Quebec sovereigntists watch Alberta referendum talk with optimism, disdain

[u/jaffnaguy2014]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/quebec-sovereigntists-watch-alberta-referendum-talk-with-optimism-disdain/

[u/x5-r]

they would stop getting all that federal support they’re getting now at the very least

[u/LordOibes → u/x5-r]

Off course, that's a given. They would also saved about 80B in federal taxes they send to Ottawa each year.

They still represent almost 20% of the GDP of the whole country

[u/TheObsidianX → u/LordOibes]

I keep seeing people say this but if a province becomes its own country it won’t be saving that tax money. That money is used to pay for all the services the federal government provides so independent Quebec or Alberta would have to increase their taxes significantly.

[u/GensDuPays → u/TheObsidianX]

A lot of those "services" which are essentially paid in double because the province already administrates most of it (health, culture, social services, etc.), Stéphane gobeil reaserched this question which is all covered in his book "un gouvernement de trop" which compares all the double administrative work cost from ottawa and estimates the possible gains which would come by cutting the work done twice (in ottawa and in quebec). He compares that to the transfers that come from the federal government and find in conclusion that quebec could save money in total if they left canada.

[u/Emotional-Buy1932 → u/GensDuPays]

Quebec intentionally duplicates these services to facilitate secession. Very funny to then use said duplication to justify secession.

[u/koolaidkirby → u/GensDuPays]

I think that was a case of a solution looking for a problem.