Poor Albertans Alberta contributed more money to the federal purse than any other province in Canada from 2007 to 2015, and has received fewer dollars in return, according to a study released Thursday.
The study by the Fraser Institute — a conservative, free market policy think tank — found the province contributed $221.4 billion more in revenue than it received in federal transfer payments and other services in those years.
That works out to about $5,000 per Albertan, per year, according to Ben Eisen, director of the Fraser Institute’s Alberta Prosperity Initiative.
The report said that of the $158.3 billion paid out in equalization payments from 2008/09 to 2017/18, roughly $28.1 billion came from Alberta.
It said none of that money has flowed back into Alberta. And it said the province continues to “contribute disproportionately” despite its recent economic woes.