Why Alberta changed its tune on immigration

Alberta's referendum is as much about immigration as it is about separation. Five of the ten questions address who gets to come here and who should pay for it. Why are there five questions that deal with people who are coming to Alberta from other places? Well because it has to be dealt with. Voters like Randy Klesinski say newcomers create problems. We've got a lot of people who are out of work because of immigrants have taken jobs, right? I'm not going to say I'm not racist whatsoever, but we have a large province, and immigrants are coming into Alberta, taking jobs, taking money, taking food off the table for families that probably really need jobs. That's my opinion. He's not alone. In fact, the idea that an influx of immigrants is making life tougher in Alberta comes from the provincial government. This is its referendum ad on the issue. Albertans are frustrated. Short-sighted federal policies have caused unsustainable population growth. Driving up the cost of living, putting pressure on our schools and housing. This message is new. In the past couple of years, a shaky economy, politics inside the Premier's party, and American influence have shifted the discussion around immigration in Alberta. How Albertans vote on those five questions could determine if the province continues to be seen as welcoming or not. Listen to what Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was saying two years ago. The fact that so many people come to our province, I look at that as a positive and we want to keep that going. That's why I've said let's have an aggressive target to double our population. Why? Because then we'll be the second largest province. And we want to be able to build this place out so that we can actually have the political clout in Alberta that we deserve. because right now we're being treated as a junior partner by Ottawa. We have an obligation to be that bastion of freedom and I think we should welcome the people who want to come here and enjoy it with us. Smith even wrote a letter to then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking Ottawa to increase immigration to Alberta, arguing Alberta would experience labour shortages forecasted in critical sectors such as construction, technology, healthcare and education, adding, immigration is critical to addressing these labor challenges. That didn't go over well with Smith's supporters, says Duane Bratt. He teaches political science at Mount Royal University in Calgary. She faced tremendous pushback from the base of her party when she started talking about that because there is an anti-immigrant sentiment in there. The conservative movement in Alberta is what it's ever been. He sees Smith's immigration shift as political. She does not listen or follow public opinion. She follows public opinion within the United Conservative Party. So you believe she's taking guidance from... The base of her party. Yeah. And have they always been opposed to immigration? I have not seen that. That's just become a new thing. Part of that shift may simply be because Alberta's population has grown fast. Statistics Canada says the province's population increased by 600,000 people between 2021 and 2026, two-thirds coming from other countries. Those numbers include the post-pandemic surge in temporary workers and foreign students coming into Canada. With the plan we're announcing today, we're making our immigration system work better. Ottawa admitted that was a mistake and reduced federal targets. Blaming Ottawa is part of the Premier's message. And then came Justin Trudeau's disastrous open border immigration policies. 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. Nkedi Johnson-Taylor is the CEO of Calgary's Centre for Newcomers. Congratulations, congratulations. It helps settle thousands of new Canadians every year with language and employment skills. Thanks everyone. Enjoy your meal. She believes the government's shift on immigration is tied to the economy. The jobs have changed, the demand has changed and inflation, you know, has changed. The post-pandemic surge in immigration came just as oil prices faltered and inflation soared. Whenever there are challenges in an economy, Oftentimes, the first people that are looked at, you know, are immigrants. Facing a multi-billion dollar deficit, Smith put a price tag on immigration, estimating providing services to temporary residents costs the province a billion dollars a year. Although some question the math. So all of that set the stage for the referendum. And here's the thing about the immigration questions. They're wordy and a bit confusing. Here's question one. 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? Questions 2, 3 and 4 are about how to pay for services for newcomers, including the idea of charging a fee. And question five is about proof of citizenship when voting. Those questions have created anxiety for new arrivals. Marivic Prospero is a social worker at Calgary's Newcomer Centre. So we heard like, are we still going to get access to education for our children? Are we still going to get access for health care? So are we going to be given assistance for employment, for example, although we were getting it right now. So what's going to be for us? Are we going to be deported, thrown out of Alberta? You know, these are valid concerns and issues that they don't have answers for now. The thing is, attitudes towards immigration in Alberta really depend on geography. Bratt says the push to limit newcomers doesn't come from cities like this. It's rooted in rural areas with limited diversity. And this replicates everything we know from political science research around the world. Areas that have the least amount of immigration have the most hatred towards new immigrants. Europe is in serious trouble. They've been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody's ever seen before. He sees parallels with the anti-immigration rhetoric of the Trump administration and what's happening in Europe, where Germany's far-right AFD won a recent state election. Pointing to this tweet from Bruce McAllister, Danielle Smith's executive director, praising the AFD. He writes, You can't run a welfare state, bring in millions who need support, and keep energy prices this high without the books blowing up. It's also tearing up the social fabric and native culture. And so if you want to know why we're having five questions on immigration, talk to Bruce McAllister. Social media amplifies it all. Randy Kleschinski learns about immigration online. Where are you getting that information from? I get a lot of it off the internet, YouTube, what I hear and what I read. And what does that say? What are the messages there? Well, some are really conflicting as, you know, just get them out. Period. Just get them out. current polls show the separation question is unlikely to pass it's less clear what Albertans will tell their government about immigration and what that could mean for what the government does and how Albertans feel about newcomers