A new survey showed that nearly half of Alberta's population in western Canada opposes establishing an independent pension plan system specific to their province.

The survey, conducted by the "Angus Reid" Foundation between November 24 and December 1, reported that 48% of Albertans oppose withdrawing from the federal pension plan system (CPP / RPC) and establishing their own independent provincial system, while the idea is supported by 36% of respondents.

It appears that the main concern among Albertans is the amount of money their province could withdraw from the federal pension plan assets if it were to withdraw.

51% of respondents expected to suffer a net loss in their retirement savings if Alberta established its own system, while 31% said such a system would be more beneficial. 18% of respondents said there would be no change if Alberta withdrew from the federal pension plan system.

The vast majority of respondents who vote for the local New Democratic Party (Alberta's NDP), a left-leaning party forming the official opposition, opposed the idea of establishing an independent pension system, while a small percentage of those voting for the United Conservative Party (UCP), the ruling party in the province, opposed the idea.

Elsewhere in Canada, more than half of respondents in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and the four Atlantic provinces opposed Alberta's withdrawal from the federal pension plan system.

In Saskatchewan, 45% of respondents opposed the idea, while only 21% opposed it in Quebec, the only Canadian province that does not participate in the federal pension plan but manages its own independent pension system.

Setting Quebec aside, the majority of respondents in all of the other nine provinces, except Saskatchewan, oppose their province exiting the federal pension plan system to establish their own system, according to the survey.

The survey included 3,749 Canadian adults aged 18 and over and was conducted online by the "Angus Reid" Foundation. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of 1.5%, 19 times out of 20.