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CALGARY — Echoing the famous “firewall” manifesto of a decade ago, Wildrose party leader Danielle Smith says Alberta would “assert itself” in Canada under her government and have the ear of a sympathetic prime minister in Ottawa.

Among these initiatives, the Wildrose’s policy book calls for the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan, which would see the province follow Quebec’s lead and withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan.

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Rivals contend such talk would turn back the clock and see Alberta become more insular inside Confederation.

But Smith believes such proposals simply reflect the province’s size and growing economic clout.

“We are interested in looking at ensuring that Alberta has an opportunity to pursue its full range of options under provincial jurisdiction,” Smith told reporters this week.

“Our members are open to the idea of looking at an Alberta Pension Plan and we’re going to pursue that — the feasibility of it — to see if it would actually make sense.”