Why Alberta's fight with Ottawa over immigration won't end soon

The referendum quieted one thorny issue. The top headline, Albertans have voted to stay, remain in Canada. But it could intensify another, says the University of Alberta's Jared Wesley. And so I think that probably the immigration system itself will be a focus for the Prime Minister and premiers across this country in the months to come. Four of the referendum questions were about who gets to control, who comes to Alberta, and how to pay for it. Final results are still coming in, but it appears the majority of voters answered those questions exactly the way Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wanted them to. And she's probably feeling pretty good that she's getting the result and the mandate that she was looking for. Short-sighted federal policies have caused unsustainable population growth. Driving up the cost of living. putting pressure on our schools and housing. This was part of the government's campaign. The October 19th referendum is our chance to make immigration levels more sustainable. And here's the context. Alberta has the fastest growing population in Canada, 600,000 newcomers in the last five years, most from other countries. Reacting to the results, Prime Minister Mark Carney stressed Ottawa has reduced immigration and seemed keen to work with Smith. This government has recognized from the start the need to take back control on immigration, and we've done so. Where we go from here, and I'm not saying that that stabilization is complete, but where we go from here needs to be established in cooperation with the provinces. What we don't know, though, is how Smith will use those answers to shape policy. One of the referendum questions raised the idea of charging temporary residents a fee for services without saying how much. On the campaign trail, though, Smith suggested $1,900 annually. I feel a bit frustrated because I understand that people aren't exactly happy, but I don't think immigrants or taxing them and all that is the way to approach this. The results on immigration questions disappoint Dozy Anagbanam. He hosts a podcast for newcomers to Alberta. There's a lot more racist rhetoric right now. There's a lot more passive aggression right now. When I think about the referendum and all the things that we've seen the past nine months, I do worry that we have planted seeds of division in some way. The conservative movement in Alberta is stronger than it's ever been. What happens next, says Wesley, will depend on reaction from the premier's base, just as her leadership is in question. Biggest pressure on the premier to act swiftly and decisively in cracking down on immigration levels will come from within her own party. Thing is, that's where we got the whole separation referendum from in the first place. Now that issue has lost steam. expect the immigration debate to heat up.