More Albertans oppose the province’s plan to leave the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) than support it, according the results of a new survey.

The data from the Angus Reid Institute published Monday show 48 per cent of Albertans oppose the plan, compared to 36 per cent who approve of it and 17 per cent who are unsure.

Alberta’s government has proposed a referendum on its participation in the CPP, though further consultations on the move have been paused until the province receives asset transfer figures from the federal government.

A report from LifeWorks, commissioned by the Alberta government, claims the province would be entitled to $334 billion, about 53 per cent of the CPP, if it leaves the plan. This figure is disputed, however, and many experts believe the province’s entitlement would be much lower.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Finance Minister Nate Horner have said they are both open to negotiating the CPP entitlement amount.


WHAT DO CANADIANS THINK

Angus Reid’s survey asked Canadians whether they support Alberta’s plan and if they would support a similar plan in their home provinces.

More than half of respondents in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Atlantic Canada said they oppose Alberta’s proposal.

Saskatchewan and Quebec, which already have provincial pension funds, showed the most support for the idea, at 31 percent and 32 per cent, respectively.

Across Canada, 57 per cent of respondents said they do not want their province to follow Alberta’s lead with its proposed exit from the CPP.

ALBERTANS CONCERNED

The survey found a significant number of Albertans are concerned that leaving the CPP will hurt their retirement plans.

The poll found 51 per cent of Albertans believe the change would leave them worse off, while 18 per cent don’t think it would make a difference and 31 per cent believe it would improve their pension.

Additionally, 48 per cent of Albertans believe leaving the national pension plan would hurt their household income, compared to 37 per cent who believe their income would improve.

METHODOLOGY

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Nov. 24 – Dec. 1, 2023, among a representative randomized sample of 3,749 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.


Image: Gil McGowan standing at a microphone outside in the snow with city buildings in the background and people crowded around. Text: (Quote) "Danielle Smith will have a big fight on her hands if she ignores the will of Albertans on CPP" - AFL president Gil McGowan

Although the holidays for Albertans haven’t kicked off yet, the Alberta Legislative Session has been ended by the UCP government. The Opposition tried to amend the government’s pension bill to make the results of a referendum on leaving or staying in the CPP binding on the government, but the UCP voted no and closed debate.

The AFL’s president, Gil McGowan, responded with a statement, pointing out that… “There is no guarantee now, even if the UCP’s scheme to leave the CPP gets put to a referendum, that this government would follow the decision made by Albertans. They know Albertans don’t want them going down this road, but they continue to forge ahead anyway and now they’ve legislated a way to sidestep the will of the public. This is not the kind of democratic responsible governance people expect and deserve.”

Albertans from every corner of the province have been sending a strong message: “HandsOffOurCPP". Through our online petition and call for the government panel to resign, tens of thousands of people are taking action.

It’s clear that Alberta workers, retirees, business representatives, and pension experts overwhelmingly agree that leaving the CPP is not a priority and that continuing to pursue this wrongheaded agenda is detrimental for our province’s economic stability and retirement security.

So, many Albertans are asking the question – why fix what isn’t broken? Why is the premier still pushing this obviously flawed pension proposal and spending millions of our dollars to try to convince us it has any merit when so many are clearly opposed?

One thing to consider is the partisan fringe groups popping up with events and leaflets trying to trump up support for this Alberta standalone pension proposal. Some of them even take credit for the premier supporting the idea of a provincial pension plan and claim to have convinced the UCP to adopt the “Fair Deal Panel” as part of their “western alienation/separatist agenda.

One could wonder, is this really about our pension interests or is it about keeping conversations focused on anti-Ottawa sentiment to politically benefit Danielle Smith and her backers?

Interestingly, even among the supporters of these far-right pro-Smith groups, there are still major concerns being voiced about an Alberta-run pension plan leaving the potential for political interference, less reliability, inferior investment returns, portability challenges, and administration costs of setting up a separate plan.

No matter which party is in government, the AFL is, and will always be, on the side of workers. That means standing up against bad policies that will negatively impact workers and retirees regardless of where they come from.

The evidence is clear – leaving the CPP would be risky and without reward. (You can find our expert-researched report here)

That’s why we will continue to join Albertans and amplify your voices in the effort to protect our pensions. You’ll see much more from us in the new year.

In the meantime, the province’s Official Opposition continues to hold in-person town halls open to the public, you can find them listed here: https://www.albertasfuture.ca/event-registration/cpp-townhall2

The next one is tomorrow evening in Ardrossan.