Ottawa to determine how much Alberta could get out of CPP: Freeland

Freeland said Alberta’s right to leave the CPP was not in dispute among finance ministers Friday, but repeated earlier warnings of the consequences of doing so

The federal government will provide its own estimate of what proportion of the Canada Pension Plan’s (CPP) assets Alberta would be entitled to, should it choose to withdraw and establish its own parallel program.

The news follows a meeting of provincial and territorial finance ministers with Deputy Prime Minister and federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, held virtually on Friday that lasted over an hour.

Freeland, who referred to herself as a “proud daughter of Alberta,” told reporters later that morning that she has asked the Office of the Chief Actuary to provide an estimate of the asset transfer based on a “reasonable” interpretation of the provisions in the CPP legislation.

“Alberta’s choice about the CPP also implicates every single Canadian,” she said.

Alberta’s right to leave the CPP was not in dispute among finance ministers Friday, Freeland said, but she repeated earlier warnings of the consequences of doing so.

“Protecting the pensions of every single Canadian is a priority for our government,” she said, noting the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. |Read more https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/ottawa-freeland-alberta-pension-plan| edmontonjournal.com/news/polit…

#abpoli #pensions #ucp #Freeland #CPP #APP #politics

Defunding CBC would be ‘devastating’ to news in rural Canada, network president warns

OTTAWA – The president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada defended the public broadcaster and its independence Thursday from a fresh barrage of pointed Conservative questions about its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In her opening remarks, Catherine Tait told MPs on the heritage committee that the CBC is accountable to all Canadians and not to politicians, and that its journalists work independently of corporate management.

She also made a point of noting that the Crown corporation’s mandate is set out in the Broadcasting Act, which stipulates that CBC has journalistic and creative independence.

“That independence is essential to our existence,” Tait said. “It marks the fundamental difference between a public broadcaster that serves citizens and a state broadcaster that serves the government.”

Conservative MPs, however, wanted to hear more about CBC’s position on whether to call Hamas militants “terrorists.” Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman tried last month to summon the head of CBC and its director of journalistic standards to testify about that, but Bloc Quebecois, Liberal and NDP members argued against it.

The CBC has said it uses the words “terrorist” or “terrorism” when they are attributed to someone, but it is asking reporters to otherwise avoid the terms because they are loaded with political and emotional overtones.

The Canadian Press, The Associated Press, the BBC and other news organizations follow similar practices. |Read more https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/defunding-cbc-would-be-devastating-to-news-in-rural-canada-network-president-warns/article_483f994f-a127-5da9-9762-2fbb80b77033.html| thecanadianpressnews.ca/politi…

#CBC #attack #defend #CatherineTait #independence #cdnpoli #accountable

Nova Scotia Power wants customers to foot leftover $25M Fiona bill

Company says the bill for Fiona-related operating costs is threatening profits

Post-tropical storm Fiona may be in the rear-view mirror but it’s still on the front burner for Nova Scotia Power.

The company is stuck with a $24.6-million bill that it says is threatening its profits.

This week Nova Scotia Power asked regulators for permission to collect $24.6 million in Fiona-related operating costs — like meals, travel and overtime — from ratepayers over an unspecified period of time.

It is the first time the company has asked the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) to defer so-called operating, maintenance and general costs.

“Given the significance and magnitude of Fiona, as the most significant storm that has ever impacted Nova Scotia and N.S. Power, the utility was not able to absorb these costs,” Nova Scotia Power said in its Oct. 31 application.

The September 2022 storm led to the most expensive restoration ever for the company, costing it $114 million. |Read more https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-power-wants-customers-to-pay-25m-fiona-bill-1.7016884| cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia…

#nspoli #fiona #NSP #NovaScotiaPower #taxpayers #OnHook #cost #Restoration

More than 3,500 delegates expected at UCP AGM as party debates controversial resolutions

Party unity key area of focus as social conservative group eyes board takeover

This weekend, more than 3,500 members are anticipated to file into Calgary’s BMO Centre, which was chosen as the venue after the number of attendees outgrew the previous site of the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino.

The event comes as Alberta is locked in a battle of wills with Ottawa over pensions and power. Those are subjects political observers expect Smith will use as chief areas of focus during her keynote address, scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

Her speech will also be revealing in terms of how she seeks to keep her party united behind her, noted Lisa Young, a University of Calgary political science professor.

“One of the things that Premier Smith has to do in order to stay in office is to keep the party on the ground happy. I think it will be really interesting to watch to see the mood of the convention,” Young said.

That may be easier said than done when it comes to managing competing groups along the conservative spectrum vying for power — the most notable being Take Back Alberta, a group registered as a third-party political advertiser with Elections Alberta that has been vocal in pushing for change around various social issues.

Some of those social issues are reflected amongst the 30 policy resolutions that will be voted on by members during the convention, including:

* Banning race-based admissions in post-secondary institutions.
* Requiring written consent of parents whenever a student under 16 wants to change their name or pronouns at school.
* Ending provincial funding of supervised consumption sites.
* Refusing transgender women in women's correctional facilities.
* Prohibiting the implementation of so-called '15-minute cities.'

Other resolutions may sound more familiar to followers of conservative politics in the province, such as opposing net-zero power rules in Canada by 2035. |Read more https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/united-conservative-party-agm-danielle-smith-calgary-ucp-1.7016155/| cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/uni…

#abpoli #UCP #AGM #policyResolutions #TBA #priorities #alberta #APP #cpp