Alberta New Democrat MPs are asking where Pierre Poilievre stands on this important issue

OTTAWA — On Thursday, following a press conference where Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made clear her government was considering a proposal for Alberta to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), NDP MPs from that province spoke.

“Leaving the CPP will be bad for every working Albertan and seniors across the country,” said NDP MP Heather McPherson. “This is a massive decision that impacts the financial future of every working Albertan and, ultimately, Danielle Smith cannot be trusted to protect their best interests. The report she is citing is based on misleading figures that come from a flawed and outdated formula which severely overstates the amount Alberta could withdraw from the plan. Working people deserve elected officials who have their backs so they can take care of their families for decades to come—that isn’t Danielle Smith.

The question now is where does Pierre Poilievre and his Alberta MPs stand on financial security? We know that when he was elected Leader, one of his first promises was to cut the CPP. Will he stand up for working Canadians now - or let their pensions be gutted because of ideology?”

The long-awaited report Smith cited today relies on a withdrawal formula that dates back to 1966. While the report claims Alberta could withdraw $338 billion, if every province used this formula, it would total nine times what is currently invested in the CPP.

“Albertans have been working hard to provide for their families. They’re doing everything right to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, this high-stakes proposal is jeopardizing their retirement security,” said NDP MP Blake Desjarlais. “A majority of Alberta businesses polled by the Alberta Chamber of Commerce said that withdrawing from CPP would be negative.

Moving to an Alberta Pension Plan means gambling with Albertans’ retirement security. Albertans will be handing their retirement over to Danielle Smith to gamble with— that just doesn’t add up.”

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*Correction: An earlier version of this news release said that Alberta Chamber of Commerce is opposed to CPP withdrawal when they haven’t taken an official position.