A recent survey by the Angus Reid Institute reveals that there is little desire among Albertans and Canadians in general to create new provincial pension plans. In Alberta, 48% of respondents oppose the idea of forming a provincial pension plan, while only 36% support it. Similar opposition is found in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada, with higher levels of support coming from Saskatchewan and Quebec. The survey also found that most Canadians would not want their own province to create a separate pension plan.
The hesitation in Alberta seems to stem from concerns about the disputed amount of benefit that Albertans would receive under a provincial pension plan. The prevailing sentiment is that there would be no change or a net loss to their retirement savings. On the other hand, some Albertans believe they would receive more in the future under an Alberta pension plan compared to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Overall, the survey shows that Canadians are largely opposed to Alberta leaving the CPP and creating a new provincial pension plan.
Support for the Alberta Pension plan splits along partisan lines, with 67% of UCP voters supporting the idea, while 92% of NDP voters oppose the idea. The full results of the survey can be found here: https://angusreid.org/alberta-canada-pension-plan-danielle-smith-ucp/
