DCHP-2

have-not province "have not" province DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Politics

  a province which qualifies for equalization payments from the federal government that ensure public services comparable to those in other provinces, at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.

  Type: 1. Origin — The first formal equalization payment program was instituted in 1957 (Canadian Encyclopedia reference, see the 1957 quotation) and the concept of equalization payments was reconfirmed in the 1982 Constitution Act. Provinces which qualify for equalization payments are known as have-not provinces. The term is restricted to Canada (see Chart 1). The parallel term, have province, is attested somewhat later.
  See also Gage-5, s.v. "have-not", COD-2, s.v. "have-not province", which labels it "Cdn".

  See also: equalization  have province  transfer payment