Alberta
Free Alberta Strategy trying to force Trudeau to release the pension calculation
Just over a year ago, Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner unveiled a report exploring the potential risks and benefits of an Alberta Pension Plan.
The report, prepared by pension analytics firm LifeWorks – formerly known as Morneau Shepell, the same firm once headed by former federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau – used the exit formula outlined in the Canada Pension Plan Act to determine that if the province exits, it would be entitled to a large share of CPP assets.
According to LifeWorks, Alberta’s younger, predominantly working-class population, combined with higher-than-average income levels, has resulted in the province contributing disproportionately to the CPP.
The analysis pegged Alberta’s share of the CPP account at $334 billion – 53% of the CPP’s total asset pool.
We’ve explained a few times how, while that number might initially sound farfetched, once you understand that Alberta has contributed more than it’s taken out, almost every single year CPP has existed, while other provinces have consistently taken out more than they put in and technically *owe* money, it starts to make more sense.
But, predictably, the usual suspects were outraged.
Media commentators and policy analysts across the country were quick to dismiss the possibility that Alberta could claim such a significant portion. To them, the idea that Alberta workers had been subsidizing the CPP for decades seemed unthinkable.
The uproar prompted an emergency meeting of Canada’s Finance Ministers, led by now-former federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Alberta pressed for clarity, with Horner requesting a definitive number from the federal government.
Freeland agreed to have the federal Chief Actuary provide an official calculation.
If you think Trudeau should release the pension calculation, click here.
Four months later, the Chief Actuary announced the formation of a panel to “interpret” the CPP’s asset transfer formula – a formula that remains contentious and could drastically impact Alberta’s entitlement.
(Readers will remember that how this formula is interpreted has been the matter of much debate, and could have a significant impact on the amount Alberta is entitled to.)
Once the panel completed its work, the Chief Actuary promised to deliver Alberta’s calculated share by the fall. With December 20th marking the last day of fall, Alberta has finally received a response – but not the one it was waiting for:
“We received their interpretation of the legislation, but it did not contain a number or even a formula for calculating a number,” said Justin Brattinga, Horner’s press secretary.
In other words, the Chief Actuary did the complete opposite of what they were supposed to do.
The Chief Actuary’s job is to calculate each province’s entitlement, based on the formula outlined in the CPP Act.
It is not the Chief Actuary’s job to start making up new interpretations of the formula to suit the federal government’s agenda.
In fact, the idea that the Chief Actuary spent all this time working on the issue, and didn’t even calculate a number is preposterous.
There’s just no way that that’s what happened.
Far more likely is that the Chief Actuary did run the numbers, using the formula in the CPP Act, only for them – and the federal government – to realize that Alberta’s LifeWorks calculation is actually about right.
Cue panic, a rushed attempt to “reinterpret” the formula, and a refusal to provide the number they committed to providing.
In short, we simply don’t believe that the Chief Actuary didn’t, you know, “actuarialize” anything.
For decades, Alberta has contributed disproportionately to the CPP, given its higher incomes and younger population.
Despite all the bluster in the media, this is actually common sense.
A calculation reflecting this reality would not sit well with other provinces, which have benefited from these contributions.
By withholding the actual number, Ottawa confirms the validity of Alberta’s position.
The refusal to release the calculation only adds fuel to the financial firestorm already underway in Ottawa.
Albertans deserve to know the truth about their contributions and entitlements.
We want to see that number.
If you agree, and want to see the federal government’s calculation on what Alberta is owed, sign our petition – Tell Trudeau To Release The Pension Calculation:
Once you’ve signed, send this petition to your friends, family, and all Albertans.
Thank you for your support!
Regards,
The Free Alberta Strategy Team
President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Nate Horner issued the following statement about the ongoing negotiations with TEBA and the ATA:
“Last Friday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) made an offer to the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA). Both parties have agreed to form a tentative agreement based on shared priorities and members will vote on the tentative agreement in the coming days.
“My thanks to both parties for their work in developing a tentative agreement that reflects elements that are good for teachers and the education system, as a whole.
“Alberta’s government is investing nearly $10 billion, the largest investment in the province’s history, to support the province’s teachers and students. On top of that, we’re putting $8.6 billion into building and renovating over 130 schools so students have safe, modern spaces to learn. Alberta’s government has also committed to hiring 3,000 additional teachers to reduce class sizes and support student learning.
“If ratified, this deal will form the basis for labour stability in the province and will be a positive path forward for a successful school year for our kids. Out of respect for the ratification process, I won’t get into the specifics of the deal, but I will say the tentative agreement is strong on classroom investment.
“At this time, both TEBA and I have no further comments.”
From LifeSiteNews
Prolife Alberta’s ‘Left to Die’ campaign demands protections for the hundreds of babies born alive after failed abortions, urging policy changes to ensure they receive medical care.
Prolife Alberta has launched a campaign to demand protections for children born alive after failed abortions.
The organization announced a new initiative titled “Left to Die,” which seeks to expose Alberta’s current policy that leaves babies born alive after botched abortions to die without care.
“LeftToDie.ca shines a light on a tragedy most Albertans don’t even know is happening: babies being born alive after failed abortions and left to die without care,” a Prolife Alberta spokesperson told LifeSiteNews.
“Using official government data, we are exposing this hidden reality and mobilizing grassroots citizens to press Alberta’s elected officials to act,” the spokesperson continued. “Our goal is to see AHS policies revised so this practice can no longer continue, and to establish clear protections ensuring that every child born alive — no matter the circumstances — receives the same right to medical care and comfort as any other newborn.”
According to official data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), which is the federal agency in charge of reporting the nation’s health data, in 2023-2024, there were a staggering 133 late-term abortions in Alberta. Of these, 28 babies were born alive after the abortion and left to die.
This fact was recently exposed in an opinion piece published by the Western Standard from Richard Dur, who serves as the executive director of Prolife Alberta.
However, so far, Alberta officially has failed to introduce legislation to protect babies born alive after abortions despite knowing about the situation.
As Prolife Alberta pointed out, “twenty-five years ago, as a columnist for the Calgary Herald, Danielle Smith exposed the horror of babies being born alive after failed abortions and left to die – a ‘horrific practice,’ in her own words.”
“Today, as Premier of Alberta, she is in a position not just to write about this injustice — but to end it,” the organization explained. “Every day adds to 25 years of silence since that article was published. Her silence — and that of her government — sustains the policy.”
The new campaign encourages Albertans to educate themselves regarding the situation and to share this information and the campaign with their family and friends. Albertans are also advised to contact their local MLA through the new website and to urge them to support protections for babies born alive.
“Regardless of where one stands on abortion, life after birth should matter to all of us,” Prolife Alberta told LifeSiteNews. “To deny a living child even the most basic medical care — merely because of the circumstances of their birth — is a profound moral failure.”
“These human beings have survived an attempt on their life in the womb, only to be abandoned to death outside it,” the organization continued. “Revising health policies that permit this would not regulate or restrict abortion in any way, but it could save a newborn child’s life.”
As reported by LifeSiteNews recently, 150 babies were born after botched abortions in 2023-2024 in Canada. However, it’s not known how many survived.
Similarly, reports from 2018 have indicated that 766 babies were born alive after late-term abortions in Canada between 2013 and 2018 and presumably left to die.
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