Overview

• Smith’s office added 'none of the above' choices to three surveys on a provincial pension plan, police force and tax collection after town hall feedback, then decided to report original and revised responses separately.
• The Alberta Next panel continues touring with in-person town halls and online polls to gauge support for expanding provincial powers and potential referendum questions.
• Opposition NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi asserts the engagement is designed to produce referendum topics preferred by the premier rather than reflect genuine public opinion.
• Pollster Janet Brown and other experts warn that the self-selecting survey format and mid-stream question changes limit its ability to represent broader Albertan views.
• Government officials defend the process as a valid public engagement exercise to determine whether issues meet thresholds for future referendums under Bill 54.