CALGARY — With the October 19 referendum behind Albertans and Premier Smith having secured a mandate on seven of the nine questions on the ballot regarding immigration and constitutional reforms, Stockwell Day hopes the results will be a “wake-up call” for Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ottawa.The former Canadian Alliance leader says he hopes the four immigration questions, which each received over 52% of the vote, will convince Ottawa to work with Smith and her UCP government on making changes to Alberta’s immigration system.Some of the questions that passed included giving Alberta more control over immigration and having the provincial government introduce a law mandating that provincial programs such as health care be available only to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or individuals with approved immigration status.Now, the former federal Leader of the Opposition says that while Alberta should have a greater say in who enters the province, the goal should not be to completely shut down immigration..WIECHNIK: Smith got her immigration mandate — time to deliver.“Premier Smith recognizes that, and quite rightly is wanting Alberta to have a say, not to shut down immigration, but to have a say in who comes in and to have some protection for Albertans to not have to pay the financial costs of immigration,” Day told the Western Standard.“That doesn’t work.”Carney told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that his government would consider the results of the vote on the nine questions and was not ruling out giving Alberta more authority over immigration, similar to the authority given to Quebec in a deal signed in the early 1990s.He did, however, add that “Quebec is distinct” due to its culture and language, but said his government would discuss immigration levels with other provinces.Smith also revealed on Wednesday that her government is putting together a proposal to send to Ottawa, which draws some “inspiration from Quebec’s 1991 Canada-Quebec accord.”.'ALL CULTURES ARE NOT EQUAL': Stockwell Day warns Canada risks ‘catastrophe’ over illegal immigration.Mass immigration has been a hot topic for many Albertans and Canadians in recent years, with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) 2025–26 annual tracking survey finding that 47% of Canadians believed too many immigrants were coming to Canada, with another 48% saying too many were coming to their province or territory.Day said that if the prime minister “really cares about Alberta as he says he does, then I hope he will listen to what Premier Smith puts on the table relative to controlling immigration.”He also pointed to recent developments in Europe, particularly in France and Italy — where widespread riots and looting have been ongoing over the last several days, with more expected to occur on Saturday — as a warning that mass immigration policies lacking sufficient controls can have serious consequences.“The effects of runaway immigration that is not properly controlled can be devastating,” he stated, adding that Carney should be “keeping one eye” on the situation “happening over there.”
