Danielle Smith Is Pro-Immigration

Premier Danielle Smith wants Ottawa to grant her provincial government sweeping new immigration powers.

In a recent press conference on Alberta’s October referendum, which will seek input from voters on immigration as well as several broader constitutional issues, Smith explained that “what we’re looking at is a model very similar to what Quebec has had since 1991”. She is referring to the Canada-Quebec Accord, which allows Quebec to set its own numbers and criteria for economic immigrants (it does not apply to foreign workers, international students, and asylum seekers).

Three of the five immigration referendum questions deal with limiting access to provincially funded social services for temporary residents, and one deals with requiring proof of citizenship when voting in provincial elections – but the most notable question is the first one, which asks whether voters support Alberta receiving increased control over immigration:

Do you 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?

What would a Danielle Smith government do with these powers? Would it really slash numbers? Looking at Smith’s recent record, we find many instances where Smith supports immigration – most disturbingly, praise for the use of foreign workers and repeated mentions of a bizarre plan to double Alberta’s population to 10 million.

In 2024, Smith said she wanted to double Alberta’s population to boost its “political clout”

In fact, she still wants to, but says “it’s a matter of time scale”

Where would all these new people go? Well, Red Deer of course!

Last summer, Smith praised a slaughterhouse in Brooks notorious for using foreign labour as “a very positive example”

In 2024, Premier Smith sent a letter to Trudeau demanding that he reform immigration…by increasing Alberta’s immigration allocation