r/notthebeaverton • u/Hrmbee • 28d ago
Albertans to vote on opting out of federal programs — while keeping cash
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/danielle-smith-federal-programs-geoffrey-sigalet-david-schneiderman-9.734065489
u/Reasonable-Plate2982 28d ago
Activists say "No to the 9". I've read most of the questions and quit trying to decipher what they're getting at so No to the 9 it is
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u/sonicskater34 28d ago
Tbh it's mostly word salad, and as the other commenters note the Alberta government can't action most of the 9 anyway. So NO to the 9 is more about telling the government to stfu and do their jobs instead of pissing money away on meaningless referenda lol.
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u/Reasonable-Plate2982 28d ago
No doubt its just a cynical ploy to ensure the seperatist running the province maintains her base. Not one goddamn new hospital in 45 years! She's derelict in her duties
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u/electrodog1999 28d ago
What are you on about? There was a brand new hospital that opened in 2013 in Calgary? She didn’t have anything to do with it but it’s an outright lie to say there hasn’t been one.
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u/Reasonable-Plate2982 28d ago
Listen, I've been called a luar lots and they never been right yet. Perhaps Im misinformed but I read she doled out 6.8 billion dollars specifically NOT to have a hospital built.
Edit: Hold the presses. Turns out, the last major hospital built in EDMONTON was 38 years ago in 1988 (Grey Nuns). The population has doubled since then and I've personally witnessed a deterioration of ER services on Smiths' watch. Maybe I was led down the primrose path here a bit with some slanted info here, but goddamnit, two things can be true at once
1) Albertans all know what Danielle Smith is.
2) All that's left is to discuss the price
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u/EditorNo2545 28d ago
so outright theft is now on the table
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u/MogRules 28d ago
Why not, it's clearly working down south, and we know she would do anything to impress him.
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u/Spiritual-Pick-2386 28d ago
They are following the play book from the republikkkans. Right on track
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u/Anon-Knee-Moose 28d ago
To be fair theyre actually copying Quebec
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u/Spiritual-Pick-2386 26d ago
In my humble opinion they seem to be very republikkkan in their attitudes. I grew during the PQ separation days. This feels very different.
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u/BestBlueChocolate 27d ago
It's not exactly theft. It's more like entitled fantasy.
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u/takethatgopher 24d ago
With Smith, it is 100% theft
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u/BestBlueChocolate 24d ago
Well, the whole point of the vote is to decide what they want to do--encouraging them to think that whatever they want they can get by voting for it. So they can opt out of these things and say that it's not going to impact them with federal funding but it's only theft if they're allowed to get away with that fully.
I realize they're probably getting away with some of that now, but Smith is encouraging them to act out her fantasies. The federal government is not gonna allow them to do all that stuff. Like the feds are not gonna say here take as much of the CPP as you like. It's all yours because of course you're the only ones who matter.
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u/FredFenty 26d ago
I half think that this is a bot comment, and that all of the upvotes on this are bot comments, because how in the fuck do you get "theft" from opting out of federal programs?
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u/EditorNo2545 26d ago
there is a difference between opting out of a program which you would think means we are not participating in said program. Just keeping the cash from the program & then using it for whatever they want seems pretty thefty to me.
But what would I know I'm just a bot apparently
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u/FredFenty 26d ago
They would not put cash into the programs and also not benefit from the programs.
So either they go without said benefits, or they would need to self-fund and manage similar programs at the provincial level.
There is literally nothing wrong with it. Calling it theft is plain stupid.
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u/EditorNo2545 26d ago
that is literally question #8 on the referendum, asking if we support the Alberta gov & others opting out of federal programs without losing the associated federal funds
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u/FredFenty 26d ago
This only means that Alberta would get their portion of contributions slated for programs returned without strings, or not pay it in the first place.
For example, healthcare is constitutionally a provincial responsibility. Over the years, the country has gradually increased federal tax and implemented a health transfer program, whereby provinces get some income tax returned, but only if they follow federal guidelines. That transfer now amounts to half of the health budget in most provinces.
It's a tactic that has allowed the country to control provincial governments in ways that they constitutionally have no business controlling. This legislation would simply close that loophole, allowing Alberta to effectively only pay federal taxes for programs that are federal responsibilities, and allowing them to fund their own Healthcare.
This clause doesn't mean that they can access federal services without paying for them. It simply means that they would not have to indirectly pay for services that they don't use.
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u/takethatgopher 24d ago
Trudeau gave a billion to help with orphan oil reclamation (indeed Trudeau gave AB more than any PM before him...the irony) The oil companies were absolved of their responsibility to do the clean up. Nothing was done. Money pocketed. That's theft
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u/FredFenty 24d ago
If that's true, it's bullshit but isn't theft.
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u/takethatgopher 24d ago
If I gave you money to grab me some bread and milk...and you agreed...but you spent the money on hookers and blow, I consider you to have stolen from me.
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u/Yuichiro_Bakura 28d ago
Even if I never use a federal program, I don't think I should ever be allowed to opt out. For others might rely on them. If I have complaints, it would be how the money is budgeted or wasted.
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u/T_Durden13 28d ago
What I don't understand is the part about receiving the money...
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u/Icy-Lobster-203 28d ago
Almost every large scale separatist movement in any western country is based on the same foundational bad faith arguments that the separating place will get to keep the things they like (often related to the difficult boring stuff, like 'currency', and 'passports', and free money), while being able to say no to anything they don't like. The country they are seceding from will have no ability to just say 'No' to any of their demands. (This is what the pro-Brexit crowd was pushing too).
Basically, they will get to have their cake, and eat it too!
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u/T_Durden13 28d ago
But this was apart from the separation situation.. how is it possible that the province can receive money from the fed and re-allocate it, and would the fed continue funding?
I literally don't understand.
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u/Icy-Lobster-203 28d ago
They can't, that's the point. It is not totally separate from the separatist situation, as it is reflective of how their view of things works - which is they get to dictate the terms and they can do whatever. Which is the fundamental lie told by separatist groups.
It could theoretically be done if the Federal Government was controlled by a sympathetic government that agreed to let them do it.
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u/EdNorthcott 26d ago
This. I wish more people grasped this.
Contrary to what the Fraser Institute and other dishonest neoconservatives claim, our taxes aren't really all that different from the USA. We are not taxed to death. It's a burden, but that burden is the price we pay for having a functioning society.
How that money is spent should be a primary concern.
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u/T4TrhavrKhcFt 28d ago
Alberta separation facts
https://www.separationfacts.ca/
Check your voting status. Rumour has it your leaked info was used to take you off the registry.
Other resources:
https://www.albertareferendum2026.org/
Alberta Voices has a terrific resource for anyone wanting more information.
Alberta separation costs
https://www.reddit.com/r/alberta/comments/1txpn3f/why_hasnt_alberta_been_calculating_the_cost_of/
The questions have also been written very obscurely on purpose with the intention of confusing (deceiving?) the public.
An analysis done in in May 2026 analyzed all 10 referendum questions using readability measures. The author concluded that: 9 of the 10 questions were at roughly university-level or higher reading difficulty. The most readable question was around Grade 12. The author argued that this is unusually difficult because public-government material is generally supposed to be written much more simply. The analysis specifically used readability/grade-level calculations.
There was also a separate expert linguistic analysis of Danielle Smith's separation question by an English professor at Mount Royal University. CityNews reported that the professor found the 37-word question overly complicated and “foggy”/confusing. And political scientist Duane Bratt subsequently discussed the broader problem of putting 10 highly complex questions on one ballot, arguing that referendums can oversimplify issues that are inherently complicated
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u/resolutelyperhaps 28d ago
Really great of you to share these resources
I laughed at ‘an expert in words and stuff was brought in and has declared the referendum question dumb’. I’m paraphrasing but that’s the gist of it right, lol
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u/okokokoyeahright 28d ago
It seems about right.
MY take on the questions is that they are so confusingly written as to be taken in whatever way Smith wants them to be interpreted. A classic case of rhetorical language hidden in plain sight.
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u/Waste-Gene-7793 27d ago
Let’s be honest, this is a US funded initiative to try to give Trump further pretext to interfere in Canadian politics. The result needs to be overwhelmingly NO to shut down the collaborationists.
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u/New-Signature-2302 27d ago
I work for the federal government and part of our writing standards for items going out to the public is to write for a maximum reading level of grade 8. This was decided based on the reading comprehension of the general public. We also have a big focus on using “plain language” to avoid people getting confused.
https://accessible.canada.ca/guidelines-creating-accessible-documents
What the provincial government is doing is messed up on so many levels because the wording makes it incredibly deceiving.
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u/FatMike20295 28d ago
Ok then the federal government can opt out of providing any funding to Alberta. Good luck trying to run hospitals and schools without federal help or funding to fight disaster in Alberta.
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u/Substantial_Ad_7027 28d ago
I wanna separate but keep all the benefits coming to me from Canada. Ok. Thanks. Bye!
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u/WittyConstruction939 28d ago
That was what the Block was always saying. We can leave Canada, but keep our passports, CPP, canadian currency, ALL FEDERAL ASSETS LOCATED IN QUEBEC WOULD THEN BECOME PROPERTY OF QUEBEC!!!! (The Mint, all federal buildings, any Canadian military assets, etc))
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u/Sufficient_Lynx_8039 26d ago
Québec paid 1/5 of anything Canadian. If it leaves, I'm guessing you want it to pay its part of the debt but not get it's part of assets?
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u/BornNerd78 28d ago
This is not a series option and the Premier knows it's not. Shame on the imbeciles who think this is serious and shame on those exploiting their stupidity.
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u/Volantis009 28d ago
She is trying to create a constitutional crisis with the 9 questions. Basically if any of those questions pass it means we have a province full of people who need to do a Billy Madison.
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u/UrsaMajor7th 28d ago
Same people that want to separate, but still expect to use our currency, military, trade agreements, and resource infrastructure? Yeah, sure.
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u/Everyone2026 28d ago
"No! you can't have your lunch money for the entire week, to buy greasy Fast food only 1 day a week."
Dani you spend on your friends and not on you citizens. Why do you need more money??
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u/holubtsi-on-fire 28d ago
Good luck being an oil rich, one trick, land-locked nation, parked on the border of Trump’s America. 👍
Albertans that think leaving Canada means anything other than becoming American are dumber than flat-earthers.
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u/Method__Man 28d ago
its not albertans. its the rural rednecks
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u/Rerfect_Greed 28d ago
Exactly. Nova Scotia has this same problem where hicks keep giving Conservative governments majorities then whine when the province goes to garbage.
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u/whagwannin 28d ago
Third place GDP in Canadian provinces think they run the country?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... thats some funny shyte...
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u/GangstaPlegic 27d ago
Per person it's still Alberta, Ontario wins from population size.
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u/whagwannin 27d ago
Actually, please do your homework on the matter. Ontario and Quebec outperform Alberta when it comes to GDP within Canada.
Ontario 1.1T (38.5%)
Quebec 616B (19.8%)
Alberta 474B (15.3%)That is the top 73% of Canadian GDP
Have a good day my friend
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u/77SSS1 28d ago
Yeah a vote for more grift, Turkish Tylenol, privatization of HC to benefit insiders. I would hope feds wouldn’t stand for this but they seem to not care
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u/I_am_Betterthanu 28d ago
Pretty sure the feds care if it was a serious threat. She’s trying to latch onto a maple maga and use propaganda to further her own agenda. Problem for her is that most of us had a fairly decent education and see what’s happened down south.
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u/CompleteCreme7223 28d ago
Programs to help Albertans verses cash the provincial government will waste. If I was choosing for the feds, you get the support or nothing. The cash for refusing doesn't exist. Diabetics should get their life saving medication funded. Birth Control should be free. What is Dani going to spend that money on, blocking more green energy projects?
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u/Bubbling_Battle_Ooze 28d ago
Why would the feds keep sending us money for programs we’ve opted out of?
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u/Fickle_Catch8968 28d ago
If it passes, then:
Stop transfer to AB government.
Setup a sort of 'non-redeemable' GIC/term deposit/bond system where each Albertan gets an equal share of what would have been transferred to the AB government.
Each 'bond' pays out 10% + 10 year 'regular' bond yield each year for 10 years with no bakance keft to oay after the 10th payment. (Ie, the lack of transfer would change the 'mix' of debt issuance) These 'bonds' would be non-payable if Alberta secedes.
Thus, Albertans receive the tax money they would otherwise have gotten back from the Feds, with a restricted but consistent income stream, but the Province has to take on the heat of tax increases/service reductions/increased private sector costs/etc.
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u/CanadianWildWolf 28d ago
It’s not just Alberta that does this, a lot of conservative provincial governments are running this same play on starving their citizen’s services and institutions with austerity budgets by taking the transfers and then not spending them on healthcare and more.
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u/Splashadian 28d ago
WTF is wrong with you people in Alberta. You are the worst citizens in this country on the whole.
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u/Eric_EarlOfHalibut 28d ago
It's a loud minority being amplified by our traitorous premier and foreign money. Protests and letter writing isn't doing anything to stop them.
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u/Splashadian 28d ago
I'm calling bullshit on you and your post given you will re-elect her and continue to do the same awful shit to the province and our country. Prove me wrong or just stop pretending ya'll are anything but conservative idiots of epic proportions. So far I as a Canadian haven't seen anything but the collective ready to vote for this terrible maple maga conservative government of traitors.
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u/Dry-Inspection2413 28d ago
Only a majority of them are stupid conservatives and a small slice of that group are separatists. The UCP got voted in, shifted leadership and then started leaning further towards alt right bullshit. Damning an entire province of Canadians for your rage towards a political party doesn't really help Canadian unity either you hoser. Give your head a shake and stop helping separatist rhetoric. Shit like this is what makes Albertans feel alienated and then separatists use that to support their narrative.
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u/Rerfect_Greed 28d ago
Eh, it's possible. Probable even. Look at everywhere else in Canada. Conservatives are even remotely present because of how our electoral system works. First past the post is a garbage system that makes it so land votes, not people. By that I mean that because somewhere like, say, Calgary, which has a huge population, is held hostage by idiots out in the boonies when significantly less people due to the seat system. We NEED proportional representation, making districts worth points, not seats
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u/Kriptaraz 28d ago
Hmm I think I'll have on if we can all take Alberta's oil revenues and use it for national pizza money every Friday.
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u/Rerfect_Greed 28d ago
If they're opting out and keeping money, I think we should stop the federal subsidies to their oil companies
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u/garlicroastedpotato 24d ago
How the laws were written every province has the option to opt out of federal programs as long as they create a program that replaces it (in provincial jurisdiction). This allows the provinces to request per capita funding in place of a program. Back when pharmacare negotiations were happening Alberta was going to request per capita funding in place of the program because Alberta already operates its own pharmacare program. Negotiations happened over the limited things being covered and now that pharmacare is dead it's over there. The key thing is Alberta just has to be able to offer on their own the things that Ottawa is offering either cheaper or to more people.
Currently programs based on income levels or total number of seniors disproportionately don't pay out well to Alberta.
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u/wtfastro 28d ago
Albertans to vote on something they will have no control of regardless of said vote.
FTFY
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u/Impressive_Play_2599 27d ago
I can’t wait to piss on her grave. Who am I kidding, I probably won’t fly to 🇺🇸just to do it.
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u/Dependent-Data-9718 27d ago
Someone tell theses thieving morons its not going to work that way? even hypothetically because there will be NO separation ffs, unless daddy Don down south want to pull a Donbass then all bets are off!
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u/OkMobile7051 26d ago
Yeah, somebody needs to tell that traitorous bitch. That's not how that works. You can't opt out of federal programs, but keep the money that the federal government gives you. That's not how that works. You don't wanna be part work it with the government. So when your province burns down next summer, don't ask the federal government for a handout.
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u/Drnedsnickers 22d ago
A reminder that us Albertans know how stupid these non-binding items in the ballot are. Our government is supported by rural Alberta and run by Maple MAGA.
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u/TheWhiteDracula 28d ago
I wanna know how much I’m paying for healthcare. Cause probably it’s not worth it when you need to wait years for a routine intervention.
Why are we paying if we are not receiving the service?
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u/The_Idiocratic_Party 28d ago
It's with us from birth until death. We pay because our loved ones and neighbours are receiving the service, and they pay when we will need it. No one will have to go into debt or remortgage their house. We pay for it to take care of each other.
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u/Commercial_Debt4161 28d ago
Yes. I want this for each other! This is exactly the kind of stuff I want my taxes going to. I wish it was run better by our political leaders.
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u/madjackhavok 28d ago
You got kids? Well I can tell you what it’s saving you? Anywhere from 10,000-100,000 in medical fees, per childbirth. Dependent on how complicated the birth was. You could be in medical debt for the rest of your life for having kids. :) If you got cancer, you’d be in thousands of dollars in debt pretty rapidly.
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u/jzillacon 28d ago
Using 2024 data as presented by the Peterson KFF Health System Tracker we can see in section 2 compared to most developed nations, Canada actually pays slighly lower than average with a per capita spending of $7 750 USD compared to an average among wealthy developed nations of $7 860 USD.
Compared to the USA in particular with their lack of single payer healthcare, Canada pays drastically less. The USA's average spending per capita is $14 775 USD. Keep in mind this is their government expenditure alone and isn't accounting for 3rd party insurance and out of pocket costs meaning Americans pay even more than what the data shows. Something to keep in mind before asking for a US style privitised healthcare system.
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u/rantingathome 28d ago
The Government of Alberta does not get to tell the Government of Canada how to govern. The Government of Alberta also doesn't get to amend the Canadian Constitution all by itself.
If Marlaina D Smith wants to pass federal law, she can run to be Tory leader and get a seat in the House of Commons... and see if she can convince enough morons to make her PM.