Alberta's vote on whether to reject equalization is about leverage, premier says

Albertans will cast ballots Monday in a referendum that is technically about rejecting equalization but has morphed into more of a Prairie Festivus airing of grievances.

“[This] is not about partisan politics,” Premier Jason Kenney has said at various times in recent days, when asked about the referendum question.

“This is about whether or not Alberta should push hard to get a fair deal.”

It’s symbolism, he said, but also a bargaining chip.

“The point of it is to get leverage for constitutional negotiations with the federal government about reform of the entire system of fiscal federalism, which treats Alberta so unfairly,”