‘I don’t think that’s right’: Albertans react to idea of withholding services from some immigrants

Whether or not Alberta should withhold social services from some immigrants is among the issues Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is tabling for debate this summer, as she and 15 members of the “Alberta Next Panel” will travel across the province to consult citizens on potential referendum questions.

A video on the panel’s website states that although the federal government decides who is allowed into Canada, provinces pay for most social programs that they need.

“If Alberta isn’t satisfied with the number or kind of newcomers moving to our province, we may have the option to withhold provincial social programs to any non-citizen or non-permanent resident who does not have an Alberta-approved immigration status,” says a video that participants are required to view before taking the immigration survey.

The video says immigration is to blame for high housing costs and unemployment rates, adding that “many of the divisions and disputes that plague other countries have begun making their way into ours.”

So, should Alberta create a new ministry of immigration and decide which newcomers, who have already been approved by Ottawa, get to use services like schools and hospitals?

“I don’t think that’s right at all. As Canada, we accept everybody,” said Riley Turgeon, who is from Brooks but now resides in Edmonton.

“No, I don’t think that is fair. People come here from war-torn countries and intense situations, so we must give them safekeeping here,” said James Aldrev, from Grand Prairie.

There is no question, however, that Alberta is growing fast, recently topping five million people.

The NDP also agrees there are concerns about the pace of the population growth, but leader Naheed Nenshi says even talking about withholding services is wrong.

“(The premier) is using incredibly inflammatory language like ‘right kind of people’ and ‘people I approve of’; well, forget about the fact that everything she’s saying is blatantly unconstitutional, the dog whistle is audible to everyone,” said Nenshi.

In January of last year, Smith told a podcaster she wanted Alberta to rapidly double its population and Red Deer to hit one million people, but she was criticized for those words and has changed her stance.

“It wasn’t that long ago that Danielle Smith was calling for 10 million Albertans, but I think she’s being pushed by her fringes to go after immigrants. And she doesn’t come out and say it, but is it about black and brown people?” asked Duane Bratt, a political scientist from Mount Royal University.

Farah Rebbouh, who moved with her family to Alberta from Algeria two years ago, says it has been a good experience, but she will not continue to stay here if services are taken away.

“Of course I would leave Alberta and would not second-guess my decision, and move elsewhere,” she told CityNews.

In a statement, the premier’s office on Thursday said immigrants would be approved by Alberta based on their job skills and the values of hard work, love of freedom, and peaceful co-existence.

“Under the Constitution, immigration is a shared area of responsibility between the federal and provincial governments. The federal government gets to decide who they let into Canada, but it’s up to the provinces to provide the vast majority of the social programs that newcomers need, so obviously, we should have a say about who is coming here,” it said.

But the government also acknowledges Alberta may have to go to court to fight the federal government for more control over immigration.

The other surveys suggest several ideas the province could advocate for, including abolishing the federal senate, expanding the Supreme Court of Canada to include more Western judges, and allowing the province to appoint Court of King’s Bench judges.

Following 10 town halls, scheduled to begin in July and end in late September, Smith said the panel would recommend ideas and policy proposals for a referendum.