Bell: Danielle Smith speaks out on immigration — the Alberta premier is not holding back

When you ask about immigration, Premier Danielle Smith has no time to dance around the elephant in the room.

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Smith warms up with what some of you have heard before. But this time it is just the beginning.

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The Alberta premier reminds us after COVID the Liberal government in Ottawa let too many people into this country too fast.

“They didn’t ask anyone. They didn’t ask the public. They didn’t ask the provinces,” says Smith.

And what did we get? In Smith’s mind it is clear, pressure on health care and schools and housing prices and rental rates and food prices and the job market.

“Everything is impacted by the fact the federal government just lost all control over the number of people coming into the country — and it’s hurting people. It puts pressure on every single aspect of our system here.

“People are at the breaking point. Our public servants are at the breaking point.”

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Smith says Canada is a nation of immigrants and Alberta more so than anyone else but newcomers need to be able to get a good-paying job to support themselves.

What does the Alberta premier want to see?

A made-in-Alberta immigration system with a “sustainable” level of immigration and much more.

“We want to have a similar program to Quebec. Quebec has an immigration program that allows them to choose on the basis of language and culture.

“We would like an immigration system that chooses on the ability to find a job.”

Smith says Alberta has been most successful when the province brings in economic migrants “because then somebody comes in and they’re already a taxpayer.”

“And then if they want to stay they can bring their wife and their kids over and now they are able to take part in all of the same programs everybody else is.

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“But you have to make money. You have to be a taxpayer. You have to produce before you start drawing on social programs.”

Now we get to the meat and potatoes.

Remember when Smith and an expert panel travelled throughout the province hearing from Albertans on issues concerning people.

One of the ideas up for a chinwag.

If Alberta was not satisfied with the number of immigrants or the kind of immigrants coming, the province may have the option to withhold provincial social programs to any non-citizens or non-permanent residents who do not have an Alberta-approved immigration status.

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Here goes. Buckle up. Smith tells us what is on her mind.

“When you look at the United Kingdom which has a socialist prime minister and they’re talking about not being able to access social programs until you’ve worked for 10 years. That’s the kind of thing they’re talking about in a socialist country.

“Those are the kinds of conversations we need to have here.

“Is there a certain amount of time you’ve got to work and be a taxpayer before you become eligible for the programs here.”

Like what programs?

“Maybe you don’t get health care covered until you have been a taxpayer for a number of years.

“Maybe you don’t bring your kids over to be educated in our publicly-funded education system or use our taxpayer-supported child-care system until you have a certain number of years as a taxpayer. You have to pay into the system.”

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Smith says those who want to become permanent residents would then know “the number of years they’ve got to work in order to be able to receive all the entitlements of those who have been taxpayers all their lives.”

Smith says being a citizen or being on the path to citizenship as a permanent resident has privileges.

“Until somebody becomes a permanent resident and citizen we’ll treat them like tourists,” she says.

“As a tourist you don’t go to somebody else’s country and expect to get child care and education and health care and other benefits.”

The Alberta premier also takes time to talk about the “huge surge” of English-language learners in the schools.

“That tells you something. When you look at our immigration system you normally get points for knowing the local language,” says Smith.

“When I look at these numbers I’m looking at a very large number of people coming into our province who don’t have the rudimentary basics of the language.”

When you bring up immigration some folks lose their minds and no doubt Smith’s comments will have some individual heads explode.

The premier does not sound worried.

“I’m looking at the lefty countries around the world doing exactly the same thing.”

rbell@postmedia.com

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