Listening to Albertans

By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

As your elected representative, I am always interested in hearing your opinion on the issues of the day. The Alberta government also provides opportunities to receive your feedback directly to the department responsible. Two such surveys are described below.

In the fall of 2019, Alberta’s government launched the Fair Deal Panel to advance Alberta’s economic interests and look at ways to achieve a fair deal for our province within Confederation.

One of the items the panel considered and discussed with Albertans was an Alberta Pension Plan. Was it possible that Albertans could receive better pension benefits by contributing to a made-in-Alberta pension plan and, if so, what would that look like?

Recently, we updated Albertans on our work in exploring this opportunity.

According to an independent, third-party report from Lifeworks that was commissioned in 2020 – the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan could, in fact, benefit all Albertans.

According to Lifeworks’ expert analysis, an Alberta Pension Plan could increase benefits for seniors, reduce premiums for workers, and protect the pension interests and benefits of all Albertans. 

Alberta is the economic engine of Canada and our young population, nation-leading employment rate, and higher pensionable earnings mean that we’re providing an outsized contribution to CPP. 

Ultimately, it’s your pension and your choice. Nothing will happen to Albertans’ pensions without Albertans deciding. To provide more information on the potential benefits of an Alberta Pension Plan, Alberta’s government has launched a new website. I encourage you to visit www.albertapensionplan.ca to read the Lifeworks report, learn the facts, and provide your feedback.

For those of you with a keen interest in our children’s education, our government is beginning a transparent and collaborative process to engage Albertans and education partners on redrafting the province’s K-6 social studies curriculum.

Using the valuable feedback Albertans have provided over the last two years, Alberta Education is redrafting the K-6 social studies curriculum to ensure content builds students’ critical thinking and communication skills, enhances Indigenous, multicultural and francophone perspectives and is age and developmentally appropriate. Albertans are encouraged to visit www.alberta.ca/curriculum to learn more and have their say.

Please keep in touch and send your feedback as we work together to keep Alberta the best place to live, work and raise our families. 

(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)