Wednesday, May 13, 2026
ADVT 
National

Immigration, pension: A look at survey questions put forward by Alberta Next panel

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Jun, 2025 10:44 AM
  • Immigration, pension: A look at survey questions put forward by Alberta Next panel

The Alberta Next panel, chaired by Premier Danielle Smith, is holding town halls this summer to get feedback on how the province should stand up to Ottawa while building a "strong and sovereign Alberta within Canada."

Smith has promised a referendum next year on some of the ideas put forward to the panel.

The panel's website launched on Tuesday with surveys on six issues. Before taking each survey, participants must watch a short video.

Here are some of the questions:

Immigration

"Should the provincial government refuse to provide provincial programs to non-citizens and non-permanent residents living in Alberta unless they have been granted an Alberta government-approved immigration permit?"

Constitutional changes

"Should Alberta take a lead role in working with other provinces to pressure the federal government to amend the Canadian constitution to empower and better protect provincial rights?"

Federal transfers and equalization

"Do you agree that the current federal transfer and equalization system is unfair to Alberta?"

"Do you think Alberta should work with other provinces to transfer a larger share of overall taxes from Ottawa to the provinces?"

Provincial police force

"What aspect do you like most about an Alberta Police Service?"

"What concerns you most about shifting from the RCMP to an Alberta Police Service?"

Alberta pension plan

"What potential benefit do you like most about Alberta opting to leave the CPP and create its own Pension Plan?"

"Which risk of opting out of CPP to start an Alberta Pension Plan are you most concerned about? 

Tax collection

This survey had problems displaying questions on the website Tuesday afternoon, but a video beforehand asks Albertans if they would support creating a provincial revenue agency.

It says doing so would require hiring 5,000 staff, cost Alberta at least $750 million per year, and require residents to file provincial and federal taxes separately -- but it would also create jobs and give Alberta more of a say over its tax regime.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

 

MORE National ARTICLES

6 charged in illicit drug trafficking

6 charged in illicit drug trafficking
Police in Burnaby say six people are facing a combined total of 36 charges related to illicit drug trafficking. A statement from the R-C-M-P says they were part of a "particularly violent" drug-trafficking organization with links to the Lower Mainland gang conflict.

6 charged in illicit drug trafficking

Man charged in fatal Coquitlam stabbing

Man charged in fatal Coquitlam stabbing
Police say a 32-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a fatal stabbing outside a Coquitlam pub last week. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Coquitlam R-C-M-P had responded to a call about a fight outside the John B Pub on Friday night.

Man charged in fatal Coquitlam stabbing

Canada's chief justice decries misinformation as top court turns 150

Canada's chief justice decries misinformation as top court turns 150
Canada's top court is expanding its public outreach to build trust at a time of increasing misinformation as more people get their news from social media. Chief Justice Richard Wagner and other justices of the Supreme Court of Canada launched a cross-country tour in Victoria, B.C., on Monday to mark the court's 150th anniversary.

Canada's chief justice decries misinformation as top court turns 150

Weak loonie signals economy is 'in trouble': currency expert

Weak loonie signals economy is 'in trouble': currency expert
The Bank of Canada's end-of-day exchange rate Monday had the loonie trading at 68.48 cents US, but the Canadian dollar neared 70 cents in the minutes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the planned tariffs would be paused for at least 30 days. The overall trend for the Canadian dollar however has been weak, which has implications for the economy. 

Weak loonie signals economy is 'in trouble': currency expert

Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them

Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them
The Trump administration's on-again, off-again threat to impose damaging tariffs has boosted an old idea for driving economic growth in Canada: eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. Here's a look at how interprovincial trade barriers work and why years of efforts to tear them down them have largely failed.

Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them

Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days

Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says "proposed tariffs" between Canada and the United States will be paused for at least 30 days while the countries work together on the border.

Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days