UCP Government needs to abandon unpopular, ill-advised crusade

EDMONTON

The Alberta government inexcusably continues to refuse to release the results of a survey it ran in late 2023 to gauge Albertans’ support for its proposal to withdraw Alberta workers from the Canada Pension Plan. 

“It’s well over a year and they’re still hiding the results of the survey from Albertans,” said Bradley Lafortune, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “We suspect they’re hiding results that many other public surveys have already made clear: Albertans want nothing to do with this ill-advised crusade. ”

In 2023 the UCP government released an information campaign that was clearly designed to talk Albertans into agreeing to leave the Canada Pension Plan, respected world-wide for providing secure and well-managed pensions to all Canadian workers. It included a survey for Albertans to fill out. In spite of the heavily biased presentation of both the “information” and the survey, 94,000 Albertans took the time to answer. 

Freedom of information requests from media and other organizations since early 2024 have been refused, or answered with reams of completely blacked-out pages.. At first the government claimed that the requested records didn’t exist, then that they existed but weren’t yet available.  Finally, it claimed the records were withheld, as allowed in section 24(1)the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, because they might reveal advice or proposals to the government. This last excuse is directly contrary to section 24(2) which says public survey data can’t be withheld for that reason. The matter is being investigated by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.

“This lack of transparency verging on bad faith on an important public issue must stop,” said Lafortune. 

“It’s time to come clean,” said Lafortune. “Admit that in spite of your best efforts, Albertans are not buying what you’re selling. Release the survey results and assure Albertans that they have been heard and the whole risky, short-sighted and unpopular attempt to commandeer Albertans’ pensions is being abandoned.”

Public Interest Alberta’s Canada Pension Working Group is made up of pension experts, retired academics, advocates and pensioners. They are committed to transparency, accountability and ensuring Alberta remains in the CPP.

Background:

EJ Article: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-pension-plan-privacy-commissioner-investigation