CUPE says no to provincial pension idea, as do most Albertans, it turns out

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Alberta’s president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees says she was not surprised that only 10 per cent of Albertans support the Alberta Pension Plan, an idea proposed and promoted by the UCP since Premier Danielle Smith took over.

On June 19, Ray Uppal shared results of a survey conducted by the provincial government with media outlets after the request for information was made by the Edmonton Journal.

According to the results of 94,000 Albertans who participated in the provincial survey, 63 per cent show opposition to leaving the Canada Pension Plan, while only 10 per cent support the idea. Twelve per cent were undecided or unsure, and 15 per cent provided alternative or non-answers.

“I know Danielle Smith likes to flirt with separatists, but the Canada Pension Plan is one of the strongest reasons for Alberta to remain in Canada,” says Uppal. “The premier needs to abandon this idea and stop threatening the retirement security of Albertans.”

Uppal says the creation of the pension plan alone would cost more and deliver weaker investment returns and smaller pensions to retirees.

According to Post Media, reporters at the Journal had to wait 21 months to receive the results of the 2023 provincial pension plan engagement survey. The Journal on June 18 published the results of the survey, conducted from September to December 2023.