Danielle Smith promises Alberta referendum over immigration, Constitution changes
Global News
Premier Danielle Smith said the immigration changes her UCP government has determined Alberta needs to push for are a significant departure from the status quo.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says out-of-control immigration levels are overwhelming the province’s core social services and has announced a referendum will take place nine months from now, asking residents to weigh in on nine questions addressing both that and possible changes to Canada’s Constitution.
(Scroll down to see the questions)
In a televised speech Thursday night, Smith said the Oct. 19, provincial referendum will be primarily focused on finding out how Albertans want the government to “deal with the issue of immigration, as well as steps we can take as a province to strengthen our constitutional and fiscal position within a united Canada.”
Smith said the changes her UCP government has determined the province needs to make to immigration are a significant departure from the status quo.
“These were far and away the issues most strongly identified by Albertans during last year’s Alberta Next panel town halls and online submissions, and in my view, it is time to act on them,” Smith said in a 13-minute televised speech that the government paid to air during the 6 p.m. primetime news hour.
“The fact is, Alberta taxpayers can no longer be asked to continue to subsidize the entire country through equalization and federal transfers, permit the federal government to flood our borders with new arrivals, and then give free access to our most-generous-in-the-country social programs to anyone who moves here,” Smith said.
The premier noted the province will be unveiling a large deficit in next week’s budget and lower oil prices have contributed to less revenue. However, she says added social services costs going to more new residents is making Alberta’s budget woes even worse.
According to Statistics Canada, Alberta’s population surged by 202,324 residents in 2023. That’s the largest annual increase in the province’s history, the equivalent of 550 people moving to Alberta every day.
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