Albertans Show Strong Support for Immigration Service Restrictions in New Poll
A significant majority of Albertans are backing Premier Danielle Smith's controversial proposals to limit access to public services for temporary immigrants, according to a comprehensive new Postmedia-Leger survey. The poll reveals substantial public approval for measures that would confine health care, education, and other provincial services exclusively to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and provincially approved immigrants.
Overwhelming Support for Service Restrictions
When asked whether they would agree with confining such services to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and provincially approved immigrants, 63 percent of respondents expressed support for the proposal. This includes 37 percent who indicated they were strongly in favor and another 26 percent who were somewhat supportive. In contrast, only 25 percent strongly or somewhat opposed the idea, while the remaining 12 percent said they were uncertain about the proposal.
The survey question represents just one of nine referendum items that Smith intends to present to Albertans later this year. This political move comes as record-high immigration levels have placed unprecedented strain on Alberta's health-care and education systems, creating significant budgetary pressures and resource allocation challenges.
Additional Proposals Receive Similar Backing
Respondents showed comparable support for a separate referendum question that would require non-permanent residents to pay reasonable fees or premiums for access to health care and other provincial services. To this proposal, 64 percent of respondents were strongly or somewhat supportive, while 24 percent opposed the measure and 12 percent remained undecided.
The most popular proposal among those surveyed involved requiring non-permanent legal immigrants to reside in Alberta for at least twelve months before becoming eligible for provincial social support programs. This measure received approval from 66 percent of respondents, indicating strong public sentiment about establishing residency requirements for accessing social services.
Cross-Partisan and Regional Consensus
Andrew Enns, executive vice-president of Leger's central Canada operations, noted that Alberta's proposal to adjust access to public services for newcomers appears to enjoy support across regional and even partisan lines. The results say to me that Premier Danielle Smith and the government have landed on policy positions that are in sync with a strong majority of Albertans, Enns stated in an email analysis.
He further observed that the policies even have reasonable cross-party support, with a sizeable percentage of NDP supporters open to the positions. This suggests that concerns about immigration and public service access transcend traditional political divisions within the province.
Health Care Emerges as Primary Concern
The openness to such proposals comes at a time when concerns about the stability of Alberta's health-care system are running exceptionally high. According to the Leger poll, health care was identified as the single biggest concern among respondents, with 24 percent saying it was the most important issue facing the province.
This result significantly outpaced other major concerns, including:
- The economy at 13 percent
- Inflation at 10 percent
- Alberta separatism at 9 percent
Separation Sentiment Remains Limited
On the matter of Alberta separation from Canada, respondents demonstrated clear preference for maintaining the current constitutional arrangement. Seventy percent of those surveyed said the province should remain part of Canada, while only 17 percent supported becoming an independent country. An additional 4 percent suggested Alberta should join the United States, and 9 percent remained uncertain.
These results align closely with Leger's previous survey conducted in January 2026, which found 71 percent of respondents in favor of Alberta remaining within Canada. The consistency suggests stable public opinion on this fundamental constitutional question despite ongoing political debates about provincial autonomy and resource management.
Budgetary Pressures and Political Context
The immigration proposals emerge against a backdrop of significant financial challenges for Alberta. Late last month, the province projected a substantial $9.4-billion deficit in its annual budget, attributed partly to lower oil prices but also to rapid increases in spending on social services.
During a televised address to Albertans on February 19, Premier Smith proposed a range of referendum questions centered around trimming immigration levels and restricting immigrants' access to health care and education, among other policy adjustments. These measures represent a significant shift in how Alberta approaches immigration and social service provision at a time of economic uncertainty and growing public concern about resource allocation.
