Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act — F-8 3.4
Less than 50% of population 3.4 (1) If the aggregate of the average annual population of all provinces for a fiscal year to which a fiscal equalization payment would be paid for that fiscal year, if the amount of that payment were determined under paragraph 3.2(1)(a), is less than 50% of the aggregate of the average annual population of all provinces for that fiscal year and if the amount that may be paid to a province for that fiscal year under section 3.2 would, if paid, result in that province having, in that fiscal year, a total per capita fiscal capacity that is greater than the per capita equalized fiscal capacity of any province that would not receive a fiscal equalization payment for that fiscal year if the amount of that payment were determined under paragraph 3.2(1)(a), the fiscal equalization payment that may be paid to that province for that fiscal year determined under section 3.2 shall be reduced by the amount determined by the formula (A – B) × C where A is the total per capita fiscal capacity of that province for that fiscal year; B is the per capita equalized fiscal capacity for that fiscal year of the province that has the lowest per capita equalized fiscal capacity for that fiscal year and that would not receive a fiscal equalization payment for that fiscal year if the amount of that payment were determined under paragraph 3.2(1)(a); and C is the average annual population of that province for that fiscal year. 50% or more of population (2) If the aggregate of the average annual population of all provinces for a fiscal year to which a fiscal equalization payment would be paid for that fiscal year, if the amount of that payment were determined under paragraph 3.2(1)(a), is 50% or more of the aggregate of the average annual population of all provinces for that fiscal year, the fiscal equalization payment that may be paid to a province for that fiscal year determined under section 3.2 shall be reduced by the greater of the following amounts: (a) zero, and (b) the amount determined by the formula (A – B) × C where A is the total per capita fiscal capacity of that province for that fiscal year, B is the quotient obtained by dividing the aggregate of the equalized fiscal capacity of all provinces to which a fiscal equalization payment would be paid for that fiscal year, if the amount of that payment were determined under paragraph 3.2(1)(a), by the aggregate of the average annual population of all of those provinces for that fiscal year, and C is the average annual population of that province for that fiscal year. Re-calculation (3) If, as a result of the application of subsection (2), the amount of the fiscal equalization payment that may be paid to any province for a fiscal year is reduced to zero, that subsection applies again, but the description of B in that subsection does not include, for that fiscal year, the equalized fiscal capacity and the average annual population of any province to which the amount of the fiscal equalization payment is reduced to zero. Multiple applications (4) For greater certainty, subsection (3) applies after each application of subsection (2). Aggregate payment (5) The aggregate of the fiscal equalization payments that would be paid for a fiscal year beginning after March 31, 2010, if the amounts of those payments were determined under subsections (1) to (4) and section 3.2 as if no province had made an election under subsection 3.2(2), shall be equal to the amount determined by the formula A × (1 + B) where A is, for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2010, $14,185,000,000 and, for a fiscal year beginning after March 31, 2011, the amount determined under this subsection for the previous fiscal year; and B is the average of the annual rates of growth of the nominal gross domestic product of Canada, as determined by the Minister, for the calendar year that ends during the fiscal year in question and for the two previous calendar years. Calculation (6) If the aggregate of the fisc