Tuesday, June 16, 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

4 in hospital after 2 vehicle crash in Kelowna

4 in hospital after 2 vehicle crash in Kelowna
Four people are in hospital after a two-vehicle crash in Kelowna. R-C-M-P say it happened last night on Highway 33 when Toyota collided with a Dodge.  The Mounties say all four were taken to hospital in critical condition.

4 in hospital after 2 vehicle crash in Kelowna

Bank card scam in Burnaby

Bank card scam in Burnaby
Mounties are warning of the latest bank card scam that has taken in a few people in Burnaby. Police say they've had five reports of people getting calls from someone saying their bank or credit card had been compromised.   

Bank card scam in Burnaby

Female dead in Sooke

Female dead in Sooke
Police in Sooke say a female has died after being struck by a vehicle. R-C-M-P say the incident happened at about 5:30 this morning. Police say emergency responders attempted to save the woman, but she didn't survive.

Female dead in Sooke

Assault of teenage boy in park

Assault of teenage boy in park
Mounties in North Vancouver are probing the alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy inside a public park last week. Investigators with North Vancouver R-C-M-P say the suspect approached the teen from behind and sexually assaulted the youth at the Inter River Park washroom.  

Assault of teenage boy in park

'Very dangerous': avalanche warning issued as heavy snowfall hits B.C.

'Very dangerous': avalanche warning issued as heavy snowfall hits B.C.
Avalanche Canada has issued a warning for wide swaths of the British Columbia Interior into parts of Alberta, with "very dangerous" conditions forecast to persist until Monday. The warning applies for mountainous regions of southwestern and northwestern B.C., as well as the eastern part of the province including the Rockies into Alberta's Kananaskis Country.  

'Very dangerous': avalanche warning issued as heavy snowfall hits B.C.

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84, says daughter

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84, says daughter
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is dead at the age of 84, his daughter Caroline says in a social media post. The country's 18th prime minister died peacefully and surrounded by family, she said in a post on X. 

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84, says daughter