Alberta’s Fair Deal Report finished, but won’t be released until pandemic subsides

EDMONTON — A panel exploring Alberta’s role in Confederation is complete, but the government says it won’t be released to the public until after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Premier Jason Kenney announced the Fair Deal Panel in November to look at a range of issues on how the province can get a better deal in Canada, including possibly pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan and replacing it with an Alberta version.

Other proposals included creating a separate police service and establishing a formalized provincial constitution.

The due date for its report and recommendations had been March 31, but a news release Saturday says the government will announce a date for the public release “once the urgency of the COVID-19 response has subsided.”

The province says the panel, which includes former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, has held town halls, done a survey, held interviews with experts and stakeholders, and done polling.

Premier Jason Kenney thanked panel members in the news release, saying he looks forward to giving the report “the proper attention it deserves” once Alberta has safely started to implement its COVID-19 relaunch strategy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2020

The Canadian Press