Author: Alex Dhaliwal
A majority of Albertans back Premier Danielle Smith’s push for tougher immigration rules, with a new poll showing all five of the province’s immigration referendum proposals have majority support.
The five Oct. 19 questions ask whether Alberta should cut immigration and prioritize economic migrants; restrict taxpayer-funded services by immigration status; impose a one-year wait for social supports; charge non-permanent residents for health care and education; and require proof of citizenship to vote.
A Research Co. poll conducted between Aug. 24 and 26 found 66 per cent support requiring proof of Canadian citizenship to vote in provincial elections — the highest of the five proposals.
Another 65 per cent back Alberta taking greater control over immigration to reduce immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritize economic migrants and give Albertans first priority for new employment opportunities.
Every immigration proposal drew at least 58 per cent support, prompting Research Co. president Mario Canseco to predict they are on track to pass.
“This is quite remarkable … unless something changes drastically, we’re going to see those pass,” Canseco said.
“There is definitely a sense that the notion immigration is having a negative impact in the lives of Albertans is resonating with the public.”
The remaining proposals also drew majority support. Fifty-eight per cent backed restricting provincially funded services based on immigration status, while 60 per cent supported charging non-permanent residents fees for health care and education.
Another 60 per cent backed requiring people with non-permanent legal immigration status to live in Alberta for at least a year before qualifying for provincially funded social supports.
The results come ahead of Alberta’s Oct. 19 provincial referendum, which will feature 10 questions in total, including five on immigration.
On Feb. 19, Smith pitched the immigration questions as a mandate for a “significant departure from the status quo.”
“The changes we need to make to immigration are a significant departure from the status quo, and therefore, I am seeking a referendum mandate from Albertans to implement them,” Smith said when announcing the vote.
Smith has blamed federal immigration policy for straining Alberta’s housing, health care, education and social services as the province absorbed nearly 600,000 additional residents over five years.
“Although sustainable immigration has always been an important part of our provincial growth model, throwing the doors wide open to anyone and everyone across the globe has flooded out classrooms, emergency rooms and social support systems with far too many people, far too quickly,” Smith said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pushed back on criticism of Ottawa’s current immigration policy, saying asylum seeker numbers have fallen by a third, temporary foreign workers by half and foreign student numbers by two-thirds since his government was elected.
He has blamed the previous Trudeau government for lax immigration policies.
The appetite for separation, however, was far weaker.
Only 22 per cent backed beginning the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on Alberta separating from Canada, while 74 per cent supported remaining in Canada.
The poll also found turnout could play a major role in how Albertans view the referendum’s legitimacy. Eighty per cent said turnout of at least 70 per cent would validate the result, while 70 per cent said turnout of just 30 per cent would undermine it.
Research Co. surveyed 750 Albertans who said they were likely to vote in the referendum. The results were statistically weighted by age, gender and region according to census figures.