Prime Minister Mark Carney is not ruling out giving Alberta more authority over immigration along the lines of a deal Ottawa signed with Quebec in the early 1990s.
Reporters on Parliament Hill asked the prime minister on Wednesday if Ottawa could reach an agreement on immigration powers with Alberta similar to the one with Quebec.
“We’ll see,” Carney replied in French.
He added that “Quebec is distinct” because of its culture and language and said Ottawa will also talk with the other provinces about immigration levels.
Following the failure of the Meech Lake accord, the federal government signed an agreement with Quebec in 1991 which granted the province the power to set its own economic immigration targets.
Carney’s comments come after just over a million Albertans voted yes on a referendum question calling for more provincial control over immigration policy to reduce the number of newcomers to “sustainable levels.”
About 53 per cent of voters said yes to that question, according to preliminary results available on Wednesday. The officially certified results are due later next week.
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At a news conference in Calgary on Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she told Carney the day before that her government is putting together a “proposal” for the federal government.
“We have been looking for some inspiration from Quebec’s 1991 Canada-Quebec accord,” she said.
In his English remarks, Carney argued his government has “retaken control” of immigration and is listening to the provinces.
“We have been having discussions with the provinces’ first ministers around getting immigration, first and foremost, to the right levels,” Carney said.
“I just want to underscore we will not budge from overall levels that are sustainable. We’re getting them to that level now.”
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Tuesday the Liberals have lost control of immigration and provinces should have more control over their intake numbers since they must deliver services for newcomers.
“Recently, the prime minister went to The New York Times, a foreign newspaper, to tell them that he wants to increase immigration. That too is a mistake,” Poilievre said in Calgary on Tuesday.
“It shows he is totally out of touch. Immigration is totally out of control.”
Carney told the U.S. newspaper last month that the next question his government faces is when to “resume some controlled increase in the population.”
The federal Conservatives sent out a fundraising email to party supporters this week saying immigration should be “dramatically reduced,” not “ramped back up.”
Immigration Minister Lena Diab did not respond to reporters’ questions when she walked into the weekly Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday. Federal immigration levels are due for an update by next month.
The federal government had set out plans to increase the national target for permanent residents to 500,000 a year. But Ottawa changed course and slashed the targets in its 2024-2025 plan.
The most recent plan sets out targets of 385,000 permanent resident admissions this year, 370,000 next year and the same figure for 2028.
—with files from David Baxter
To think of the millions spent by both Alberta and the Feds when the Feds simply had to do what was asked.
Just more liberal word salad. Nothing is going to change.
If Quebec can have a say then all other provinces should also have a say.
We had to put up with your convoy, stupid oilers, antivax, ostriches, Separation, selling us out to the states….now we have to live, work and drive surrounded by you hockey helmet wearing, velcro shoe tying jackasses. It’s getting old. REAL old.
@ buckets….like a virus we can’t shake! Antibiotics aren’t working. Alberta has infected the country and especially BC. Take my word on this ….we would love nothing more for you guys to go back and stay in your own country! We could tolerate seeing you on long weekends like it used to be but then back you go! A little poison in the well water doesn’t hurt but now we’re talking 45 gallon drums!!!
If Canadians held Carney to account the sane way they hold Trump and Elon to account, Canada might actually be a good country again
Give all provinces the same control over immigration. Its accounts for the most amount of regional cultural change.
Alberta living rent free in @BC Resident’s mind? It’s fun to watch
Stop brining in foreign workers to take jobs Canadians built.
Stop meeting with Modi, all he is doing is pawning off his weakest citizens.
Stop bringing in immigrants or they will suffer.
Flood them with third world refugees and raise their taxes, Alberta has spoken, open the liberal floodgates and let curry flow!
Been to Quebec once. It was total garbage.
@ bfg….nice try. It’s all the same nonsense. Not as dumb as separation but a close 2nd.
@BC Resident: Nice attempt at gaslighting. Download an update and catch up with the times. That freedom convoy had nothing to do with anything we are seeing now.
Downside: if Alberta has more control of immigration, hypocritical premiers won’t be able to blame Ottawa for send them more immigrants than they are willing to provide services for.
Remember when Smith complained to Ottawa that Alberta wasn’t getting enough immigrants and boasted that her goal was to double Alberta’s population to 10 million?
Speaking French, Eating Poutine, drinking Molson 50, and being on welfare isn’t a “distinct” society.
To-do list, some completed, blow drug boats out of water, kidnap and hogtie like a pig Venezuela PM, bomb iran into less than stoneage, create never ending Ukraine war to sell arms, make canada 51st and sell them all assault rifles
@ ben…it’s hard to soar with the eagles when your surrounded by turkeys!!!
Flick a switch….and vote the new guy in and blamo! ALL PROBLEMS SOLVED. Isn’t that what the freedom convoy was about….to live in never never land where no taxes and you can do what you want when you want with no accountability?! Its definitely what the separatists are about. They even thought if they became the 51st they were going to live tax free! That’s why you thought Pierre was the messiah….turns out not so much.
@alberta advantage…that’s conservatives not us. You guys live on Fantasy Island….just like a cult…just like a church.
@bc residumb, trying to hang with older kids to make it seem like you’re more mature, don’t bother, you’re BC trash, always will be
@ben, I’ve read your comments, what do you know about being CANADIAN? don’t make me laugh please
One can make a point about Smith and separation without the continual bashing of Alberta as a whole. I don’t agree with Carney here, or Smith, or the separatists in Alberta. Continually bashing any Province, be it Alberta or Quebec, is not Canadian.
Carny won’t rule out giving Alberta his testicles as a peace offering, he said he doesn’t use them
All BC resident understands is Eby telling him he’ll be living the life if he votes for him, poor BC only wish they had half of what Alberta has
The Albertans need to learn to live with things…just like the rest of us. You’ve been complaining about the govt from ( I just learned) actually BEFORE 1905. You guys complain in the womb. One might think…it’s been 120 yrs and nothing has changed…maybe there’s a reason for that?! Also…quit comparing yourself to Quebec…you are not 2 peas in a pod.
Ben is an AI chatbot, don’t be fooled people
Left out in the article is that Quebec gained a passport sale scheme, the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP)
How’s that crack jack.
Your own provincial government puts up ads in other provinces to move there, and then whines when people do. Idiots, all of em
every province should have this deal
Two things here, 1. “The Amount: Ottawa offered $750 million (short of the $1 billion requested by Quebec) to reimburse provincial expenditures related to housing, social services, and care for asylum seekers. AND 2.nterprovincial Reaction: The $750 million allocation drew criticism from other provincial leaders, such as British Columbia Premier David Eby, who argued that western provinces also face non-permanent resident pressures without equivalent federal backing.” EXACTLY and that is why alot of albertans WANT to get rid of this ALWAYS eastern run federal government that hands over MORE of OUR tax dollars to Quebec and then Ontario for it’s always failing auto industry then it gives to ANY western province – EVER.
Ben has some valid points. It’s hard to understand what he’s saying because it doesn’t involve ostriches, freedom convoys or flat earth discussions.
Ben is obviously an immigrant or just someone posting garbage to have some type of weird satisfaction. Ignore him.
We are equal provinces, so all provinces should have gotten the same deal. Ben: We do not need immigration, there are lots of Canadians who want to work..
Alberta needs immigration. We need a strong work force . They need to take over to control the businesses. The housing market and all the hospitals as people here are lazy
Anonymous
October 21, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Trudeau is bent over and waiting
f.u.: Learn to write . Goof.
lol…PP Pants the liar. Carney never said that at all.
Who will quit on PP this week?
F. U.
October 21, 2026 at 7:38 pm
We need to vote liberals out. Period.
Damned Rights we do and soon! EWe need to push for an election! Or revolt and throw the bastard out!
Stop Immigration look after Canadians first.
Quebec gets an “immigration deal” because of unique situation of French in North American society.
Alberta “immigration deal” based on racism.
We need to vote liberals out. Period.
Yeah, Alberta will get an immigration deal about the same time we get the pipeline…never
Only good immigrant, quebecer, fn is decomposed
Give ALL provinces the same deal as quebec you pos.
Cultural and linguistic reasons, and history justify Quebec being a special case for immigration powers. Quebec has always been concerned about it’s language and being assimilated into English Canada. At one point, prior to the PQ coming into power in the 1970’s, it’s language was becoming very much a patois-a mixture of two languages-hence their concern with language rights. Quebec is surrounded by a sea of English! In my opinion, we should be mindful of our history.
Why should Quebec get a “special”deal? A bunch of grifters. .
That’s right. Albertans on their knees begging for the federal government’s approval. The way it should be!
I don’t think Carney should do this because Quebec is a special case unlike any other Province because of it’s culture and language. A strong Federal government is the way to go.
They need to go back to their own country!!!
LOL
Question number one in the referendum and the YEA have it
Danielle Smith was given a mandate by Albertans to curtail Ottawa’s immigration policies
Carney better comply
I couldn’t agree more!!! Quit with the Albertans immigrating to BC. They’re ruining the province and our way of life. They must be deported now ! ( we need to start a go fund me! )
No more useless immigrants you Phuk liberals.
Stop bringing in people that no one else wants, like the bums and drug dealers….
“Quebec is distinct” because of its culture and language
How on earth are a bunch of clowns who speak one of the most widely spoken languages on earth distinct because of their culture and language?
Immigration back to 150000 a year . Only high skill workers allowed , no refugees or family re-unification class . We also do not need to import delivery drivers and fast food workers.
Start with that and we are going to be fine.