Albertans demand details, risk assessment in telephone town hall on quitting CPP

The provincial panel gathering feedback on whether Alberta should quit the Canada Pension Plan heard arguments for and against the idea in a telephone town hall Monday, but the overriding theme was a demand for details in order to make an informed decision.

The provincial panel gathering feedback on whether Alberta should quit the Canada Pension Plan heard arguments for and against the idea in a telephone town hall Monday, but the overriding theme was a demand for details in order to make an informed decision.

The panel, headed up by former Alberta treasurer Jim Dinning, was also taken to task by two callers for focusing their public opinion surveys on how an Alberta pension plan should be set up rather than clearly asking Albertans whether or not they even want to leave the CPP in the first place.

A caller identified as Harvey said the panel’s online survey, launched almost a month ago, and an impromptu survey it ran during Monday’s town hall, were designed to deliver a predetermined outcome.

“Nowhere in those questions were we allowed just to say flat ‘We disagree with this (leaving CPP),’” said Harvey, who added he does not favour quitting the federal nest-egg fund.

“There seems to be an unwillingness on the part of the of the people who are presenting this idea (that) they don't want to be told ‘We don’t want this.’”

Dinning told Harvey the surveys are purposely designed to not ask Albertans whether they want to quit CPP because that would be premature.

“Rather than pop the question too early, the purpose of these town hall meetings is to hear from Albertans, hear their concerns (about an Alberta plan), so that we can make note of that for the government, so ultimately they will be obliged to address them."