Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote an open letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, telling her he’ll do everything in his power to prevent her from pulling out of the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) because, he claimed, climate change makes the move too risky.

Smith recently unveiled plans to introduce legislation that would require a referendum on pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) in place of a provincial one. 

Trudeau publicly responded on Wednesday, saying, “I have instructed my Cabinet and officials to take all necessary steps to ensure Albertans – and Canadians – are fully aware of the risks of your plan, and do everything possible to ensure CPP remains intact. We will not stand by as anyone seeks to weaken pensions and reduce the retirement income of Canadians.” 

Making Canadians “fully aware of [Smith’s] plan” appears to be an indication that Trudeau intends to launch an ad campaign in Alberta, much like Smith’s United Conservative Party (UCP) recently did in Ottawa. Last month, the UCP boldly launched a truck-side advertising campaign in Canada’s capital city to sway public opinion on the Trudeau government’s environmental agenda. 

Trudeau further wrote to Smith, “We are living in a time of unprecedented challenges. External forces from events — from geopolitical unrest to climate change, and more — are having a direct impact on people here at home. As leaders, we have a duty to protect Canadians from these headwinds — not to introduce even more uncertainty and instability.” 

Trudeau’s concern over how Alberta pulling out of the CPP would affect Canadians ironically appears to validate Smith’s claims that Albertans are paying more than they’re receiving. 

When announcing the potential referendum, Smith referred to a government-commissioned report by the independent consultant group, LifeWorks, which stated that Alberta could save a staggering $334 billion by establishing an Alberta Pension Plan.

Smith further said that any move towards an Alberta Pension Plan would guarantee the same or lower contributions compared to the CPP and the same or improved benefits for seniors.

Quebec is currently Canada’s only province with its own pension plan. 

Supreme Court decision 

Trudeau’s threat to Smith comes just five days after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to his efforts to regulate Alberta’s oil and gas projects.

Smith accused Trudeau of blocking her from speaking before a federal environment committee just before the decision.