VideoPolitics
Carney offers immigration and judges deals instead of constitutional change for Alberta
Alberta voters chose to stay in Canada, but the nine referendum questions on immigration and judges still shape what Ottawa and Danielle Smith negotiate next.
Summary
Alberta voters chose to remain in Canada on Monday, with roughly 75% backing staying. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said constitutional change is difficult and long, but he opened the door to deals on immigration and judicial appointments without reopening the Constitution. The video frames this as a serious answer to the nine referendum questions, not a brush-off.
Premier Danielle Smith's bargaining mandate is shrinking as ballots are counted. Question one, on more provincial control over immigration, slid from 58% yes on election night to about 55%, while the constitutional questions on judges and provincial law priority hovered near 51%. Her government spent $4 million on referendum advertising. Inside the United Conservative Party, the Alberta Prosperity Project is pushing to take over the party, and 22 of 87 riding associations would be needed to force a leadership review.
The video places the debate in history. The 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord, signed February 5, 1991, gave Quebec the right to select its own economic immigrants with no constitutional amendment and no referendum. By contrast, Kenney's 2021 equalization referendum drew 61.7% yes, yet equalization remains in the Constitution. Premiers called in 2016 for Quebec-style agreements for every province, and Saskatchewan proposed its own accord in 2022.
Key points
- Roughly 75% of Albertans voted to remain in Canada.
- Question 1 on provincial immigration control slid from 58% to about 55% yes.
- Constitutional questions on judges and provincial law priority hovered near 51%.
- Smith's government spent $4 million on referendum advertising.
- 86% of Edmonton and 83% of Calgary voters chose to stay; the rest of Alberta came in at 66%.
- The Canada-Quebec Accord was signed February 5, 1991, with no amendment and no referendum.
Questions answered
What did Mark Carney say about Alberta's nine referendum questions?
Carney said constitutional change is difficult and long, but he is open to more solutions with the provinces on immigration. He said sustainable immigration through federal and provincial cooperation can be done without constitutional change, and he disagreed that rewriting the constitution is the only way to let provinces pick their judges.
Is Danielle Smith's mandate on Alberta's referendum questions weakening?
According to the video, Smith's bargaining mandate is slipping as ballots are counted. Question one slid from 58% yes on election night to about 55%, while constitutional questions on judges and provincial law priority hovered near 51%. Official results were due Wednesday morning.
What is the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord?
The Canada-Quebec Accord was signed on February 5, 1991, by Ottawa and Quebec. It gave Quebec the right to select its own economic immigrants and a say over certain temporary residents, with no constitutional amendment and no referendum. Ottawa still issues the visas.
Prepared by the CanadaNext Editor with AI assistance from public reporting and CanadaNext's own videos. Sources are linked. How we work