Alberta NDP MLA Samir Kayande (Calgary-Elbow) accused Premier Danielle Smith of trying to take away the Canada Pension Plan by looking into the Alberta Pension Plan (APP). While Smith has many bad ideas, Kayande said ripping away people’s retirement security “is one of the worst.”“Oh, and she lied about putting the question to a binding referendum,” tweeted Kayande. .Kayande was commenting on Smith saying on Thursday one-third of voters love the APP, one-third hate it, and one-third are open to having it. “I promise you, if we can get those numbers in the fall, we will go back out again and we will hear from Albertans about whether they want a referendum,” she said on the Shaun Newman Podcast. A bill the Alberta government passed in December requires it to hold a referendum before leaving the CPP. Once it calls a referendum, the bill requires the Alberta government to decide whether or not it will be binding on it. Alberta Treasury Board and Finance senior press secretary Justin Brattinga responded by saying the worst idea for Albertans “is an NDP government that would increase taxes, drive out investment and cause the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.”“Albertans deserve the best value for their pensions, and we have written into legislation that we will only proceed if Albertans decide it is what they want in a referendum,” said Brattinga.“If an Alberta Pension Plan will lead to the same or greater benefits with the same or lower contributions, then it is worth exploring.”Once the Alberta government has a formula and opinion from the Office of the Chief Actuary, Brattinga said it will have more to say.The Alberta government voted 45-32 to establish certain requirements before it moves ahead with the APP in December. READ MORE: Alberta government approves Alberta Pension Protection ActAlberta United Conservative Party MLAs voted in favour of the Alberta Pension Protection Act (APPA), while NDP MLAs voted against it.Over the last few weeks, Alberta Treasury Board President and Finance Minister Nate Horner said he has listened to the debates around the APPA.
