EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says phone beats face-to-face when it comes to gauging public opinion on quitting the Canada Pension Plan, but the Opposition NDP says something this big needs to be in person.

Smith, speaking Saturday on her provincewide call-in radio show, said 300,000 or so people attended public information sessions in late 2019 and early 2020 for the Fair Deal panel, which later urged the government to pursue a referendum on quitting the CPP.