About Western Alienation in Canada

Western alienation is a phenomenon unique to Canadian politics. It is rooted in the belief that the Canadian political climate does not serve the interests of Western provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia. The central provinces Quebec and Ontario have larger populations and therefore greater representation in the Senate and House of Commons. Westerners, therefore, believe that politicians and legislators devote more of their time and resources to the vote-rich central provinces at the expense of the west. As a result, many Western Canadians feel alienated and disenfranchised from the political process.

History

The history of Western Alienation dates back to Canadian Confederation and the forming of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. In the 1870s, Conservative Party Prime Minister John Macdonald implemented a new national policy of protectionist trade policies on imported manufactured goods. This was partially in response to the high tariffs that were in place in the United States. Western provinces argued that the tariffs and discriminatory freight rates favored the central provinces while Western farmers had to compete with international markets for grain prices.

Time Frame

In the latter part of the 20th century, Western Alienation was also manifested in conflicts between the provinces and the central government. The 1947 discovery of oil was a boon for Alberta's economy, but it also led to discord between the province and the Canadian federal government. This was similar to battles between states rights and central government authority in the United States. Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed argued that the province should be able to use its oil profits to propel its economy. However, in the 1980s Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau implemented the National Energy Program and sought to use the oil profits to stabilize oil prices nationwide.

Features

Economic equalization is another factor that has exacerbated sentiments of Western Alienation, particularly in Alberta. Equalization programs involve government allocation of federal funds into poorer provinces while wealthy citizens pay higher equalization payments. The purpose of the equalization payments was to promote national unity by ensuring that the provinces have comparable standards of living, health care and education. Conservative economists, however, argue that the policies are unfairly redistributive. These policies have been a source of discontent in Alberta, as (according to Wikipedia) the province gives an average of $1.1 billion per year in equalization payments. Since wealthy Alberta receives less funding from the federal government, the province is forced to impose higher local taxes to collect revenue.

Geography

The Quebec Sovereignty movement has also fueled sentiments of alienation among western provinces. Westerners will argue that the Canadian government devotes too much of its attention in resources to Quebec out of fear that the province will secede. As a "have not" province, Quebec receives the largest amounts of equalization payments--according to Wikipedia, $5.5 billion per year. Canadians will also point out the Sponsorship Scandal of the 1990s as an example of the favoritism the province receives. In response to separatist movements in Quebec, the Sponsorship Scandal was an extravagant federal effort to pour money into the Quebec in hopes of promoting pro-Canadian movements in the province.

Effects

The Quebec sovereignty issue has caused particular resentment in British Columbia. The Sponsorship Scandal of Quebec had led to a "Salmon War" between British Columbia and the United States. British Columbia had grievances about American overfishing in the Pacific Rim. B.C. Premier Glen Clark took Ottawa's inaction as a yet another sign of the government's lack of support for Western provincial matters. B.C. fishermen took matters into their own hands by holding an American ferry hostage for three days. Senator Pat Carney argued that British Columbia should use the threat of separatism as a means of gaining Ottawa's attention to Western affairs.

Considerations

Much of the backlash against Western Alienation comes from Quebec and Ontario. Wentworth Sutton of the Semiologico-Hermeneutic Institute in Toronto argues that it is not the East that hates the West, but rather it is the other way around. He believes that Albertans use anti-Eastern sentiments to deal with their own guilt about their prosperity. He also argues that Eastern provinces had made Alberta wealthy by subsidizing their oil industry. Albertans will, of course, disagree, arguing that Canada's National Policy of tariffs and protectionism had benefited the Eastern provinces to the detriment of Western farmers.

Prevention/Solution

While Western alienation has led to various separatist movements in Alberta and British Columbia, others believe that solutions will not come from separatism, but rather from the Canadian government itself. Former Member of Parliament David Kilgour states that, "Any national government that really wants more national unity in the 1990s must undertake this task, and undertake it quickly." Although there are no easy solutions, Kilgour proposes measures such as increased immigration, better economic opportunities and greater attention from the national government to Western affairs.

Resources

• WIkipedia: Western Alienation
• CBC: The Question of Western Alienation
• David Kilgour: Remedying Western Alienation