As Alberta enters the fourth year of debate over whether to ditch the Canada Pension Plan, the Opposition NDP says Premier Danielle Smith’s government is dragging its feet in order to manipulate the outcome. Alberta finance minister Nate Horner speaks at a news conference in Calgary, on June 29, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
EDMONTON – Alberta is entering the fourth year of debate over whether to ditch the Canada Pension Plan and the Opposition NDP is accusing the United Conservative government of dragging its feet in order to sway the outcome.
NDP house leader Christina Gray says the UCP has failed to release a long-promised analysis of the proposal because it’s busy doctoring the report to make the case for Alberta going it alone on pensions.
Gray says opinion polls suggest ditching CPP would be deeply unpopular and studies say it could be catastrophic.
But she says Premier Danielle Smith continues to pursue it just to thumb her nose at the federal government.
The UCP government under former premier Jason Kenney began studying the issue in June 2020, and a third-party report was to be released in the spring of 2021 but has met with delays ever since.
Smith directed Finance Minister Nate Horner in a letter last week to release the report and consult with Albertans on whether a referendum should be held on leaving the CPP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2023.
