-
Smith vows cautious approach after narrow win on immigration, muses about referendum on photo radar
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-24 23:03:15.0
Tags: [Alberta, Immigration, Governance, Justice, Transportation]Premier Danielle Smith announced a cautious legislative approach following narrow victories in an Alberta referendum on immigration questions, indicating a grandfathering approach that exempts immigrants who arrived under old rules. Smith confirmed that legislation requiring proof of citizenship—such as a passport, provincial driver’s license with a citizenship symbol, or equivalent verification—will be introduced for the next provincial election after receiving 58 percent support. Additionally, the government is appealing a court ruling regarding consultation duties on citizen-initiated separation referendums and is considering future referendums on medically assisted death advance directives and municipal photo radar enforcement.
Read Original -
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith vows to not hold formal separation referendum
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-21 00:47:50.0
Tags: [Alberta, Governance, Immigration, Justice]Following a provincial referendum where approximately 75 per cent of voters chose to remain in Canada, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith vowed not to hold a formal separation referendum while in power. Smith announced that her government will pursue increased provincial control over immigration, require temporary residents to pay public service fees, and mandate proof of Canadian citizenship to vote. Opposition Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the referendum as a political game that risks infringing on basic human rights.
Read Original -
Carney says Albertans chose unity and to move forward with 'purpose' and 'high ambition'
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-20 16:41:56.0
Tags: [National, Alberta, Governance, Immigration, Justice]Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to Alberta's October 2026 provincial referendum, where 75.5 per cent of voters chose to remain in Canada while 24.5 per cent voted to hold a separation referendum. Discussing the ballot's other questions with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Carney stated that federal-provincial reforms regarding immigration controls and the appointment of provincial judges can be achieved through cooperation rather than complex constitutional amendments. Carney noted that federal reductions in asylum seekers, temporary foreign workers, and foreign students demonstrate alignment on sustainable immigration levels. Meanwhile, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc emphasized Ottawa's priority to work collaboratively with Alberta following the decisive unity vote.
Read Original -
Alberta votes to stay in Canada, CBC News projects. Here's how the referendum is unfolding
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-20 01:00:24.0
Tags: [Alberta, Governance, Immigration, Justice]Alberta voters have decisively rejected a proposal to begin the legal process of separating from Canada, with 76 per cent voting in favour of remaining in the country and 24 per cent supporting a binding independence referendum. Early results across nine concurrent referendum questions indicate majority "yes" votes for establishing provincial immigration controls, requiring proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections, and various constitutional adjustments including judicial appointments and Senate reform. However, results remain unfinalized as elections officers continue counting mail-in and delayed ballot boxes across several provincial ridings.
Read Original -
Alberta referendum live updates: Voting stations open at 9 a.m. | 1.3 million ballots cast, so far
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-19 14:59:59.0
Tags: [Alberta, Governance, Immigration, Justice]Elections Alberta reported an unofficial total of 1,356,873 ballots cast during the advanced voting period and via special ballots for the October 19, 2026 provincial referendum, representing 43.1 per cent of the 3.1 million eligible voters. The referendum features 10 questions covering potential separation from Canada, increased provincial control over immigration levels and social program eligibility, and constitutional amendments regarding judicial appointments, the abolition of the federal Senate, the ability to opt out of federal programs, and the primacy of provincial laws over federal legislation.
Read Original -
Immigration, high-speed rail and Bill 21: Where new PQ government could test Ottawa
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Immigration, Infrastructure, Transportation, Justice, Finance, Governance]Following the Parti Québécois' provincial election victory, Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon faces key policy friction points with Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government. The PQ intends to seek full provincial control over immigration to reduce permanent immigrants to 35,000 and halve temporary immigration quotas, oppose the federal high-speed rail project connecting Toronto to Quebec City via Montreal, and seek $4.4 billion in additional federal transfers. Additionally, the new government plans to challenge federal authority by taking steps to abolish the monarchy in Quebec and cut funding to the lieutenant-governor's office, while awaiting a crucial Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Bill 21.
Read Original -
Immigration minister appears unaware of court ruling that guarantees Charter rights for refugees
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Immigration, Justice, Governance]Federal Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab faced scrutiny from refugee rights advocates and opposition critics after appearing unfamiliar with the landmark 1985 Supreme Court decision Singh v. Minister of Employment and Immigration during a Radio-Canada documentary podcast interview. The Singh decision established that asylum seekers are constitutionally guaranteed Charter rights to fundamental justice, specifically the right to an oral hearing, and led directly to the creation of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. The controversy centers around Bill C-12, the Carney government's immigration reform legislation passed in March, which restricts who receives Refugee Board hearings by shifting asylum claims made more than a year after initial entry to a written pre-removal risk assessment instead of an oral hearing. Legal challenges are underway alleging that Bill C-12 violates domestic and international law by undermining the protections mandated by the Singh precedent, while the Prime Minister's Office maintains confidence in Minister Diab's execution of federal immigration targets.
Read Original -
Countdown on to Oct. 19 Alberta referendum. What you need to know
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-19 18:24:09.0
Tags: [Alberta, Governance, Immigration, Justice]Alberta is preparing for an October 19 referendum featuring 10 questions, including options on provincial independence, immigration control, and constitutional leverage. In response to a data leak of the official list of electors by a separatist group affecting 2.9 million eligible voters, the provincial justice ministry issued an Order in Council temporarily removing personal identifiers from the voter lists distributed to MLAs, political parties, and candidates until December 31. Elections Alberta reported receiving over 520,000 special ballot requests—significantly up from 59,589 during the 2023 provincial election—and continues hiring election officers ahead of advance voting running from October 13 to October 17.
Read Original -
UCP asks for a 'yes' on nine referendum questions, launching campaign for Oct. 19 vote
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-11 19:47:13.0
Tags: [Alberta, Immigration, Governance, Justice]The Government of Alberta, under Premier Danielle Smith, launched a $4-million advertising campaign urging residents to vote 'yes' on nine referendum questions scheduled for October 19, covering immigration controls and constitutional amendments. The five immigration-related questions propose giving Alberta increased control over immigration levels, restricting provincially funded social programs to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and approved statuses, imposing a 12-month residency requirement for non-permanent residents, charging healthcare and education fees for non-permanent residents, and requiring citizenship proof to vote in provincial elections. The four constitutional questions propose amending the Canadian Constitution to let provinces select King’s Bench and Appeal court judges, abolish the federal Senate, allow provinces to opt out of federal programs with full funding retention, and grant provincial laws priority over conflicting federal laws in shared jurisdictions.
Read Original -
Canadian citizenship certificate applications now facing nearly 3-year delays
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-10 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Immigration, Governance, Justice]Following the implementation of Bill C-3—legislation enacted to address unconstitutional limits on Canadian citizenship by descent—Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has experienced an 11 per cent rise in pending applications, bringing the backlog of citizenship certificates to over 136,000. Wait times for new applicants have surged to an estimated 33 months, compared to five months prior to the law taking effect in December 2025. Half of the individuals recognized as citizens under Bill C-3 are born in the United States, straining government archival resources and drawing criticism from immigration lawyers and opposition critics regarding IRCC staffing levels and potential Charter challenges.
Read Original -
Alberta referendum pitches likely to face constitutional hurdles if enacted: bar association analysis
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-09 21:17:04.0
Tags: [Alberta, Governance, Justice, Immigration]The Alberta branch of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA Alberta) released an analysis warning that several proposals included in Alberta's 10-question upcoming citizen-initiated referendum on October 19 will face significant constitutional hurdles and potential Charter challenges if enacted. The report highlights that questions regarding immigration caps and provincial residency requirements risk federal paramountcy issues and Charter equality rights violations, while proposals concerning Senate abolition, superior court judge appointments, and granting provincial law priority over federal law require formal constitutional amendments. Additionally, the final question concerning secession notes that while a province cannot unilaterally secede, a majority 'yes' vote would trigger obligations for the federal government to engage in secession negotiations under constitutional frameworks.
Read Original
