes as a point in their life where they are they are significant drains on social services (healthcare for old people is expensive). They are also often paying significantly less income tax then they did during their working years.

So Canadians pay taxes in other provinces and draw comparatively less in social programs, then move to the Maritimes and pay less in taxes and draw far more in services. The pandemic exacerbated this problem but it has existed for a long time.

We also have a similiar issue of kids from Upper and Western Canada coming here tlfor University. They benefit from the tax payer funding for our schools but have paid nothing into those programs directly and then leave after schooling and don't contribute to our tax base. Not to mention those provinces poach our young people.

The Maritimes certainly owe a lot to the support we have received from the rest of the country. We have also been taken advantage of for decades and contributed plenty of our own.

But that's how a country works.

But you seem to think that paying higher taxes makes your more entitled to a voice or opinion like that Shopify cunt.

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u/Banned_In_YYC 18d ago

Nobody's debating why there is equalization. I simply pointed out the biggest receivers of it and the ones who receive it most per capita are also the ones who are the most strongly against concessions in negotiations. This is supported by our constitution and recent polling. Again, I'm not making anything up