Alberta Premier Defends Controversial Immigration Referendum Questions
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending a suite of fall referendum questions aimed at immigration reform, arguing that "not every newcomer is a net contributor" to the province's finances. In a TV address on Thursday evening, Smith announced that her United Conservative Party government is putting nine questions to a provincewide referendum on October 19th.
The referendum questions include proposals to restrict access to healthcare, education, and other social services for some immigrants, as well as opening up constitutional negotiations on abolishing the Senate and giving provinces the power to appoint Superior Court judges. However, the most controversial questions focus on immigration.
While immigration policy in Canada is primarily the responsibility of the federal government, not the provinces, one of Smith's referendum questions introduces the concept of an "Alberta-approved immigration status." When asked about this, Smith criticized former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government for accepting too many immigrants without "in-demand skills," calling their immigration policies "absolutely unsustainable."
Alberta's population, which surpassed five million last year, has grown by over 600,000 people in the past five years, according to Statistics Canada. Smith claims this rapid growth has strained provincial resources, stating that "throwing the doors wide open to anyone and everyone across the globe has flooded our classrooms, emergency rooms, and social support systems with far too many people, far too quickly."
Smith announced the referendum questions at a time when her government is facing a deficit of at least $6.4 billion, partly due to falling world oil prices and a funding shortfall attributed to Alberta's rapid population growth. When pressed, Smith could not provide a specific dollar amount on the cost to the public purse of those who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, but claimed that other provinces already require employers, not the provincial government, to cover healthcare costs.
The opposition NDP has responded to Smith's referendum questions, calling them a deceptive distraction from "a UCP budget that will contain billions of dollars in deficits and a campaign for Alberta's separation from Canada." Deputy NDP Leader Raki Pancholi accused Smith of blaming oil prices and immigration for her own poor planning and financial mismanagement, adding that Albertans will "see right through this."
Pancholi highlighted a contradiction in Smith's previous calls for more immigration, noting that less than two years ago, Smith herself asked Justin Trudeau to increase immigration levels because Alberta wanted more than what Ottawa was already allocating. Pancholi also challenged Smith to call a provincial election, saying, "Let Albertans judge her performance in the last six years under the UCP."
Concerns about the potential backlash against immigrants are shared by Sally Zhao, CEO of The Immigrant Education Society in Calgary. Zhao worries about the existing anti-immigration sentiment and questions the long-term impact of the referendum questions, wondering if they will make Alberta a more or less desirable place for immigrants.
Gabriel Brunet, a spokesman for Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, responded to Smith's comments, stating that the federal government has taken note and measures to bring "control" back to the immigration system. Brunet suggested that Albertans will express their views on these issues and others raised by Premier Smith, as they have on several constitutional questions in the past.
The referendum on October 19th will focus on immigration and the fiscal position, according to Premier Smith.
