The Alberta NDP talked pensions during a town hall on Feb. 1 in High River, south of Calgary, where many in attendance weren't keen on Alberta going it alone.
The town hall, hosted by NDP MLAs Shannon Phillips of Lethbridge-West and Julia Hayter of Calgary-Edgemont, was part of the party's province-wide tour discussing the UCP's proposed in-province pension plan.
The event room in the High River Library was filled with attendees, both in support and against the UCP's proposal to leave the Canada Pension Plan in favour of an Alberta pension plan.
If successful, the proposal would see Alberta join Saskatchewan and Quebec as the only provinces with their own pension plans.
The UCP supports creating a provincial pension plan, citing a controversial Lifeworks report that contends the province would be entitled to $334 billion from the CPP if it were to pull out from the national plan.
The Alberta NDP opposes the proposal, claiming that it is both too risky and would cost hundreds of millions to implement.
The town hall is one of numerous that have been held since last November.
"We've just done a week of [town halls] here in southern Alberta," said Phillips. "Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and here in High River tonight."
Phillips, who is also the Alberta NDP's finance critic, is a firm believer the town halls reflect the opinions of people throughout Alberta.
"We hear very similar things everywhere we go. The vast majority of Albertans do not want to hand their retirement security to the UCP for them to gamble with.
"People are facing an affordability crisis, many communities are seeing a healthcare crisis, so the last thing that Albertans are looking for right now is to pile on more uncertainty."
Additional town halls will be held in Drumheller, Edmonton and Calgary throughout February.
