Alberta Premier Jason Kenney Went Off On Quebec & It Seems Like No One Was Impressed
Twitter isn't happy with Kenney and someone called him "an absolute embarrassment to Alberta."
Raise your hand if you're tired of provincial premiers hating on Quebec over transfer payments.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney went off on Quebec over federal transfer payments at a recent Legislative Assembly of Alberta meeting and quite frankly, no one was impressed.
"Quebec saw its equalization transfers from the national government increase year after year after year to over $13 billion," said the premier. "Effectively, we had unemployed Albertans [...] through their federal taxes, transferring funds to a province which had lower unemployment."
While Albertans contribute $20 billion a year, Quebec is receiving $13 billion a year in equalization payments while blocking the very industry that helps us create so much wealth.\n \nThis kind of unfairness is why Albertans demand respect in the federation.pic.twitter.com/yLt83E1Exu— Jason Kenney (@Jason Kenney) 1636830180
Citing a lack of "fairness," Kenney explained that Alberta will "no longer abide [by] a system where we are compelled to subsidize public services in other parts of Canada while our ability to generate the wealth that creates those transfers is constantly impaired."
Several people were unimpressed by the Alberta premier's speech and disagreed with what he had to say.
A few people pointed out that Kenney only complains about transfer payments when Quebec gets them.
When the federal government gives money to Alberta, it's Albertan's money coming home, according to Kenney.\n\nBut when the federal government gives money to Quebec, it's not Quebecers money coming home. No, that's also Albertan's money, according to Kenney. #cdnpoli— Harry P (@Harry P) 1636999450
This isn't the first time Kenney has clashed with Quebec over transfer payments. In 2019, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet drew the ire of several Albertans on social media after he called their province "an oil state."
Kenney fired back at Blanchet for being "keen on taking the money generated by oilfield workers." Some Twitter users agreed, calling Quebec a "parasite," among other insults.
This time, critics seem to be less keen to come to Kenney's defence.
Jason Kenney is an absolute embarrassment to Alberta. Good God.— Barbara Larochelle (@Barbara Larochelle) 1637001088
One can always tell when Conservative governments in Alberta are in trouble. They drop derogatory and mostly misinformed comments about Qu\u00e9bec. #cdnpoli #abpoli #qcpoli— Diane Marie (@Diane Marie) 1637016842
According to reports, Kenney's approval rating has cratered to 22% — the lowest among all Canadian premiers.
Quebec Premier François Legault's approval rating, meanwhile, is sitting pretty in a three-way tie for first place at 56%.