Alberta workers account for less than 16% of Canada Pension Plan contributions, according to federal figures tabled in Parliament, undercutting claims the province would be entitled to more than half the fund if it withdrew from the national program.Blacklock's Reporter says an inquiry of ministry response from cabinet shows Alberta residents contributed $12.33 billion of the $79.4 billion collected in CPP premiums in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. That represents 15.5% of total contributions, a proportion largely unchanged over the previous two years.Cabinet said the figures are calculated based on where contributors earn most of their income, noting many Canadians work in more than one province. To avoid double counting, earnings are attributed to the province where the largest share of income was made.CPP benefit payouts also show Alberta receiving a smaller share than several other provinces. Of $59.85 billion paid out nationally in 2023, Alberta residents received $7.7 billion, or about 13%. By comparison, 18% of CPP benefits were paid to recipients living in British Columbia.Federal officials noted that roughly 80% of CPP payments are retirement benefits paid to individuals aged 60 and older..The figures were disclosed in response to a written question from NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre), who asked for the total value of CPP contributions collected and benefits paid.The data clashes with a 2023 Alberta government report commissioned by Premier Danielle Smith, which argued the province could claim as much as 53% of CPP assets if it opted out under provisions of the Canada Pension Plan Act. The CPP fund is currently valued at $777.5 billion, meaning Alberta’s claimed share would total roughly $412 billion.Other studies show Alberta is due a larger piece of the pie, because of not only contributions since the creation of the plan, but also withdrawals since the creation of the plan, and accumulated interest and earnings in the meantime.Canada’s Chief Actuary rejected the province’s analysis in a 2024 position paper, saying the methodology used did not align with the legislation and would result in provincial allocations exceeding the total value of the fund.“The literal interpretation presented in the report would result in a hypothetical allocation to all provinces that is higher than the total net investment income,” the Actuary wrote, while declining to provide an alternative figure for Alberta’s potential share.Smith has said Ottawa failed to provide clear answers on what Alberta’s entitlement would be, suggesting the issue could ultimately be decided through a citizen-initiated referendum.Federal ministers have flatly dismissed Alberta’s claim. Then-employment minister Randy Boissonnault, the Liberals’ senior Alberta representative in cabinet, said in 2023 he did not accept the province’s calculations, saying simply, “I don’t buy the math.”
