Three former Alberta premiers are encouraging voters to reject the five immigration-related queries on the October 19 referendum ballot, asserting that the propositions target immigrants and pose a direct threat to Alberta’s ongoing prosperity.
Former Progressive Conservative premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford, alongside former NDP premier Rachel Notley, presented their arguments in a joint submission to the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal released on Wednesday.
The immigration questions suggest that the province should exert more authority over immigration from the federal government, restrict the eligibility of non-permanent residents for public and social services, and inquire whether voters should provide proof of citizenship to vote in a provincial election.
The UCP government is advocating for Albertans to vote “yes” to the five immigration-related questions, citing that rapid population growth has strained the healthcare and education systems.
The province, on its referendum website, states that it is seeking input on immigration questions 2-4 to enhance the sustainability, accessibility, and affordability of services. However, the former premiers are concerned that the resulting policies could lead to economic repercussions.
“The main risk we want to highlight is that each measure, if adopted, could have adverse and unintended consequences. Essentially, Alberta could be perceived as less appealing to the very talent we require,” the former premiers emphasized.
For Stelmach, being Alberta’s first premier of Ukrainian descent, the questions also evoke a humanitarian aspect and hold personal significance for him.
Reflecting on a poignant memory of welcoming dozens of Ukrainian refugees in 2022 amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Stelmach expressed gratitude for Canada’s openness to immigrants, noting that without it, his family’s fate might have been different.
The former premier, who has largely remained apolitical since his tenure ended in 2011, felt compelled to speak out on the immigration-related issues as they resonate deeply with him.
The UCP government has voiced apprehension about the impact of substantial migration to the province in recent years, highlighting a population surge of approximately 600,000 individuals from July 2021 to July 2026, with a significant portion attributed to international migration.
Despite concerns, the province contends that Ottawa’s immigration policies have negatively affected Alberta’s ability to sustain and provide social services, impacting residents’ access to these services and incurring substantial costs.
While acknowledging the importance of reasonable discussions on immigration policy, the former premiers argue that the referendum questions oversimplify complex policy matters into perplexing and contradictory queries that are challenging to decipher.
The former premiers underscored the economic benefits immigrants bring to Alberta, citing recent economic analysis from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce indicating that most Alberta businesses grapple with labor shortages.
Anticipating significant projects like the Pacific Link pipeline, Stelmach emphasized the need for skilled workers to support Alberta’s potential rapid growth, underscoring the vital role immigrants play in meeting labor demands.
In conclusion, the former premiers emphasized the valuable contributions immigrants make to Alberta’s economy and expressed concern that the referendum questions fail to address the nuanced aspects of immigration policy effectively.
