Carney leaves open greater immigration role for Alberta

Prime Minister Mark Carney left open the possibility of giving Alberta greater control over immigration, while saying the federal government would maintain its goal of sustainable intake levels. His comments followed a nonbinding Alberta referendum in which about 53 per cent of voters supported seeking more provincial authority to reduce newcomer numbers. Asked on October 20 whether Ottawa could reach an agreement with Alberta similar to the one it signed with Quebec, Carney replied, “We’ll see.” He said Quebec was distinct because of its culture and language, and that Ottawa was also discussing immigration with other provinces. Carney said the federal government would not budge from its goal of bringing immigration intake to sustainable levels and was working to do so. He also said he had been discussing the appropriate levels with provincial premiers. The federal government’s immigration levels plan was due for an update by November 2026. The Alberta ballot asked whether the province should have more authority over immigration policy to reduce the number of newcomers to sustainable levels. The question was nonbinding, and its result did not change immigration rules. Alberta...