Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Albertans should vote in favour of all the questions on the upcoming referendum ballot except for the one related to separation, after Prime Minister Mark Carney encouraged Albertans to reject all nine other proposals.
Smith made the comment on X on Oct. 15, responding to a video of Carney telling Calgary rally-goers that they should vote “no to the nine” referendum questions, including one that would give Alberta more control over its immigration.
The upcoming Oct. 19 referendum includes a tenth question on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or start the process of holding a binding separation referendum, in addition to the nine other questions.
“The prime minister and I have found common ground on many things over the last 18 months. However, it appears that he has yet to fully understand just how damaging the open-border policies of his predecessor were,” Smith said on X on Oct. 15.
Smith urged Albertans to vote “yes to the rest,” saying the results would give her government a “strong mandate” to exert greater control over immigration, prioritize economic migrants, put Albertans first for jobs, and ensure the sustainability of provincial social services.
Carney addressed a Calgary rally on Oct. 15, urging Albertans to reject separation and vote against the referendum’s other nine proposals.
“Make sure everyone’s out there marking their ballots on, by Monday, including ‘no to the nine,’” he told attendees.
He said the referendum is being held at the “worst possible time” alluding to tensions with the United States.
“There are some outside our borders who are working to break us, so they can win,” he said.
The ballot includes five non-binding questions on immigration and related provincial policies. These ask whether Alberta should have greater control over immigration and give Albertans priority for job opportunities; restrict eligibility for provincially funded programs to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people with an Alberta-approved immigration status; require people with non-permanent legal immigration status to live in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for provincially funded social support programs; charge certain non-permanent residents fees for their families’ use of public health care and education; and require proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections.
The ballot also includes four questions proposing constitutional amendments. They ask whether Alberta should have a role in selecting judges for the province’s Court of King’s Bench and Court of Appeal; whether the federal Senate should be abolished; whether Alberta should be able to opt out of certain federal programs without losing related funding; and whether provincial laws on provincial or shared matters should take precedence over federal laws in cases of conflict.
A September Abacus Data survey found stronger opposition to separation in Alberta’s two largest cities than in rural areas. Some 78 percent of Edmonton residents and 71 percent of Calgary residents opposed separation, compared with 46 percent of rural residents. In rural Alberta, 31 percent supported independence, while 23 percent were undecided.
Alberta’s referendum has seen high early voter turnout, with more than 500,000 votes cast during the first three days of advance polling. Elections Alberta said 174,532 voters cast ballots on Oct. 13, the first day of advance voting, followed by 186,742 on Oct. 14, and a further 168,200 on Oct. 15.
Alberta’s referendum will be held on Oct. 19, with advance voting being held from Oct. 13 to 17.
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