Premier Smith’s panel makes changes to pension, policing surveys to fix ‘oversight’

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a press conference in Edmonton on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta is making changes to its online citizen survey following criticism that the original version was a slanted push poll designed to stir up discontent with the federal government.

Smith’s office confirmed Thursday they are making changes to three of the six surveys launched three weeks ago to gauge public opinion on Alberta distancing itself from Ottawa oversight and control.

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They’re part of Smith’s touring town hall panel, dubbed Alberta Next, pitching strategies that could lead to possible referendums.

Three of the six surveys asked respondents to comment on the province creating its own pension plan, police force and tax collection agency. But those who filled out those surveys weren’t allowed to disagree with the concept. That is changing, said Smith’s spokesman.

“While we are very interested in hearing everyone’s top benefit and top concern on these issues, panelists had heard feedback from various people during this week’s town halls that they wanted a ‘none of the above’ option to select, so we added that option to the pension plan and provincial police surveys,” Sam Blackett said in an email.

“For consistency, we have also added it to the tax collection question.”

Almost 32,000 people have filled out the online survey, and can’t take it a second time due to IP address checks.

At an Alberta Next town hall Wednesday, Smith announced the revised questions after hearing continued criticism about the survey’s bias.

On Thursday morning, Smith told The Canadian Press the changes were to fix an oversight and said the results of all surveys would be combined, despite the fact that some surveys would now have options not open to others.

“We’re just trying to get some indication of whether or not an issue has sufficient support to put on a ballot,” she said. “I think we’ll get a good indication from the people who respond to the surveys and come to our town halls.”

But by Thursday afternoon, Smith’s office reversed course.

“As the change does add some complexity, the survey results for the different versions will be separated,” said Blackett. 

Blackett noted that all surveys already have a comments portal for people to make their opinion known, and said “many have.”

The end result is nine surveys: the original six, plus the three surveys containing the amended questions.

Opposition NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi said the entire engagement process has been manipulated.

“From the beginning to the end, this is all about Danielle Smith setting up the system so that she can have the referendum questions that she wants on the ballot,” she said.

“The premier doesn’t care, honestly, what Albertans think about these issues, because if she did, she would know that all of the ideas she’s proposing — from the police force to Alberta tax collection to the Alberta pension plan — have all been solidly rejected by Albertans for years."

Alberta public opinion pollster Janet Brown said the government’s effort is not a polling exercise, but a public engagement exercise, and changing the questions mid-stream only underscores that.

She said the survey will offer a good idea of who participated in the process, but it’s not a random representative survey, so she would still want to do her own before coming to conclusions about public opinion.

“If you turn your porch light on and then you count all the insects that start coming to the light, you’ve learned something about the insects in your backyard that are attracted to the light, but you haven’t learned anything about the insects that aren’t attracted to the light,” Brown said.

Brown added she understands why the premier is giving Albertans an opportunity to express their anger with Ottawa.

“I’m not saying she’s right or she’s wrong for doing it,” said Brown. “But there’s a group of agitated people out there, and this is an exercise to engage with them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.

By Lisa Johnson and Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press