NDP’s Heather McPherson tables bill to protect Canadians’ pensions from Conservatives

OTTAWA—On Tuesday, NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona) took action with a bill to protect Canadian workers’ pensions against Danielle Smith’s reckless plan to pull Alberta out of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).

McPherson’s bill would require two thirds of provinces participating in the CPP to agree before any province could leave the federal pension program.

“Every Canadian worker deserves reassurance that their retirement will be secure. That they won’t have to live in poverty when comes the time to retire,” said McPherson. “But Danielle Smith is putting at risk Albertans’ retirement security by recklessly pressing for Alberta to pull out of the CPP. New Democrats won’t let that happen. We’re fighting back. That’s why I tabled this bill to make it harder for Conservatives to cut and gut Canadians’ pensions.”

Experts have signalled that Alberta’s withdrawal from the CPP would not only threaten the financial security of Albertan retirees, but it could also undermine the CPP and lower pension benefits for Canadians across the country.

Danielle Smith’s plan is not the only threat to Canadians’ pension. After he was elected Leader of the Conservative Party, one of Pierre Poilievre first ideas was to cut the Canada Pension Plan to save greedy corporations more money.

“When Pierre Poilievre says he wants to cut pensions, workers and retirees worry about their financial security, and they’re not wrong to worry. Poilievre has no problem in taking away people’s pensions to help big bosses and the companies they head take the money they were supposed to put into workers’ pensions and add it to their profits instead,” said McPherson. “When he was in power, Poilievre made it harder for Canadians to get a pension by delaying the retirement age to 67, while he collects a six-figure pension paid by the public.

“New Democrats’ message to Conservatives today is clear: hands off Canadians’ pensions!”