A recent Leger poll shows most Albertans opposing the proposed Alberta Pension Plan
The NDP has called on the UCP to drop its proposed provincial pension plan as the support for it continues to decline, as reported in an article by Calgary Herald.
A Leger poll from the previous week found that there was about 52 percent of Albertans opposed the creation of a provincial plan, while 22 percent were in favour and 26 percent were undecided. Among UCP supporters, approval has also decreased to 40 percent. In October, this was at 54 percent.
“(Premier) Danielle Smith is not stopping with her plan to gamble with Albertans’ retirement security,” said Shannon Phillips, NDP finance critic for insurance and pensions.
“I’m here today to resound the alarm bell, in defence of our Canada Pension Plan,” she added.
Phillips explained that Albertans are concerned about their retirement security as well as handing over a benefit that they have worked for the entirety of their lives. She further noted that the plan undermined the business confidence in the province as well as the ability of Canadians to move in Alberta or retire somewhere else.
“She (Smith) wants to direct how our pensions are managed and take away from that arm’s-length investment of the CPP, which has the best pension management track record in the world,” said Phillips.
“A couple of days ago, we learned from internal government documents that any Alberta Pension Plan would mean setting up a new provincial infrastructure,” she added.
However, the Alberta government stated that a provincial pension plan would not require an Alberta revenue agency.
According to the Ontario government, the report about the Alberta pension plan overstated what the province could possibly extract from the Canada Pension Plan.
Phillips further noted that Albertans were worried about the interference of political parties in their retirement security.
The Alberta government is currently waiting for the additional analysis by the Office of the Chief Actuary of Canada, which will outline its opinion regarding the value of the asset transfer that Alberta may receive if it draws away from the CPP.
