Bell: Ontario, Quebec feel Albertans are loud whiners over nothing
The Angus Reid poll confirms the steady rat-a-tat-tat of emails fired into my inbox whenever the idea of Alberta being screwed around by the Liberal government in Ottawa comes up.
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The incoming abuse almost always is from Ontario, the self-proclaimed centre of the universe.
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There are a few missiles shot from Quebec, often the favoured ones in this country called Canada.
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Albertans you make me sick. You've got your stupid oil. Why don't you just shut the hell up?
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What don't you just leave Canada if you don't like the way things are run here?
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You get the idea. Then there's the poll.
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People are asked if they believe western Canada, of which Alberta is a big slice of that pie, complains too much.
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The majority in Ontario say yes. Too much bellyaching out west.
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The majority in Quebec agree. As do the Atlantic provinces.
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And in the last six years, the number who believe the complaining has gone too far has grown.
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My guess is if Angus Reid pollsters had only asked about Alberta complaining, and not lumped the province in with the other western provinces, those saying there is too much complaining out here would be even higher.
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This is just the beginning of the picture.
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When Albertans are asked about the West's political power, three out of four Albertans say the West has too little power.
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Ontario, Quebec and down east feel we have just about the right amount of political power, which is almost squat.
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As for the West's economic influence, that's a big question in Alberta since this province gives Canada more than it gets and receives more contempt than respect in return.
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Of course, Albertans believe the West has too little economic influence but, you guessed it, Ontario and Quebec and the Atlantic provinces think the West's economic influence is just fine the way it is.
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It really is stunning.
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