State-broadcaster CBC, which claims it has no bias whatsoever in reporting news, referenced Dr. Evil from Austin Powers to explain how much money Premier Danielle Smith believes Alberta is entitled to from the Canada Pension Plan.  

This comes after Smith and Finance Minister Nate Horner referenced a report by LifeWorks on Thursday, which stated Alberta is entitled to a staggering $334 billion asset transfer from the Canada Pension Plan in 2027.

In criticizing the report, CBC’s Jason Markusoff explained that Smith “armed herself with some of the biggest, rosiest numbers ever wielded in all the years of hardened conservatives trying to turn the public tide on the pension issue.”

Markusoff further mocked Smith, not only by suggesting she pulled the number out of thin air — but compared her to Dr. Evil himself. 

“For perspective, the amount Alberta is claiming as its rightful share of CPP is more than triple the ransom amount that Austin Powers film villain Dr. Evil demanded from world leaders, with pinky diabolically extended to his mouth. (That’s after the not-good doctor realized $1 million wasn’t a sufficient ask),” he wrote.

CBC’s take was predictable given their history of running shoddy journalism to disparage the Premier. 

Earlier this year the CBC was forced to admit they “regret” publishing a January 19 article that alleged Alberta Premier Smith’s office contacted Crown prosecutors and meddled in the active Coutts border case — a claim that Smith has since been cleared of from the Ethics Commissioner.

Potential referendum on pension

Smith’s Thursday announcement included plans to introduce legislation that would require a referendum on pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) in place of a provincial one.

“It’s your money, your future, and your say that matters,” she said.