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We deserve better: Stelmach

Premier Ed Stelmach is ramping up the rhetoric as Alberta tries to squeeze nearly $1 billion in additional health transfers and stabilization payments from Ottawa.
Ed Stelmach, Stephen Harper
Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a joint announcement with the Premier of Alberta Ed Stelmach

Premier Ed Stelmach is ramping up the rhetoric as Alberta tries to squeeze nearly $1 billion in additional health transfers and stabilization payments from Ottawa.

Stelmach says he’s never seen any rule for federal stabilization payments that says this is a program for every province other than Alberta.

The premier stately emphatically that Alberta would be in a lot better shape if the province could have kept some of the $117 billion in net payments to Ottawa over the last 10 years.

Stelmach then told a news conference that Alberta’s massive energy projects will carry the national economy.

He suggested that Canada’s economic recovery would not be led by fishing, agriculture or auto giants Chrysler and General Motors.

The Alberta premier says he is appealing directly to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in hopes of getting an additional $700 million in health transfers, plus $225 million in stabilization payments.