Confederation’s a bad deal for Western Canada

Editor: Re: letters written recently, two by Ernie Slump — Separation wouldn’t be that hard, Jan. 7, and Alberta’s only hope is to leave Canada behind, Dec. 24 — and one by Mike Polvere — Western Canada should separate before drunken sailors ruin it all, Dec. 26.

These are all excellent letters, which are correct and good food for thought. We need British common law — the roots being the Magna Carta of 1215.

The division of our money (equalization payments where Quebec receives 49.75 per cent of the other provinces’ funding) is not fair where the largest provincial tax dollars are given to Quebec to prop up their benefits, such as lower university tuition fees, free health care, daycare, promoting their own French language, etc. — benefits the rest of Canada cannot afford themselves. Alberta is the biggest spender on these transfer payments to Quebec. Alberta needs their tax dollars right now, yet Quebec does not want our western oil and gas.

It is my understanding that many federal government employees live in Gatineau, Quebec to avoid the high cost of living in Ontario.

No divorce is easy, but Slump has shown us all how hurdles can be overcome in his Jan. 7 letter.

I often wonder when Western Canadians are going to wake up one day and say to themselves “what happened to our economy and to our country?

Carol Stein, Kelowna