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Equalization isn’t the only financial arrangement in this country that is stacked against Alberta, the Canada Pension Plan is, too.

If Alberta withdrew from the CPP, not only could we pay our own retirees more for lower contributions, the rest of the country would finally get a practical lesson in why it needs us around — and why it should find a fairer deal for us to keep us in Confederation.

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This week, Premier Jason Kenney said there is a “compelling case” for Alberta to at least look at going it alone on pensions, the way Quebec has done for five decades. He intends to put the question of a separate APP in front of the panel of distinguished Albertans he will soon appoint to offer recommendations on how Alberta should deal with the seemingly disinterested Trudeau government in Ottawa.

It is well known in our province that Albertans contribute upwards of $20 billion more a year to Confederation than we receive back in benefits. Of course, a country isn’t just a ledger sheet or a zero-sum calculation. We don’t have to receive back as much as we put in. But neither should the provinces who benefit most from our generous contributions smugly deny our ability to develop our biggest industries and maintain our way of life.