Ontario spends LESS per person than all other provinces

[MiddleClassCentrist]

http://i.thestar.com/images/04/ad/5af3171743ca892f7f5f14a4ff7d.jpg

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1142062--ontario-staggers-under-burden-of-fiscal-federalism

Why can't I link pictures on this site to display anyways?

Ontario spends just under $3000 less per person than Alberta.

Why do so many Canadians (mostly bitter westerners) still have this ficticious belief that Ontario gets more than it gives to the federation?

"Ontario, with 39 per cent of the Canadian population, contributed 39 per cent to federal revenues, but benefited from only 34 per cent of federal spending--a gap worth about $12.3 billion or 2.1 per cent of Ontario’s GDP. The report concludes that this — among other factors — demonstrates the “perverse structure of Canadian fiscal federalism.”

Edited March 13, 2012 by MiddleClassCentrist

[fellowtraveller]

Why do so many Canadians (mostly bitter westerners) still have this ficticious belief that Ontario gets more than it gives to the federation?

What a bizarre statement.

The West and particualry Alberta have been giving more than they get for about 40 years. You very rarely hear anybody blubbering about it in Alberta.

Ontario has a couple of shitty years and the whining is deafening, starting with the premier. Did he write the pathetic piece you linked to?

You're the bitter one.

[Newfoundlander]

Looking at what province's spend per capita is a lot more complicated then just looking at the number. It's a lot cheaper to provide services in some province's then other, that's why equalization needs reforming. Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador all lose out on equalization and those provinces should work together to have reforms implemented.

[MiddleClassCentrist]

What a bizarre statement.

The West and particualry Alberta have been giving more than they get for about 40 years. You very rarely hear anybody blubbering about it in Alberta.

Ontario has a couple of shitty years and the whining is deafening, starting with the premier. Did he write the pathetic piece you linked to?

You're the bitter one.

I see more whining from westerners on news forums/articles than any other group.

Ontario is still a net contributor. Plain and simple.

Ontario spends less than every other province per person.

Ontario does not get more than it receives like many would have you believe.

Edited March 13, 2012 by MiddleClassCentrist

[CPCFTW]

I think the whining is more about the money going to "the East". Specifically Quebec and the maritimes. If there is any whining about Ontario it is about Ontario voters facilitating this geographic wealth redistribution by voting in parties who pander to every whim of Quebec. Pretty sure most Westerners are aware that Ontario was the economic engine of Canada until Dalton messed everything up.

[fellowtraveller]

I see more whining from westerners on news forums/articles than any other group.

Ontario is still a net contributor. Plain and simple.

Ontario spends less than every other province per person.

Ontario does not get more than it receives like many would have you believe.

Ontario is a net contributor. So what?

Ontario chooses to spend less than other provinces on common social services. So what? Spend more if you want to.

Please, put your strawman away.

Edited March 13, 2012 by fellowtraveller

[MiddleClassCentrist]

I think the whining is more about the money going to "the East". Specifically Quebec and the maritimes. If there is any whining about Ontario it is about Ontario voters facilitating this geographic wealth redistribution by voting in parties who pander to every whim of Quebec. Pretty sure most Westerners are aware that Ontario was the economic engine of Canada until Dalton messed everything up.

Maybe Ontario is more conservative than even they themselves think?

They believe themselves to be more leftist, and vote with that belief...

Yet the reality does not align with the belief.

[Newfoundlander]

Maybe Ontario is more conservative than even they themselves think?

They believe themselves to be more leftist, and vote with that belief...

Yet the reality does not align with the belief.

What reality?

[Guest Peeves]

Forget Federal spending, McGuinty spends our Ontariari O's great grand kids income.

And he spends it to help civic workers-teachers or anyone else he can bribe for votes.

[Newfoundlander]

Forget Federal spending, McGuinty spends our Ontariari O's great grand kids income.

And he spends it to help civic workers-teachers or anyone else he can bribe for votes.

What are you talking about federal spending for? Did you read the article and the chart?

Edited March 13, 2012 by Newfoundlander

[TheNewTeddy]

"Ontario, with 39 per cent of the Canadian population, contributed 39 per cent to federal revenues, but benefited from only 34 per cent of federal spending--a gap worth about $12.3 billion or 2.1 per cent of Ontario’s GDP.

What a bizarre statement.

The West and particualry Alberta have been giving more than they get for about 40 years. You very rarely hear anybody blubbering about it in Alberta.

Ontario has a couple of shitty years and the whining is deafening, starting with the premier. Did he write the pathetic piece you linked to?

You're the bitter one.

The revenue number used to be closer to 45% before the "few bad years". I'm not sure how losing billions to the feds = the feds are losing billions to Ontario.

Ontario is a net contributor. So what?

Ontario chooses to spend less than other provinces on common social services. So what? Spend more if you want to.

Please, put your strawman away.

FEDERAL spending and revenue. Ontario chooses nothing.

What are you talking about federal spending for? Did you read the article and the chart?

Because

"Ontario, with 39 per cent of the Canadian population, contributed 39 per cent to federal revenues, but benefited from only 34 per cent of federal spending--a gap worth about $12.3 billion or 2.1 per cent of Ontario’s GDP.

And nobody seems to even notice.

[Topaz]

I bet Ontario has just as many welfare people as it does EI and it wouldn't surprise me that Ontario has more unemployed than any other province. Although, The Martime Provinces could be a tied or close to it.

[TheNewTeddy]

http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss01a-eng.htm

NL 12.9% unemployment

PE 10.8

NS 8.2

NB 10.1

QC 8.4

ON 7.6

MB 5.6

SK 5.0

AB 5.0

BC 6.9

http://www.ncw.gc.ca/[email protected]#faq7

NL - 4.8% - 24.7K on Welfare

NB - 5.1% - 38.4K

QC - 4.2% - 331.3K

ON - 3.7% - 474.2K

AB - 0.9% - 34.5K

BC - 1.2% - 54.3K

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/120217/t120217b1-eng.htm

NL 35.9K on EI

PE 8.3K

NS 31.5K

NB 33.6K

QC 160.3K

ON 157.5K

MB 12.4K

SK 9.7K

AB 28.9K

BC 59.7K

Really not that hard to check.

It seems the only single thing that everyone who thinks "Ontario is getting too much" has in common is that they are not aware of any of the facts.

PLEASE NOTE

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=20534

I've created a thread for discussion on weather Ontario gets screwed or not, as, we are hijacking the original thread (on Ontario as a province spending less per-capita than Alberta)

Edited March 14, 2012 by TheNewTeddy

[fellowtraveller]

FEDERAL spending and revenue. Ontario chooses nothing.

Of course Ontario choooses: delivery of social services like welfare or housing subsidies- in addition to the monster programs health and education- are all Ontario responsibilities. Much of the money comes from the feds via transfer (and lately equalization) payments.

Nothing prevents Ontario from increasing provincial taxes and spending more on their own initiative.

Well, nothing but a lack of political will and the ever-popular demonization of the federal government in an attempt to deflect attention away from provincial economic mismanagement. McGuinty needs scapegoats, and he needs them now.

Every region or province attempts this, and given the track record success of Quebec in leveraging political clout into cash, why not try?

In reality, Ontario is ideally sited for this approach with so many federal votes/seats up for grabs. On the other hand, without the leverage of cultural xenophobia that Quebec can bring, McGuinty will have a much harder job rallying the electorate against the feds in Ontario.