Albertans voted to remain in Canada but supported increased provincial control over immigration and limits on social services for non-citizens. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated the federal government will seek cooperative solutions.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
More than half of Albertans who voted in Monday’s referendum expressed support for increased provincial control over immigration and restrictions on newcomers' access to social services. While the question of leaving Canada received significant attention, nine other questions on the ballot addressed provincial rights and immigration policy.
Official results, with 86 per cent of the votes counted, indicate that more than 840,000 Albertans voted yes when asked if they support the government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration "for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities." Just over 700,000 voted no on this question.
Voters also supported limiting access to public services. More than 736,000 voted yes when asked if they support the government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that "only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status" will be eligible for health care, education and other social services. Over 592,000 voted no.
Additionally, more than 705,000 answered yes when asked if they "support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially funded social support programs." More than 514,000 voted no.
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the results on Tuesday morning in Ottawa. He stated that Ottawa will consider the vote results in the nine questions, "and look where we can find solutions together."
"What I favour is working now pragmatically to common solutions," Carney said. He noted that the federal government "has recognized from the start the need to take back control on immigration, and we’ve done so."
Carney cited specific reductions in immigration flows over the last 18 months: "reduction in asylum seekers of 17 per cent, reduction in temporary foreign worker flows of 60 per cent, reduction in foreign students of 80 per cent."
"I’m not saying that that stabilization is complete, but where we go from here needs to be established in cooperation with the provinces, and that’s very much the spirit of at least one of the questions," Carney said.
The referendum also included questions on constitutional amendments. More than 570,000 Albertans said yes to whether they support "the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts." More than 527,000 voted no.
Similarly, more than 569,000 said yes when asked if they support "the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?" More than 490,000 voted no.
Wayne MacKay, a professor emeritus at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, noted that abolishing the Senate would require unanimous consent from Ottawa and the provinces. "It’s a pretty high hurdle to meet and therefore might be not a very wise exercise in time and energy trying to do it," MacKay said.
Grace Skogstad, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, told Yahoo News Canada that the gap between the separation result and support for more provincial power over immigration matters. She suggested economics may explain both outcomes.
"Most of the immigration questions were framed around the theme that migrants to the province — temporary foreign workers/those without PR or citizenship status — cost the province," Skogstad said.
Chadwick Cowie, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto, noted that the debate over provincial power leaves out Indigenous treaty relationships. "There's no consideration or understanding of the treaty relationship that exists there," Cowie said. He argued that if Alberta seeks greater jurisdiction, Indigenous governments cannot simply be treated as an issue to address after Ottawa and Edmonton settle their differences.
The referendum results highlight a divergence between rejecting national separation and seeking greater provincial autonomy in specific policy areas. While the vote to remain in Canada was decisive, the narrow margins on constitutional changes suggest a complex mandate for the Alberta government. The federal government has indicated a willingness to negotiate on immigration policy, which is a concurrent jurisdiction, potentially avoiding the need for difficult constitutional amendments.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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