There are ten questions on ballots for the Alberta referendum, with the tenth asking if Alberta should remain a province of Canada or make plans to hold a binding referendum on whether Alberta should leave Canada and become independent. There are two options: Option one is no; Option two is yes — a vote for the actual independence referendum. To be clear, question ten is not about gaining independence, but about whether to pursue it.For questions one through nine, a rallying cry of 'Say No To The Nine' has been floating around the province, and if Albertans ever needed a reason to vote on all nine questions, Prime Minister Mark Carney gave them one on Thursday night, joining the chorus calling for a vote of 'no to the nine.'If Mark Carney thinks the questions are bad, it's because he thinks they are bad for Canada, which means they are good for Alberta. And they are good for Alberta because they take the overbearing federal government out of so many aspects of Albertans' lives.Let's review the questions.Question one: Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration, and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities? Some think this question is racist, but it is not. A yes vote would prevent such things as the housing crisis brought on by the Trudeau Liberals that drove up the cost of housing. .Question two: Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially funded programs, such as healthcare, education, and other social services? A yes vote is common sense from a taxpayer's point of view.Question three: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially funded social support programs? A yes vote means you think they should first pay their share of taxes to receive the support.Question four: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public healthcare and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family's use of the healthcare and education system? Once again, a yes vote is common sense.Question five: Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?The common-sense answer is yes..Question six: Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?A yes vote means provincial appointees with inside knowledge of the province where they work.Question seven: Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?A yes vote promotes fair representation of all provinces when it comes to Senate matters, including voting.Question eight: Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdictions such as healthcare, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?A yes vote supports spending money where it’s most needed, recognizing that needs and spending priorities may vary among provinces.Question nine: Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province's laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province's laws and federal laws conflict?A yes vote acknowledges that local knowledge should overrule one-size-fits-all dictates from the federal government.If you have yet to vote in the Alberta referendum, advance polls close on Saturday, with Monday being voting day.
