Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces referendum on immigration, social services, and provincial powers amid budget and oil price strain

Facing looming budget deficits and plunging oil prices, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced Thursday(February 19) that her government will hold a referendum on October 19, 2026

Voters will be asked to decide on sweeping changes to immigration levels, access to provincially funded health care and education, and the balance of power between Alberta and the federal government.

She says these moves are necessary to address what she calls “out-of-control” immigration and mounting pressure on public services.


According to CTV News website, Smith said what she called “disastrous” federal open-border immigration policies have placed an “unprecedented strain” on Alberta’s health-care, education and social support systems.

She pointed to the province’s population growth of nearly 600,000 people over the past five years as evidence of the mounting pressure.

“Although sustainable immigration has always been an important part of our provincial growth model, throwing the doors wide open to anyone and everyone across the globe has flooded our classrooms, emergency rooms and social support systems with far too many people, far too quickly,” she said.

Smith proposed cutting “unnecessary bureaucracy” to rein in spending while advancing Alberta-Ottawa talks on a pipeline to Asian markets.

She said the energy agreement supports a plan to double oil and gas production by 2035, boosting Alberta’s Heritage Fund, the province’s rainy-day reserve for future oil market downturns.

“Alberta taxpayers can no longer be asked to continue to subsidize the entire country through equalization and federal transfers, permit the federal government to flood our borders with new arrivals, and then give free access to our most-generous-in-the-country social programs to anyone who moves here,” Smith said.

According to CTV News website, Smith announced that the Oct. 19, 2026 referendum will ask Albertans five questions on immigration and social services, including whether the province should control immigration levels, prioritize economic migrants, restrict publicly funded health and education to citizens and permanent residents.