Alberta set to release report on whether to ditch CPP for provincial pension plan

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to the media in Calgary, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The Alberta government is to release its long-promised report on whether the province should quit the Canada Pension Plan and pursue its own provincial program.

Premier Danielle Smith, along with Finance Minister Nate Horner and panel chair Jim Dinning, are to release the report at a news conference in Calgary on Thursday.

Both Smith and her predecessor, Jason Kenney, have extolled the potential of a go-it-alone program, given Alberta's wealth and comparatively young population.

Smith has said regardless of the report's conclusions, Albertans would have the final say on whether to abandon CPP in a referendum.

The Opposition NDP has said Smith is playing politics by seeking another wedge issue with the federal government.

The NDP has also said the idea is offside with public sentiment, given opinion polls suggest ditching CPP is deeply unpopular with Albertans.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023.