Carney open to Alberta immigration powers, Smith expels separatists from party

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says he is not ruling out giving Alberta more authority over immigration, similar to a decades-old deal with Quebec.

Carney told reporters on Parliament Hill on Wednesday that his government is speaking with provinces about “sharing powers” over “economic immigration.”

“We’ll see,” Carney said in French when asked if Ottawa could reach an agreement with Alberta similar to the Canada-Quebec accord signed in 1991.

READ MORE: Carney rebuffs Musk's call for Quebec separation as Alberta vote looms

READ MORE: Carney vows to use all powers against U.S. steelmaker over Stelco layoffs

He added that “Quebec is distinct” because of its culture and language and said Ottawa will also talk with the other provinces about immigration levels.

His comments follow a referendum in Alberta where about 53 per cent of voters backed a question calling for more provincial control over immigration policy to reduce newcomers to “sustainable levels.”

“We have been having discussions with the provinces’ first ministers around getting immigration, first and foremost, to the right levels,” Carney said.

“I just want to underscore we will not budge from overall levels that are sustainable. We’re getting them to that level now.”

At a news conference in Calgary, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she told Carney the day before that her government is putting together a “proposal” for the federal government.

“We have been looking for some inspiration from Quebec’s 1991 Canada-Quebec accord,” she said.

Smith draws line against separatists

In a separate video address to party supporters Wednesday, Smith drew a line against separatists within her United Conservative Party.

“The United Conservative Party is not an independence party,” Smith said.

“For those few who cannot reconcile this fact and remain intent on dividing and turning our party into a vehicle for the independence movement, I would respectfully invite them to join a different party.”

Her directive comes two days after 75 per cent of Albertans voted to remain in Canada rather than trigger a binding vote on independence.

Smith said candidates running for the UCP in next year’s election “need to be committed” to the party’s position of a “strong Alberta within a united Canada.”

Mitch Sylvestre, a prominent independence leader who presides over a UCP constituency association, said demanding that positions like his be held by those who support remaining in Canada is “not the premier’s call.”

“She cannot win without us, period. So if we leave and form another party, she’s not going to win,” Sylvestre told the Toronto Star.

Smith warned a lack of unity is what the UCP’s political opponents want.

“As a party, we cannot permit the next year to be one of internal division and endless debates about separation when Albertans have spoken so clearly against it,” she said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Tuesday the Liberals have lost control of immigration and provinces should have more control over their intake numbers since they must deliver services for newcomers.

“Recently, the prime minister went to The New York Times, a foreign newspaper, to tell them that he wants to increase immigration. That too is a mistake,” Poilievre said in Calgary.

“It shows he is totally out of touch. Immigration is totally out of control.”

Carney told the U.S. newspaper last month that the next question his government faces is when to “resume some controlled increase in the population.”

Yadude Books reported in October that the Carney government aims to regain control of immigration as temporary resident numbers remain high.

The federal government had set out plans to increase the national target for permanent residents to 500,000 a year but changed course and slashed the targets in its 2024-2025 plan.

The most recent plan sets out targets of 385,000 permanent resident admissions this year, 370,000 next year and the same figure for 2028.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab did not respond to reporters’ questions when she walked into the weekly Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday.

Federal immigration levels are due for an update by next month.

With files from The Canadian Press, BNN Bloomberg and Global News