Letter: Alberta Prosperity Project irresponsible, misleading in its separation quest

By Letter to the Editor on August 21, 2025.

Dear editor,

The other day an ad from the Alberta Prosperity Project showed up on my Facebook page. It told me how much better off I would be if Alberta separated from Canada (not too different from the successful, albeit dishonest, “Leave” promises prior to the British Brexit vote).

While it is true Albertans would not be paying federal taxes upon separation, anything else that Project says should be considered suspect. The Project’s website claims leaving CPP would “provide approximately $334 billion” for an Alberta Pension Plan.

This is nonsense – even the UCP has admitted Alberta would receive almost $200B less – at least according to their Alberta Next video on the topic. This is based upon the Dec, 2024 report of Canada’s chief actuary saying Alberta would get between 20 and 25 per cent – not 53 per cent as the Project still claims.

Trevor Tombe, the UofC economics professor sitting on the Alberta Next Panel, gave his take on the economic effects of separation in a July 24 thehub.ca article.

While worth reading in its entirety, his conclusion states, “A separate Alberta would be a poorer Alberta.”

The Project offered a rebuttal, claiming Tombe was engaging in misinformation, that his motivation is to “keep his paymasters happy” (he has been paid by governments as a consultant) and that the hub.ca is a left wing publication – before offering their speculative defence.

This includes the question, “Isn’t Trump pushing for no tariff zones with countries?” then wondering why Alberta would not welcome one and increase cross border trade.

So, exactly which countries has Trump offered no tariff zones to?

A responsible organization would not continue to misinform its audience about the size of a possible money transfer from the CPP to an APP.

A responsible organization would focus on economic analysis rather than attempting to denigrate the economist and the publication (thehub.ca is rated as a right of centre publication with a high degree of reliability).

Publishing false financial information about a CPP transfer suggests there is reason to distrust any and all of the Project’s financial analysis.

Using innuendo and false characterization in an attempt to discredit an informed critic and publication is distasteful. Anyone valuing integrity had best look elsewhere (and for any who care, Brexit has caused harm to the British economy).

Ed Dick

Medicine Hat

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