Opinion: Smith's immigrant referendum will make Alberta crueler, poorer
By Avnish Nanda
The Alberta Advantage is not about low taxes. It is the founding promise that it does not matter when you came here, where you came from, or what led you here — but that you will be measured by the content of your character and how you show up for your community.
From the Indigenous communities that pre-date this province, to the successive waves of migrants who came afterwards, this has been the promise that has built Alberta. Immigrants have seeded and tilled our fields, worked our mines, constructed our homes, treated our injuries, cared for us and our children, and built Alberta into the vibrant, diverse economic powerhouse that it is today.
Now, Danielle Smith is trying to undo that promise through a fall referendum that demonizes immigrants for the failures of her government. On Oct. 19, 2026, Albertans will vote on a series of disingenuous policy questions that are in substance an attempt to politically appease the radical cohort that forms her base.
A Referendum About Politics, Not Policy
The referendum is about politics, not policy. It comes on the heels of Smith calling for Alberta’s population to grow to 10 million by 2050 and spending $17 million as part of the “Alberta is Calling” campaign to recruit the same migrants to the province that she now calls threats. Not only is this a stark course correction, but almost none of the measures are in Alberta’s jurisdiction to address. Most of the questions posed are also founded on misleading premises intended to direct hostility towards immigrants rather than engage in any meaningful policy discussion.
For instance, Smith asks Albertans if they want temporary residents to pay for the provincial services they access. But they already do. Temporary residents in Alberta, including those on work or student visas, pay taxes for government services. There is also a residency requirement that must be met to access health care. The federal government pays for the health care of refugee claimants, but they also pay taxes if they work. Temporary migrants are not freeloading off the system; they are working and paying taxes like everyone else.
The Real Intent: Making Alberta Unwelcoming
This is not about policy. This is about ensuring that Alberta is no longer a welcoming place for newcomers. It is about making it harder for immigrants to set down their roots and thrive. It is about reshaping what Alberta is and who can call it home by undoing the very foundations of our province.
The effects of Smith’s campaign will make Alberta crueler and poorer. Alberta needs immigrants. It needs them to fill a dwindling labour force in rural Alberta as populations become older. It needs their specialized expertise, experience, and enthusiasm — particularly in the fields of science, technology, and engineering — if we want to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy. It needs their investment capital to create more jobs and prosperity.
