Analyzing Alberta's Proposed Exit from the Canada Pension Plan: A Bureaucratic Caring Perspective

Abstract

This paper explores the potential health impacts of Alberta's proposed withdrawal from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) on Canadian seniors, focusing on the economic, political, and educational domains of Ray's Theory of Bureaucratic Caring (TBC). We analyze data from Statistics Canada and nursing and health science literature to discern the interplay between CPP income and health outcomes. The economic domain discussion highlights the importance of solidarity and caring for others as a basis for reciprocity in creating a more caring and stable economic environment. The political domain explores how political literacy and nursing advocacy can integrate caring principles into policy decisions. In the educational domain, we examine the role of nursing faculties in fostering political literacy to include caring principles in policy discussions. We propose restructuring nursing curricula to bridge the gap between caring principles and political action. We also advocate for Health Impact Assessments to inform policy decisions, aligning them with Ray's TBC. The implications include the need for informed nursing advocacy, political education, and a caring approach to economic decisions. Future work involves assessing the impact of an Alberta Pension Plan on Albertan and Canadian seniors' well-being and promoting a compassionate and equitable society through care-informed policies.