Alberta’s United Conservative Party government has moved the province one step closer to a referendum on pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan, despite resistance from the NDP.
Alberta wrapped up the fall sitting of the legislature in the early hours of Dec. 6, after achieving third reading for Bill 2, the legislation that would make the referendum a reality. It passed with a 45 to 32 vote, and will become law once it receives Royal Assent.
While the bill compels a referendum be held, the government has the option to decide if it is legally bound to accept and act on the result. Finance Minister Nate Horner told the house the government would respect the results of any referendum.
Debate Time Restrictions
Premier Danielle Smith’s government nipped debate on Bill 2 in the bud earlier in the session in a bid to pass it before the end of the night, limiting the last two stages of debate to one hour.
Government house leader Joseph Schow said the one-hour restrictions were imposed because the Opposition NDP had vowed on social media it would try to stall the bill for weeks with continuous speeches about it in the house.
“They have threatened on social media, they have threatened…
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