From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill

The Smith government on Wednesday released its plan to grow Alberta’s Heritage Fund to at least $250 billion over the next 25 years, mainly by reinvesting all investment returns back into the fund. But even Smith recognizes her plan will “take political will over a long period of time.” Of course, political will is subjective and can change from government to government. If Smith wants to establish a sustainable plan to grow the Heritage Fund, it should pay dividends to Albertans.

First, some quick history. When the Alberta government created the Heritage Fund in 1976, it established a rule that the government must deposit 30 per cent of resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) into the fund annually. That quickly fell to 15 per cent by 1982/83, and after an oil price collapse the government eliminated the requirement in 1986/87. Since then, governments have routinely failed to make deposits into the fund, the fund’s value (after accounting for inflation) has eroded over time, and governments have spent nearly all of the fund’s earnings. Consequently, this fiscal year the fund will be worth less than $26 billion.

In other words, political will hasn’t been a successful strategy in growing the Heritage Fund.

Which brings us back to dividends. Here’s where Alberta can learn from Alaska. Alaska’s resource revenue savings fund (the Permanent Fund) was also created in 1976, but is now worth about US$80 billion (roughly CA$115 billion). What does the Alaska government do differently?

While various rules contribute to the fund’s success, the dividend rule is arguably the most critical. The Alaskan government pays a share of the fund’s earnings to Alaskan citizens via a dividend each year. Crucially, this gives citizens an ownership share in the fund. And therein lies the political will for governments to responsibly grow and maintain the fund. Any government that tried to use the fund for irresponsible purposes (e.g. raid the fund to spend money elsewhere) would likely face the wrath of Alaskan voters, given their understandable attachment to the dividend cheques.

Indeed, while the Alaskan government can reduce or eliminate the annual dividend, it has consistently allocated funds to the dividend for more than 40 years, even though this reduces the amount of money available for government spending. Overall, the fund has paid out more than US$30 billion to Alaskan citizens via dividends. Last year, each Alaskan received US$1,702.

According to its plan released on Wednesday, the Smith government will rely on “political will” to grow the Heritage Fund. But that’s not a recipe for success. Instead, the Smith government should learn from Alaska’s success and start paying dividends to Albertans who will provide the political pressure necessary to grow the fund over the long term.

Tegan Hill

Director, Alberta Policy, Fraser Institute

Alberta’s government is taking action to grow the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund to at least $250 billion by 2050.

In 1976, former premier Peter Lougheed had the foresight to create what is today commonly called the Alberta Heritage Fund. The initial purpose of this fund was to invest a portion of Alberta’s non-renewable resource royalties each year so the investment interest earned in the fund would reduce the province’s reliance on resource revenues.

For decades, contributions to the Heritage Fund were limited and investment earnings were spent instead of being reinvested. Now, Alberta is adopting a bold, new plan to grow the Heritage Fund and achieve long-term growth and financial stability for the province. When the fund reaches its goal of $250 billion, the province can use a portion of the annual interest accrued to offset any decreases in resource royalties, invest in key provincial infrastructure and grow and protect the Alberta tax advantage.

The roadmap details how the “Alberta Model” will use three components to grow the fund to $250 billion and eventually fund public services and vital infrastructure:

• Strategic investments: There is a strong focus on opportunities that maximize growth while supporting areas that matter to Albertans, such as technology, energy and infrastructure.
• Global partnerships: The model benefits from working closely with like-minded organizations and investors around the world, to access premier opportunities and bring new ideas and expertise back to the province.
• Strong governance: The model is structured to ensure transparent and responsible investment management, so that every decision is made with the long-term interests of Albertans in mind.

“Albertans deserve a Heritage Fund they can rely on – one that is focused on creating long-term growth and financial stability. We owe it to future generations of Albertans. The new Heritage Fund will lessen our dependence on natural resource revenues, diversify our economy, and create both wealth and prosperity for generations to come.”

This plan builds on the vision of former premier Peter Lougheed and builds on the recent investments into the fund. As of September 2024, the Heritage Fund is worth $24.3 billion. With a $2-billion commitment from Budget 2024, the fund is projected to increase to more than $26 billion by the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. If all of the Heritage Fund’s investment income had been reinvested since inception instead of being transferred to the general revenue fund, the Heritage Fund would be upwards of $250 billion today, generating about $20 billion annually.

Now is the time to take decisive action. By saving and reinvesting today, Alberta will reduce its reliance on unpredictable non-renewable resource revenue. A renewed Heritage Fund that earns money year over year will secure a resilient and prosperous Alberta for generations to come.

“Our plan to grow the Heritage Fund is about securing Alberta’s financial independence and providing stability for our children and grandchildren and build a lasting legacy for all Albertans.”

Strong governance is needed to provide direction, deliver high returns for Albertans, and ensure future growth amid changing economic conditions. To help achieve this and carry out the overall Heritage Fund plan, Alberta’s government has created the Heritage Fund Opportunities Corporation to govern and grow all Heritage Fund assets. The new corporation will strengthen partnerships with global sovereign wealth funds, thereby unlocking access to new opportunities. The new corporation will be assisted in its work by a world-class board of directors that will strengthen the governance of Heritage Fund assets and support investment decisions independent from government.

The Heritage Fund Opportunities Corporation will be chaired by Joe Lougheed.

“The Heritage Fund assets belong to Albertans – and future Albertans. The HFOC will have a world-class, independent board of directors providing oversight and guidance in an accountable and transparent fashion. Working closely with the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, the objective will be to deliver long-term growth of the assets of the Heritage Fund for future generations.  It is an honour to serve in this governance role.”

Related information

• Renewing the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund: a roadmap to securing Alberta’s future