UCP has more pressing issues than a pension fight
By Lethbridge Herald on November 3, 2023.
OUR OPINION
In the words of Idina Menzel from Disney’s “Frozen” movie: “Let it go, let it go, turn away and slam the door.”
Every Canadian premier or prime minister wants to put his or her own stamp on their province or country.
Alberta’s Danielle Smith is not alone in that by any stretch of the imagination. But her interest in leaving the Canadian Pension Plan is mind-boggling. This plan, as we’ve heard from so many experts, is well managed and provides secure financial benefits to Canadian retirees.
So why has Smith started a fight which nobody asked for or wanted?
What logical reason is there to mess with the financial security of Alberta’s seniors? To this date, the premier and the UCP have not answered that question. As we’ve seen on this page from our own former mayor David Carpenter, the province’s rationale for creating its own pension plan is flawed.
How much is it going to cost the province to get out of the plan and what trickle-down effects will happen for Alberta and the rest of the country?
There is an old saying, which we’ve heard often in discussions about the UCP’s pension plan idea, which goes something to the effect of “if it’s not broken, why fix it?”
The Canada Pension Plan is not broken, it offers Canadians secure retirement benefits that they can rely upon. The prospect of losing CPP benefits has many Albertans worried about their financial security down the road and others concerned about the yet-unknown cost to the efforts to leave CPP.
When Alberta is suffering shortages of affordable housing and supportive housing and is still battling the opioid crisis, is there not much better uses of taxpayers’ money than this? Every community has homeless people living on the streets in all weather, people suffering horribly from the impacts of addictions, and needing humanitarian intervention.
Albertans have serious concerns about crime in their communities, about paying for their families’ groceries and their utility bills.
But Danielle Smith wants to fight the country to get her hands on our pension money?
Why? What is her motivation? Power, a genuine concern for Albertans? Whatever her reasoning, it’s not justified.
We in this province have far more pressing issues that need immediate attention. It’s time for the UCP to change direction and put some time, energy and effort into actually improving the lives of Albertans, rather than trying to disrupt our lives needlessly.
Maybe Smith can relate to more lyrics in the Disney tune: “No right, no wrong, no rules for me, I’m free.”
We Albertans need to be free from this pension scheme. Let it go, Danielle, let it go.
17-16
Perhaps, what should have been #1 on the annual UCP AGM list is the threat to our water resource here in southern Alberta. We have never, seen water levels so low in our reservoirs let alone unreal low river/creek flows. Instead, there are the matters of kid’s pronouns, EDI(equality, diversity and inclusion) issues at universities, colleges and tech schools, let alone an increasing immigration population where EDI will play big, Smith predicting a population increase so massive one would wonder if we’re going to have enough water if our water resource continues to dry up….and the ongoing talk re: an APP and Trudeau/Liberal bashing. Priorities? This stuff just cannot be made up.
And, will the Smith UCP continue with their open pit coal mining issues (which would take + + water) here in southern Alberta? Who would take priority? Their corporate coal masters and friends, or, their rural irrigation farming voting base, let alone the millions of the rest of us downstream with possible contaminated water? Can it only be imagined if agricultural irrigation gets cut off? Has anyone besides us wondered what would happen if any creeks/rivers freeze solid this winter? There is also the distinct possibility that the El Nino effect now, may result in an even hotter 2024 summer here….all part and parcel of climate change. If things don’t change with a better snow pack and more rain……..kid’s pronouns, EDI issues, freedom convoy, vaccine mandates, public health issues, etc. will all, pale in comparison.
Very true, SoAb.
In addition, this goverment is giving a couple hundred million dollars to expand irrigation acres, including a bunch more reservoirs. No plan or thought as to where the water will come from. And building more reservoirs is like building bigger warehouses when inventory drops.
Like you said, water management will be key to our future. Unfortunately, the UCP seem to be preoccupied with social engineering.
Take Back Alberta has lots of ideas and they helped Danielle become leader of the party. And they say they were the reason Jason Kenny stepped down. If they are that powerful Danielle better be careful, and more Albertans need to think about taking a break from the UCP until the conservatives return to middle ground.