Response of Ruling Elite to Alberta Pension Plan Proposal
After Alberta Premiere Danielle Smith announced that the United Conservative Party (UCP) government would pursue the establishment of an Alberta Pension Plan to replace the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for workers who live or work in Alberta, she appointed Jim Dinning as Chair of the Alberta Pension Plan Engagement Panel.
Dinning appeared to be a credible representative of the corporate elite in Alberta. Dinning served as Provincial Treasurer from 1992-1997, among other cabinet positions, presiding over the anti-social, anti-worker assault launched by the Ralph Klein government. He left politics after his unsuccessful bid to replace Klein as leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives. He has a history of directorships, including a string of appointments as Chair of the Board, as long as your arm, is a former Chancellor of the University of Calgary, member of the Order of Canada, and one-time Chair of the Calgary Health Region. But it appears that he has been unsuccessful in providing a corporate stamp of approval.
Federal Conservative leader Pierre Polievre told the National Post that "The division today on the CPP is entirely the result of Justin Trudeau attacking the Alberta economy. His unconstitutional anti-development laws and painful carbon taxes have forced Albertans to look for ways to get some of their money back."
"We would not be having this CPP debate if I were today prime minister because Alberta would be free from carbon taxes, unconstitutional anti-energy laws, and other unfair wealth transfers."
"I encourage Albertans to stay in the CPP."
Calgary Chamber of Commerce CEO Deborah Yedlin issued a statement expressing serious reservations about an Alberta Pension Plan. "The Alberta Pension Plan proposal is complex and has far-reaching implications for businesses and investors -- in Alberta and across Canada. Dismantling existing systems and altering our pension system could compromise labour mobility from other provinces, the benefits of risk pooling that comes with a larger pension fund, and investor confidence. We urge the government to strongly consider -- and prioritize -- stability across all public policy decisions."
Calgary Herald columnist Chris Varcoe, who faithfully represents the interests of the Alberta energy oligarchs, reported that "a new poll of business operators conducted by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce found a majority believe withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan and establishing a provincial program would disadvantage their companies over the next three to five years."
"The UCP are always happy to annoy and challenge Liberal Ottawa. Such fun. But now they're going too far, making Alberta look like a threat to the whole country," another Calgary Herald columnist, Don Braid said.
The Business Council of Canada also expressed its dismay. Its CEO Goldy Hyder said, "You have to be careful what you wish for. It could unravel the whole thing and a lot of Canadians could be exposed quite dramatically in their pensions," the Calgary Herald reported.
Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams reported there are grumblings among federal Conservatives that Alberta's claim to 53 per cent of the CPP could be alienating Canadians and "help Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's currently-beleaguered electoral fortunes."
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 12 - December 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530127.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca