Carney leaves door open to Quebec-style immigration deal as Alberta prepares proposal
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would consider Alberta’s request for more control over immigration, while Premier Danielle Smith said her government was preparing a proposal modeled on Quebec’s agreement.
Prime Minister Mark Carney did not rule out a Quebec-style immigration agreement for Alberta when asked about one in Ottawa on Wednesday, October 21, according to Global News. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the same day that her government was preparing a proposal for Ottawa, following a provincial referendum in which a majority backed greater control over immigration.
Asked whether Ottawa could reach an agreement with Alberta similar to its deal with Quebec, Carney replied in French, ‘We’ll see,’ Global News reported. He said Quebec’s language and culture make it distinct, and that his government would also discuss immigration levels with other provinces. His answer left open whether Alberta would receive powers comparable to Quebec’s; neither leader announced an agreement.
Alberta’s proposal and the Quebec precedent
At a Calgary news conference on Wednesday, Smith said she had told Carney on Tuesday that Alberta was putting together a proposal for the federal government. She said her government had looked to the 1991 Canada–Quebec accord for inspiration. Signed after the failure of the Meech Lake accord, that agreement gave Quebec authority to set its own economic immigration targets, Global News reported. Smith did not set out the terms Alberta would seek.
The proposal follows an Alberta referendum question calling for more provincial control over immigration so the province could reduce newcomer numbers to ‘sustainable levels.’ Just over one million people, about 53% of voters, backed the question in preliminary results available Wednesday, Global News reported. The official tally was expected the following week.
Federal and provincial talks after the referendum
The immigration vote came alongside a separate question about Alberta’s future in Canada. Roughly three-quarters of voters rejected starting a path toward separation, according to unofficial results reported by Euronews with about 90% of voting areas counted. Euronews reported that Carney said he had spoken with Smith on Tuesday morning about the results and closer federal-provincial cooperation, including immigration. The latest exchange makes a specific Quebec-style arrangement part of that discussion.
The discussion builds on Carney’s earlier signal that he would consider Alberta’s immigration concerns after the referendum. He said Wednesday that Ottawa was listening to provincial leaders but would maintain overall immigration levels it considered sustainable. Federal immigration targets were due for an update by November, Global News reported; Carney gave no date for a decision on Alberta’s proposal.
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Sources and context
- Carney won’t rule out giving Alberta a Quebec-style immigration dealGlobal News
- Alberta’s “no” to separation hands PM Mark Carney a unity winEuronews
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.