The Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA will be part of a provincial panel engaging with Albertans about the risks and benefits of a number of ideas, including establishing an Alberta Pension Plan, provincial police service, or the possibility of constitutional changes.
MLA Glenn van Dijken was one of 13 original representatives on the panel, which is being chaired by Premier Danielle Smith, although more names are expected to be added in the coming weeks, including Indigenous voices.
“This isn’t just about talk. It’s about action. The Alberta Next Panel is giving everyday Albertans a direct say in the direction of our province,” said Smith in a June 24 press conference.
“It’s time to stand up to Ottawa’s overreach and make sure decisions about Alberta’s future are made here, by the people who live and work here.”
Joining the premier and van Dijken is a collection of other MLAs, including the MLA-elect for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Tara Sawyer, as well as the president of the Business Council of Alberta Adam Legge, the physician and section chief of the Didsbury Hospital Dr. Akin Osakuade, and the director of fiscal and economic policy at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, Trevor Tombe.
“Right now there is a need to restore fairness and functionality in the country. Years of problematic policy and decisions from Ottawa have hurt Albertan and Canadian prosperity,” said Legge.
“This panel is about listening to Albertans on how we build a stronger Alberta within a united Canada, to which I, and the Business Council of Alberta, are firmly committed.”
So far, the panel has scheduled 10 town halls across the province, including a July 16 stop at Sherwood Park, an Aug. 14 event in Edmonton, and an Aug. 26 appearance in Fort McMurray.
“We’ll be travelling the province, seeking input on a no less significant topic than the future of Alberta itself. The time is right for this critical discussion. Albertans recognize that Canada has not been working for our province for a long time,” said Smith.
The panel will be taking place against a backdrop of ongoing discussion about Albertan separatism, which has experienced a resurgence since the 2025 federal election. Groups like the Alberta Prosperity Project have been touring the province, conducting their own town halls, including stops in Athabasca, Boyle, and Jarvie, although their vision of Alberta sovereignty involves an independent Alberta.
Certain issues, including the Alberta Pension Plan, have already seen public feedback. In a story published on June 18, the Edmonton Journal reported that nearly two-thirds of Albertans were opposed to leaving the Canada Pension Plan, per a survey conducted by the government of Alberta in 2023. Ten per cent of Albertans were in favour of a provincial pension plan.
Smith said the ideas heard by the panel will be submitted to the government by Dec. 31, ahead of a provincial referendum set for sometime in 2026.
To register for a town hall or for more information on the panel, visit the government of Alberta’s website here.
