Premier Danielle Smith’s government declined a proposal requiring adherence to the outcome of a potential referendum on Alberta’s exit from the Canada Pension Plan. The United Conservative government used its majority to reject the Opposition NDP’s amendment to Bill 2, known as the Alberta Pension Protection Act.
Finance Minister Nate Horner explained that Bill 2 aims to establish a referendum process without imposing constraints on future administrations. Horner labeled the NDP amendment as unclear and redundant during Wednesday’s parliamentary session.
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Horner assured the house, stating, “Our government will honor whatever choice Albertans make in a referendum, be it a yes or no. I want to reassure concerned Albertans that their pensions are secure.”
Although the bill mandates holding a referendum, it grants the government discretion to determine whether it is legally obligated to comply with the result once the plebiscite is called.
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NDP’s finance critic, Shannon Phillips, proposed the amendment to ensure the government’s commitment to following through on the referendum’s outcome. Phillips emphasized the necessity for a written guarantee that the government would respect Albertans’ decisions, especially if the referendum rejects the idea of an Alberta pension plan.
The UCP continued its stance by rejecting multiple amendments proposed by the NDP concerning the Alberta Pension Protection Act. One such amendment sought clarification regarding the utilization of income generated from the prospective Alberta pension plan, a topic left unaddressed in the bill.
The bill stipulates that any funds transferred from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) would need investment in the Alberta pension plan. However, it remains silent on the allocation of income produced by the operational Alberta plan.
In response to this ambiguity, the NDP proposed an amendment mandating that the generated income from the Alberta pension plan must be reinvested back into the plan.
NDP House Leader Christina Gray underscored the significance of this amendment, describing it as a means to close a perceived loophole that might jeopardize pension funds. However, Finance Minister Nate Horner countered this concern in the house, assuring members that such an eventuality would not occur.
This exchange reveals a crucial debate surrounding the safeguarding of funds within the proposed Alberta pension system.
The votes came at the stage of debate known as committee of the whole — the last stage before the bill is discussed and voted on at third and final reading.
The NDP had said it will vote against the bill no matter its final form, but has been introducing amendments, in the words of Phillips, to attempt to “make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
The NDP had hinted it may filibuster the debate Wednesday, which involves scores of members speaking for hours on the amendments around the clock to hold up passage of the bill in order to draw attention to its shortcomings.
The NDP’s attempts to block the bill previously proved unsuccessful. During the second reading, an amendment aiming to halt the bill due to concerns about its adequacy in safeguarding Albertans’ pensions was defeated by the United Conservative majority.
Subsequently, on another occasion, the NDP presented amendments focusing on clarifying regulations governing discussions and the referendum ballot question. However, these proposals faced rejection by the UCP majority as well.
The pension debate has been roiling for more than two months, after Smith called in September for consultations based on a government-commissioned report that concluded Alberta deserves 53 per cent of the entire CPP fund and could provide lower contribution costs and bigger benefits if it split off on its own.
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The federal government has warned of the dangers to the stability of the CPP if Alberta left. Canada’s chief actuary has been tasked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to make its calculation on what Alberta is owed.
Throughout the legislative discussions on the bill, exchanges have been characterized by heated confrontations, insults, and personal attacks, underscoring the contentious nature of the ongoing debate within the legislature.
But in the end, who emerged victorious? It’s obviously the iron lady of Alberta, Danielle Smith. Where Trudeau’s schemes run wild, Smith’s iron fist holds the final period.
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