Alberta. won't share energy windfall, saysKlein

Will someone please take Ralph Klein out to the woodshed and give him a good whack on his derriere? Is he Premier of Alberta, a Canadian province, or President of the Republic of Alberta? I suppose he'll soon be repeating the phrase: "Let the eastern bastards freeze." There's no hope that our weak PM Martin is going to stand up to Klein or any other provincial premier. It looks like the federation is slowly being dismantled. Give us a new federal leader who will stand up for the Canada we once knew and loved.

Alta. won't share energy windfall: Klein


Canadian Press


September 16, 2005



CREDIT: CP PICTURE ARCHIVE, Aug.2005, Mike Sturk
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein.

CALGARY -- Alberta Premier Ralph Klein says the rest of Canada can forget about getting an extra slice of the province's energy windfall.

"It's not in the cards," Klein told reporters Friday after a poll suggested Canadians outside the oil-rich province want to share the wealth being generated by soaring energy prices.

"When you have money, everyone wants some, including the rest of Canada," he said, adding that the current situation is no different than when Alberta was booming in 1980.

"The rest of Canada was saying the same thing: 'Give me, give me, give me,"' said the premier. "Then the price of oil went down and the rest of Canada was wringing their hands in glee saying, 'You deserved it."'

Klein said Alberta already sends billions of dollars to Ottawa that is distributed to the rest of the country through equalization payments. That's about $2,400 for every man, woman and child in the province.

He noted the rest of Canada didn't send economic aid to Alberta when the oil boom collapsed and Alberta was thrown into economic turmoil.

Klein said he's already received $10 billion in funding requests -- far more than even the most optimistic economic forecast is predicting for the current year's surplus.

© Canadian Press 2005