Albertans will vote on 10 questions in an October referendum. This is what they ask

While the focus of the Oct. 19 meeting was on the question of whether Alberta should hold a referendum to secede from Canada, there were several other questions that Premier Danielle Smith posed to residents.

Some of them revolve around immigration, while others are constitutional reforms that Smith asked the province to consider.

Here are the questions the prime minister asked at the province-wide vote on October 19.

Question 1: Do you support the Alberta government increasing control over immigration with the goal of reducing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority when it comes to new job opportunities?

What you need to know: Smith said he would like to see Alberta have a similar agreement with Quebec, which has an agreement with Ottawa that allows the province to set its own eligibility requirements for economic migrants.

He said in February that a “normal” and “sustainable” level of immigration would represent less than one percent of the population, or about 50,000 new arrivals per year, but critics say Smith has failed to plan for population growth fueled by advertising campaigns across the country in recent years.

Question 2: Do you support the Alberta government enacting legislation requiring that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with Alberta-approved immigration status be eligible to receive provincial government-funded programs, such as healthcare, education and other social services?

What you need to know: The Prime Minister blamed overburdened public services for rapid population growth in the last five years.

The government’s website claims temporary residents cost the province more than $1 billion in health, education and social services, but critics say the numbers are an understatement, and the government ignores the economic contribution and benefits they provide to Alberta.

The specific impact of the yes vote is unclear, as the government said it would not determine “Alberta’s approved immigration status” until after the referendum.

Question 3: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents remain eligible for social support programs as of now, would you support the Alberta government enacting legislation requiring all individuals with non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before becoming eligible for provincial government-funded social support programs?

What you need to know: The government says it won’t determine which programs will be impacted until after the referendum, if Albertans vote yes.

Temporary workers are already ineligible for some provincial programs, such as Guaranteed Income for the Severely Disabled, and provincial chapters of the Canadian Bar Association say this could run afoul of the Canada Health Act or equality provisions in the Charter.

Question 4: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents remain eligible for public health and education services as of now, do you support the government of Alberta charging reasonable fees or premiums to individuals with non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for use of the health and education system by them and their families?

What you need to know: The potential new costs won’t be determined by the government until after the vote, although the premier told Calgary business leaders on Sept. 22 that health premiums could reach $1,900.

Education leaders in the province oppose restricting access to schools, saying it goes against internationally agreed rights of children.

Question 5: Do you support the Alberta government enacting legislation requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in Alberta’s provincial elections?

What you need to know: Voting is already restricted to Canadian citizens and Elections Canada and Elections Alberta have reported very few cases of ineligible voting.

Smith said the policy aims to strengthen the integrity of provincial elections, but critics say it will only make the election process more time-consuming, and open the door to racial or ethnic bias at the polls.

Question 6: Do you support the Alberta government working with other provincial governments willing to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow the provincial government, and not the federal government, to select the judges appointed to the province’s King’s Bench and Appeal courts?

What you need to know: If approved by voters, this proposal would simply commit the Alberta government to working with other provinces and federal lawmakers to make changes to the Canadian Constitution.

Constitutional changes generally require approval from the seven provincial legislatures covering 50 per cent of Canada’s population, as well as from the House of Commons and Senate in Ottawa.

Question 7: Do you support the Alberta government working with other provincial governments willing to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the non-electoral federal Senate?

What you need to know: Abolishing the Senate would be more difficult than any other general constitutional amendment. This agreement must be approved unanimously by all provinces and ratified by the Senate and House of Commons.

Question 8: Do you support the Alberta government working with other provincial governments willing to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdictions such as health care, education and social services, without the province losing the associated federal funds to use for its social programs?

What you need to know: Federal “spending power” authority allows Ottawa to attach conditions to its funding for provinces, with health services funding under the Canada Health Act a prime example.

A permanent “opt-out” clause at the provincial level would require a Constitutional amendment.

Question 9: Do you support the Alberta government working with other provincial governments willing to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving priority to provincial laws relating to the constitutional jurisdiction of provinces or shared territories over federal laws when provincial laws and federal laws conflict?

What you need to know: Under the Constitution, federal laws are given precedence over provincial laws when jurisdictional issues arise.

Changes to the Constitution require approval from the Senate, the House of Commons and the seven provinces representing at least half of the country’s population.

Question 10: Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Alberta government initiate the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should secede from Canada?

What you need to know: Proponents of separation say the province needs to escape federal regulation and taxation, thereby freeing up wealth and spurring economic development. Federalists say the split will only hurt business and saddle landlocked Alberta with huge debt and costs to provide services that used to be federal.

Smith has framed the other nine questions on immigration and constitutional reform as a political compromise that could address Alberta’s grievances, gain leverage with Ottawa and avoid splitting the country.

—with files from Sean Previl of Global News