Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending a suite of fall referendum questions aimed at immigration reform, asserting that “not every newcomer is a net contributor” to provincial coffers. Smith announced the nine questions in a televised address Thursday evening, proposing restrictions to health care, education, and social services for some immigrants, alongside constitutional negotiations to abolish the Senate and grant provinces the power to appoint Superior Court judges.
The most contentious proposals center on immigration, and were the focus of questions at a Friday morning news conference hosted by Smith. While immigration policy is primarily a federal responsibility, one referendum question references “an Alberta-approved immigration status.” When asked to clarify, Smith criticized former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government for accepting immigrants lacking “in-demand skills,” deeming the policies “absolutely unsustainable.”
Alberta’s population surpassed five million last year, according to Statistics Canada, with over 600,000 recent residents arriving in the past five years. Smith contends this rapid growth is straining provincial resources. “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,” she claimed.
The referendum announcement comes as Alberta faces a projected deficit of at least $6.4 billion, attributed to declining oil prices and a funding shortfall Smith blames on population growth. She could not provide a specific dollar amount quantifying the cost of services used by non-citizens or permanent residents, but suggested other provinces require employers, not the government, to cover healthcare costs.
The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) responded by calling the referendum questions a “deceptive distraction” from the United Conservative Party’s (UCP) budget deficit and what they characterize as a campaign for Alberta’s separation from Canada. “She is blaming oil prices and immigration for her own poor planning and financial mismanagement,” said Deputy NDP Leader Raki Pancholi at a news conference in Edmonton. Pancholi challenged Smith to call a provincial election, arguing the premier did not campaign on these issues.
Pancholi pointed to Smith’s previous calls for increased immigration levels, noting that in 2024, the premier publicly expressed a desire to double Alberta’s population to 10 million. “She did all this without a single thought or plan for how to create the jobs, build the houses, the schools, and hospitals that we already needed in this province,” Pancholi stated.
Pancholi also expressed concern about the potential for increased racism and hate speech, stating, “I’m a public figure who has been in this role for about seven years now, and I can tell you that the level of racism and hate that has been expressed has risen undoubtedly in this province.”
Sally Zhao, CEO of The Immigrant Education Society in Calgary, echoed these concerns. “We’re worried about the already existing anti-immigration sentiment. So with this, will that develop into worse? We hope not,” Zhao said. She also questioned the long-term impact on industries reliant on immigrant labor, such as hospitality, asking, “Where are they going to find workers? And in the long term, are we making Alberta a more desirable place for people to come, or we are making Alberta a less desirable place to come?”
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, responded to Smith’s comments, stating the federal government had taken note of the address and was taking measures to “bring control” back to the immigration system.