Canada’s business leaders recognize the need and drawbacks of Canada’s transfer payment system. While moderately supportive of transfer payments as part of our responsibility as a democratic and caring society, respondents in this business panel are concerned that transfer payments create dependencies in recipient provinces that impede economic growth. They also have reservations that transfer payments effectively spread economic growth more evenly throughout the country.

With respect to the recent speculation that Alberta may forgo transfer payments to have the freedom to operate its healthcare system outside of the Canada Health Act, business leaders give this scenario slightly favorable odds.

These are the key findings of the on-line weekly study of Canada’s business leaders for publication in the Financial Post under the sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.