Premier Danielle Smith has launched the Alberta Next panel to gather input from Albertans on how the province can "better protect its interests, defend its economy, and assert its place in Confederation," according to a government press release issued Tuesday. The panel, which Smith will chair, includes 13 additional members ranging from elected officials to business leaders and academics, including Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz, University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, and Business Council of Alberta president Adam Legge. The group will conduct town halls across Alberta over the summer and early fall, with exact locations to be announced in coming weeks.

The panel will explore several contentious issues that could eventually appear on a 2026 referendum ballot, including establishing an Alberta Pension Plan, creating a provincial police service to replace the RCMP, and pursuing constitutional changes, the press release states.

According to the CBC, Smith emphasized at Tuesday's news conference that the initiative would give Albertans "the rightful opportunity to decide how Alberta can become stronger and more sovereign within a united Canada." The panel's recommendations are due to the government by December 31, 2025, with additional members expected to be added in the coming weeks, according to the provincial announcement.