The Toronto Star's Thomas Walkom takes a skeptical look at Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's claims of his province being sucked dry by Ottawa.

Some excerpts:

Dalton McGuinty is playing a dangerous and unconvincing game. Dangerous because hammering away at the so-called $23 billion gap — the difference between what Ontarians pay into Canada and what they are said to get in return — will fan a sense of grievance the premier may find difficult to extinguish. Unconvincing because the Ontario government's argument does not always make sense. ...

Some of his complaints are valid. There is no logical reason why Quebec should receive almost five times as much federal money per new immigrant as Ontario.

Yet, some are baffling. He argues, correctly, that Ontarians are shortchanged by the federal employment insurance system. In fact, all Canadians are shortchanged by a scheme that deliberately denies benefits to most jobless workers.

However, McGuinty's answer to this problem is not that the jobless should get more. He thinks his government should get more.

He claims a $23-billion gap. But he only wants $5 billion back — just enough, presumably, to put his own budget into balance.

But why just $5 billion? If Ontarians are indeed being ripped off, then why doesn't he reclaim it all? Why accept an $18-billion gap?