When someone tells you Danielle Smith is a shrewd politician remind them of how she botched the APP consultation process.     Last week, the Dinning panel wrapped up the last of its five telephone townhalls. When pressed by the...

When someone tells you Danielle Smith is a shrewd politician remind them of how she botched the APP consultation process.    

Last week, the Dinning panel wrapped up the last of its five telephone townhalls. When pressed by the NDP to explain why the UCP refused to hold in-person townhalls to get Albertans’ views about leaving the CPP Smith replied that her government has had its “conversation” with Albertans and it was now “looking forward” to the federal government’s opinion on what the asset withdrawal number should be.

This from a premier who categorically rejects the federal government’s opinion (even before it is made into law) on everything from climate change targets to covid policy and is so incensed by the federal government’s intrusion (real or imagined) into Alberta’s jurisdiction that it’s passed sovereignty legislation that purports to allow Alberta to ignore any federal laws it doesn’t like.

Never mind, when it comes to the APP Smith is prepared to wait meekly for the feds to chime in.

Why the change in demeanor?

Perhaps the Finance Minister’s comments* in the House provide a clue.

The cold hard facts

So far the government has done three things in support of its APP plan.

It created a survey that did not allow Albertans to choose to stay with CPP. It’s spending $7.5 million in advertising to convince Albertans the APP is a good idea and it’s  engaged in (limited) public consultation.  

The Finance Minister described this consultation as follows:     

Five telephone townhall meetings that were attended by 76,825 Albertans, of which about 150 had a chance to discuss their opinions live or hear their comments read out live, and 3,745 individual comments, including questions, suggestions, and feedback, both online and on the phone

That’s nice, but what did these people say?

The NDP consultation process

The NDP on the other hand sent out a pension survey which gave Albertans the choice of staying with the CPP or moving to the APP and an overwhelming majority of the 37,000 individual responses said they wanted to stay with CPP.

Furthermore, the NDP is prepared to accommodate Albertans’ desire for in-person townhalls. They’ve scheduled six in-person townhalls—the one in Edmonton was attended by almost 500 people—and they’re planning to schedule more.  

So this is where the “shrewd politician” characterization comes in.

If Smith was truly a shrewd politician, she would have listened to the polls which have consistently shown that the majority of Albertans do not want to leave the CPP.

Furthermore, if she felt she had to go ahead to appease members of her base, she would not have engaged in a sham consultation which opened the door to the NDP embarking on a real face-to-face consultation that allows them to demonstrate that they, unlike Smith and the UCP, are truly interested in Albertans’ feedback.

We value your feedback

But wait, Albertans still have an opportunity to provide feedback to the government.

The government has created a “workbook” which sets out background information and a series of questions Albertans can consider in providing their input into the “potential creation” of an APP. The deadline for sending the completed “workbook” back to the government is Feb 28, 2024.

Gosh, I don’t know.

We can fill out a “workbook” or we can attend an NDP hosted face-to-face townhall to discuss leaving the CPP.

Which do you think is a sincere effort to gather our feedback?

And which do you think will reflect more favourably on the political parties when the next election rolls around?

Well done, NDP. Well done.

*Hansard Nov 23, 2023, p. 234

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