On Sept 12, the day after The Trump/Harris debate, Premier Smith told the federal government that Alberta has closed its doors to any more asylum seekers.
Here’s what she said:
“Alberta’s government is opposed to the federal government’s plan to relocate tens of thousands of asylum claimants to Alberta, especially without any financial assistance to support the province in doing so.
According to the Immigration Minster Marc Miller, the feds have never said they’d impose asylum seekers on provinces without financial compensation.
“Alberta has always welcomed newcomers who possess our shared values – and we will continue to do so.
Ah, yes, the “shared values” proviso. When asked to clarify what these values are, a government representative said “freedom, family, faith, community and free enterprise.”
We could argue about the meaning of these words until the cows come home, but in the interest of brevity let’s consider just one: freedom. And how members of the UCP government and its supporters demonstrated their belief in freedom by supporting the Freedom Convoy that laid siege to Ottawa and set up a blockade at Coutts that resulted in criminal convictions and prison sentences for its leaders. Is this really what Albertans value?
“However, last year alone, an all-time record of over 200,000 people moved to Alberta. That’s like adding two new Red Deer-sized cities in just one year.
Now Smith is talking about migrants, international and interprovincial, in addition to asylum seekers. So the question becomes: Wasn’t that the point of the Alberta is Calling campaign? To increase Alberta’s population so it would reach 10 million by 2050. Won’t asylum claimants, like those fleeing Ukraine after the Russian invasion, help Alberta achieve its goal?
“Although Alberta represents only 11.8 per cent of the Canadian population, we are currently supporting approximately 22 per cent (over 70,000) of Ukrainian evacuees who arrived in Canada.
Ukrainian evacuees represent 1.4% of Alberta’s population. It appears that Smith is saying 1.4% of Alberta’s population is the maximum number of asylum claimants she’s prepared to accept.
“Section 95 of the constitution is clear – immigration is an area of shared authority between the federal government and the provinces. Yet, the Trudeau government’s unrestrained open border policies permitting well over a million newcomers each year into Canada is causing significant challenges, and it’s simply not sustainable.
Section 95 characterizes immigration as an area of “concurrent power” and states that while both the province and the feds can make laws in relation to immigration, the provincial laws cannot be “repugnant” to the federal laws. Unless Smith is saying she’ll pass a ”closed door” law that is not “repugnant” to the federal immigration laws, there’s no reason for her to mention the Constitution in this statement. .
Also it should be noted that the Trudeau government does not have an “unrestrained” open border policy. Anyone applying for asylum must meet certain conditions before they’re allowed to stay. From Dec 2012 to June 2024, Canada accepted 22,287 asylum claims and rejected 5,134 claims. It’s not a slam-dunk.
“Excessive levels of immigration to this province are increasing the cost of living and strains public services for everyone.
Smith is working hard to entice people to move to Alberta. She boasts that our 4.4% growth rate is the highest in the land. Given Smith’s success one would think she’d have had the foresight to shore up Alberta’s healthcare, education and public services programs so they could accommodate all the newcomers and their families. But she hasn’t.
“We are informing the Government of Canada that until further notice, Alberta is not open to having these additional asylum seekers settled in our province.
The total number of asylum claimants in Alberta as of April 1, 2024 was 11,292. That’s 0.2% of the population and it’s too much for Smith. And now, she tells us why:
“We simply cannot afford it.”
Wow, who knew the richest province in Canada was this close to going under.
Oh wait,
Maybe Premier Smith statement has nothing to do with the ‘strain’ additional asylum seekers will put on Alberta’s public services, maybe–see photo above–it’s all about the dog whistles and cat whistles Smith’s base needs to hear in the run up to the UCP leadership review in November.
As the witches in Macbeth said, “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes,”
Susan on the Soapbox 
It turns out even Lady Macbeth developed a conscience. Alas, I fear this is a bridge too far for the Premier and her followers.
Neil RD: loved the quote!
So values are freedom, family, faith, community and free enterprise.
So difficult to figure out what exactly these terms mean in a given context.
What if they bring bags of cash, can the door be opened with bags of cash?
The doors are always open with bags of cash. In fact that seems to be the number one value in the list although it is the last in the sentence.
mikegklein: indeed, bags of cash have an amazing way of colouring the meaning of these words.
Susan: Thanks for sharing another great blog. Danielle Smith is once again outright lying, twisting numbers, and also making racist and xenophobic comments to twist her very bad agenda. She is also contradicting herself, and playing a blame game to detract from her many big failures as the premier of Alberta. She also sees people as a mere way to financial gain, not for themselves, and nothing more. It’s very deplorable how she operates, and thinks, and people go along with it.
Many people, including me, have ancestors, and relatives who left other countries to escape oppression, persuasion, and hardship. People still come to Canada for those same reasons.
I’ll share some more fitting music. This is a Peter Cetera composition, from 1977, called Baby What A Big Surprise. It is from the group, Chicago. Peter Cetera was the bass player, one of the vocalists, and one of the songwriters in the band. He turned 80 on September 13. His maternal grandparents were from Hungary, and his maternal grandparents were from Poland. This is also in my music collection.
Susan: Here is my next song pick. This is a composition from Paul Butterfield, Michael Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites, called Reap What You Sow, which was done by Otis Rush. It was recorded and released in 1969. Duane Allman, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, is one of the guitarists on this track. Another fitting song.
Dwayne: thank you for these song picks, Very appropriate and I enjoyed them all!
Susan: Here is my final song pick. This is a Bob Dylan composition from 1965, called It’s All Over Now Baby Blue. This is also in my music collection.
So Marlaina Kolodonicki thinks we’re letting in too many Ukrainian refugees?
Well we all know that too many refugees and immigrants is a fact and it and it is seriously affecting services and standards of living, but that is mainly because the UCP cannot understand that if you are out there screaming that you want to reach a population of 10 million (Only God will understand why?) you need to match with more health care , more schools, more services ..etc. But this UCP charade wants that population but cut spending at the same time. They trust God will help them with a little more praying.
It is difficult to teach convoyistas that they are not dealing with just screaming slogans. Running a province is not a joke, it requires competence and that is not abundant in this gang. But just wait until the slogan King takes over the Federal government. Then we will have slogan fest in the whole country and if what is happening in Alberta is any indication, Canada will go down a few more spots in the standards of living index.
Carlos: there’s the rub, you can’t invite an additional 6 million people into your province without upscaling social services accordingly…unless of course you think the private sector will take care of them. Given that the private sector can’t take care of the 4 millions we have now (witness the Dynalife fiasco) that’s dreaming in technicolour.
Public Servant: that’s certainly what it looks like when you read between the lines.
Dear Ms. S: Excellent piece! This sounds like Smith is giving us an updated version of, “None is too many” that we heard back in 1933. That phrase was apparently attributed to a politician as well.
I wonder what the circumstances were when the Kolodnicki’s showed up in Canada and were taken in. Were they chased out of their country because of their values or were they here because they couldn’t hack it in the old country? Smith apparently does not understand irony.
Same old story – “Now that we are in the club, it is time to restrict entry”
Jaundiced Eye: excellent observation. I just read an article in the Globe about immigrants from Mexico who settled in Texas being 100% behind Trump. They now have comfortable middle class lives and appear to think letting anyone else into the country will take that away from them. Makes no sense, especially when Trump says he’ll deport legal as well as illegal immigrants. Do these people think Trump will give them a pass?
The Mexicans are feeding the alligator hoping the alligator will eat them last.
Susan: Danielle Smith is contradicting herself, and misinterpreting things. She said herself, nor that long ago, that she wanted to see Alberta’s population grow. It was only for political purposes, because she wanted Alberta to have the same political clout that Quebec has, becauseof their large population. In addition, with these asylum seekers, she was giving federal government numbers for Canada, and not for Alberta. The numbers for Alberta are much smaller. She also wants asylum seekers and refugees for monetary gain, and she doesn’t care about the individuals and families from these countries. Very pathetic leadership.
*not* *because of*
Dwayne: Pathetic leadership sums it up. I notice lately she’s not answering questions about how her position on asylum seekers lines up with her goal to reach 10 million by 2050. Analysis and logical thinking are not in her wheelhouse.
“Dog whistle”? Wrong animal, wrong instinct: more like a bullhorn.
Let’s bears this down, shall we? “Freedom”, sure. But freedom for whom? Social conservatives have a very narrow view of freedom and family, and that’s who she seems to be pandering to, not to her natural libertarianism.
“Faith”? So, atheists and agnostics need not come to Alberta? What about their precious “freedom”? Doesn’t freedom of worship have to also encompass freedom not to worship?
“Community”? Wouldn’t that also mean respecting municipal decisionmaking on matters within their purview? You know, “staying in your lane”? After all, municipal politicians are closet to their constituents and communities, aren’t they?
“Free enterprise”? Let’s be clear, the Notley-led NDP government was a free enterprise government, and so will be a Nenshi-led future NDP government. There are no truly socialist parties in Canada with any chance of winning seats, let alone government, at either the federal or provincial level.
Had the Notley government been truly socialist, it would have gone into the 2019 election having given Albertans:
– public auto insurance, at least for the mandatory portion of a policy
– deprivatized public utilities for power and natural gas, at least for residential customers
– an end to taxpayer funding of private schools and a ban on charter schools
– a living wage employment standards code
– free public transit in all cities big enough to have a transit system
– perhaps even a universal basic income system*
… and so much more.
*I have mixed views about a UBI, but only because I worry that it might just subsidize low-wage employers to continue to exploit their workers. I’d rather see income from employment be high enough for people to have a decent standard of living and use UBI for those unable to work or to find a job. But I’m also no expert on UBI policy, and so perhaps this concern has been addressed by those who are.
Typo: I meant to say, “let’s break this down”.
2nd typo: I meant wrong instrument, not wrong “instinct”. Grrr.
‘“Faith”? So, atheists and agnostics need not come to Alberta? What about their precious “freedom”? Doesn’t freedom of worship have to also encompass freedom not to worship?’
Not for the freedom fighters like them. We are Infidels. We have no place in their paradise – THANK GOD.
Jerry I fully understand your suggestions but while living in a society that prefers to subsidize companies, even when they are making out of this world profits like the oil industry, nothing good will ever happen to citizens.
Governments exist in Canada to protect companies and businesses not us. That is in their souls and became ingrained with Neo-Liberalism and it will take decades of courageous politicians to get people to understand what government really is for. That is why they love the slogan ‘Governments should be run like businesses’ – of course how convenient. Then with the US supreme court decision of Businesses are like people, that was the end of governments FOR THE PEOPLE. Most politicians do not mind it at all because of course they can now easily get money under the table with offshore bank accounts. Furthermore being called ‘CORRUPT’ doe not matter anymore, they just have to say ‘Not True’ and move on.
WE NEED POLITICAL REFORM if we are going to survive in the future. This system is stinky, corrupt and outdated.
At first, when Justin Trudeau promised that the ‘First Past the Post’ was gone after he won the elections, I believed we were finally going to enter a phase of political revolution.
Unfortunately, just like the right wing Pierre Poilievre, it was only a slogan to win the elections. I fell for it but quickly realized it was all a charade.
Now with Pierre Poilievre it will be worse. He promises what he does not even know what he is talking about.
In the climate front he is going to shut down everything we have accomplished in the last 9 years which was not a lot but we moved forward. Whether people like it or not, the liberals have managed to get us to believe and move slowly towards a decarbonized country. We have definitely moved in the right direction, which is not a small feat.
jerrymacgp: thanks for this thoughtful comment. The only thing I’d add to your analysis of “faith” is the freedom to practice one’s faith may well be restricted to practicing the Christian faith, others need not apply despite all the routine press statements extolling Eid-al-Adha and Diwali.
“freedom, family, faith, community and free enterprise.”
The United Conservative Party has put moratoriums and enacted policies regarding entire industries which have nothing to do with ‘free enterprise’, ‘small government’, or ‘freedom’, and Danni’ knows as well as you or I that the UCP policy is the very opposite of that quote, and on all counts.
UCP rhetoric serves as a glaring illustration of the sick and weirdly twisted antichristian theofascism of their ‘faith’, in which hate, irresponsible greed and sneering deceit are lauded as ‘heavenly virtues’. They read the bible (if they do) like it is some pulp fantasy featuring a Jesus who roams around on a dinousaur beheading heretics’ children with His blazing sword, amen. Sickening.
Speaking of ‘blazing’, I would like to take a moment to note that every time I visit a larger congregation I always smell weed, always. I sure hope those partaking christians know that the federal Liberals along with the federal New Democratic Party are the elected representatives who wrote the laws making that legal for adults, and that no conservatives anywhere were EVER going to do that. Also, I hope here in Alberta those fragrant christians recognize it was Rachel Notley and the NDP that wrote the provincial laws that allowed you the civil liberty (read: actual, tangible freedom) to ‘grow your own’ if you want? A civil liberty not even granted to Quebecers (since TBA’ers are so hard done by that province)…
When it comes to ‘community’ and the social responsibilities the word implies, the UCP and their donors are constantly pushing to ‘externalize’ all of those responsibilities, degrading Alberta’s communities by frankly STEALING tax revenue and generations of Albertans’ investments in public works; a process currently well underway as the UCP’s ‘vital partners’ in private industries rake it all in. The UCP motto is your gov’t should be,
“Free to those who can afford it. Very expensive for those who can’t.”- Withnail
GoinFawr: thanks for this. I was especially intrigued by your comment that the pungent scent of weed hangs over those christian congregations. Given that I never visit these places that was news to me. Perhaps it helps make the sermons more bearable.
Much of what Smith says, and promises to do, is a signal to her right wing fringe….as much as it is something she intends to enact as policy. While she keeps them happy finding ways to pick illusory fights with the Feds, much of the damage being caused to our social programs happens under the radar.
We’re a couple of seniors that believe in vaccine science, being old enough to remember the polio scares of our youth, before the Salk vaccine ended the terrible damage some of our peers suffered. We’d like to get our booster early, as we hear over 400 people have died in Alberta…of covid…in the last few months.
Apparently, there will be no vaccines until mid Oct at the earliest…and the UCP government, always keen to save money, isn’t doing a very good job of tracking the progress of a virus we likely can’t totally eradicate. We get that science as well……virus’ will mutate, and given their life span is so much shorter than ours, their evolution can easily catch us napping.
But hey!!! There has been no group as picked on as her anti-vacc crowd, and since she knows how quick they are to take the law into their own hands……she has to keep them happy. It’s no consolation to my partner and I that some of the fatalities discussed on the CBC the other night were ‘under vaccinated’ or unvaccinated….
Bad government policy and press releases, designed to keep the crazies happy….hurt us all. Yodeling that ALBERTA IS CALLING and then beating up on Justin for accepting asylum seekers, many of whom have come west to answer Smith’s call is not only dog whistle politics.
It carries with it a very bad feed back loop…a distortion so loud and irritating as to qualify as Racism. Listen carefully. We should all have little trouble hearing it.
noklebym: I agree with everything you’ve said. The only point I’d add is I am increasingly of the mind that Smith herself is a firm believers in the policies she’s releasing. The video of her stating that the antivaxxers were the most discriminated group on the planet came out before she entered the UCP leadership race. In any case, her policies will be the ruin of Alberta. Given that there’s a good chance PP may be the next PM, it will be interesting to see who she’ll blame for her mistakes.
The Clown car is speeding towards the Leadership Review. DS is driving maybe we should demand a breathalyzer, no one counts except the Take Back Alberta clowns. Changing the immigration policy on the Asylum Seekers so much for come to Alberta the land of opportunity. Cancel the Green Line! Still working on fixing the Health Care system that she has made so much worse, when will it ever end not soon enough for me and I don’t believe I’m the only one.
It’s the ‘Jester’s Jig’ at play here. Play to the crowd in front of you. Blame the Feds.
It’s time for the NDP to change the channel and tune. The UPC/TBA can’t successfully respond to a complex, global world by looking in the rearview mirror.
While the Dinosaur Provincial Park is recognized by the world, it’s the history that’s the lesson. Dinosaurs went extinct – they didn’t adapt.
lausmank55: thank you for this comment. Lots of accurate references, particularly the “Jester’s Jig”.
It’s the ‘Jester’s Jig’ at play here. Play to the audience. Blame the Feds.
It’s time the NDP changed the channel and tune.
While the Dinosaur Provincial Park is a ‘World’ Heritage Site, trying to operate in a complex, global world by looking in the rearview mirror, is destined for the same outcome as the dinosaurs – extinction.
This was hard for me to take, but it is absolutely incredible how much Danielle Smith manages to lie in under 10 minutes. There is so much garbage spewing out of her mouth here. It is the premier’s address to the province. On the previous blog to this, I showed a press conference involving UCP cabinet minister, Nate Horner. The information doesn’t match what’s here. Danielle Smith deserves an Oscar for the best acting performance.
Thanks Dwayne but I will not watch this. It makes me puke.
They are now getting ready to spend money on Charter schools and choke the public schools. Never mind using our tax dollars to clean up oil wells, they do not have the guts to force them to pay because of course they are all in the same bed.
We are going to be scammed big time by this UCP gang.
Carlos: I know. It’s sickening how the UCP got another term. People forgot how bad Danielle Smith was as the Wildrose party leader.
Hi Dwayne – I have to disagree with you. People did not forget. People agree with them. We are now the MAGA gang in Canada. God knows what happened to these people’s brains if they have any.
I am sorry Dwayne but I really believe that 46% of this province supports deceit, lies, business control without regulations, own weapons …….
It is not a lack of information or aloofness that explains this level of control. Unfortunately I believe this was all hidden just like many other subjects in the good old days like wife battering and incest and pedophilia.
This is uncivilized cultural background where all that matters is survival of the strongest and using whatever to always win in any circumstances at the back of those that cannot or do not want to fight back. It is cowboy capitalism.
To me it is third world human mentality and Alberta takes the gold medal.
Oh Gee the Socialists again.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/17/norway-electric-cars-outnumber-petrol-for-first-time-in-historic-milestone
Carlos: What are your thoughts on this?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video/c2995455-trump-taps-canadian-river-in-campaign-promise
Step by Step they are creating the dictatorship – The Victor Orban fans are on the roll.
https://pressprogress.ca/pierre-poilievre-is-headlining-a-fundraising-dinner-to-place-a-far-right-alberta-magazine-publishers-books-in-schools/
If there was a recent flood of asylum claimants crossing the border at Coutts, or arriving at our two major international airports, I must have missed it in the news.
Also, interestingly Smith didn’t reference any recent specific events but spoke in generalities. So I feel just like the illegal immigrants eating pets bandwagon some politicians in the US have eagerly jumped on without any evidence, her claims are probably also largely fact free.
It is true many people are moving to Alberta from elsewhere in Canada and putting pressure on our schools and other things. But just because you were born in the GTA or the lower mainland, does not make you an illegal immigrant.
Yes, there are also a lot of temporary foreign workers here, but a fact overlooked by Smith is they can not bring their children here. Also, all those foreign university students coming obviously have nothing to do with demand for new elementary, junior or senior high schools. And I suspect very few of them also have children.
But hey as we have already noticed many times before, Smith and the UCP is always on the lookout for a good scapegoat and does not let the facts get in the way of their arguments. Unfortunately, some of their supporters are gullible enough to fall for this.
Dave, I can’t help but think Smith’s rhetoric on asylum seekers is (as you suggest) an echo of what seems to be resonating with the Trump crowd down south. The sad thing is that it resonates at all. That doesn’t say much about us, does it.
I see that BC’s conservatives are infected as well. WOW this never ends until they get their hands in the whole of Canada and push us into the third world.
Pierre Poilievre is pushing so hard that bit by bit he displays what he really is. He should be eating more apples
https://pressprogress.ca/bc-conservative-leader-john-rustad-warned-convoy-event-that-kids-will-be-forced-to-eat-bugs/
Carlos: I know that it’s deplorable how these people think, and they have a gullible following.
This is the last thing we need to see. It’s not going to end well for anyone.
https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/Russia-Lowers-Nuclear-Threshold-Citing-Western-Threats.html
Yes and I am not sure you saw but NATO has asked all aliies to get ready for a conventional war. Remember when Francis Fukuyama wrote a book after the fall of the Berlin Wall titled ‘The end of History’?
Well maybe he was right.
Putin seems to be dug in on the idea of recovering the Russian Empire and even worse China seems to be on their side along with North Korea. Not a pretty picture.
Carlos and Dwayne, thanks for the links and the discussion. Much appreciated.
Hi Dwayne
If you did not see it , here it is
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nato-canada-ukraine-russia-defence-strategy-1.7333798
I was aware of this. Not a good thing. I had a grandfather who fought in WW 1, and uncles who were fighting in WW 2, and in the Korean War. Now, WW 3 is a likely scenario. Given that there are different longstanding conflicts, they are another precursor to another world war. Too much instability. Given that it’s been a nuclear age for quite some time, this is going to get edgy.