There’s a story today about Dalton McGuinty and his opposition to more Equalization being doled out to Quebec, Manitoba and Atl. Canada.
McGuinty is opposed to any increase in the $12-billion revenue-sharing equalization program for poorer provinces until Ontario starts getting the same levels of per-capita funding as other provinces.
I just have one question for Mr. McGuinty.
Do you think he would agree to a ‘same level of per-capita’ funding when it comes to federal R&D expenditures? The feds spend $4.6 billion in science & technology in Ontario and the National Capital region every year compared to $122 million in New Brunswick. On a per-capita basis that means Ontario gets three times as much R&D spending as New Brunswick.
Do you think he would agree to a ‘same level of per-capita’ funding when it comes to federal economic development programs such as Technology Partnerships Canada which doled out almost $4 billion – the majority in Ontario – and less than a couple of million in New Brunswick?
Do you think he would agree to a ‘same level of per-capita’ funding when it comes to federal government spending? Ontario firms get 4-5 times as much as New Brunswick firms.
Do you think he would agree to a ‘same level of per-capita’ funding when it comes to federal jobs? Ontario has something like ten times as many federal government employees per capita as New Brunswick?
The way I figure it, if McGuinty would agree to make all these areas open to ‘per capita’ [e]qualization – I think New Brunswick would come out far ahead.