In an open letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed that he is “deeply concerned” about her plan to pull the province out of the Canada Pension Plan. “Alberta’s withdrawal would weaken the pensions of millions of seniors and hardworking people in Alberta and right across the country,” Trudeau wrote. (The Logic)
Talking point: Smith proposed a plan last month to withdraw from CPP and create an independent Alberta pension plan. The idea is based on a highly criticized report that suggested the province would be entitled to $334 billion of CPP’s assets in 2027. In a letter sent Tuesday to Jim Dinning, the head of a panel consulting with Albertans on the plan, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board—which manages about $570 billion in assets on behalf of CPP’s 20 million members—raised concerns that public consultations have been biased and manipulative. In response, Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner said “CPPIB has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, given Alberta’s significant share of assets they invest.”