Nation, in the interest of giving my dozens of devoted followers - who have been chomping at the bit for the past ten years for more Enlightened Savage content - a chance to discuss the referendum questions around the Thanksgiving table, I'll be going over the referendum questions one at a time in this space.
First up, Question 1: Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
So, obviously we need to address the elephant in the room: Immigration.
More specifically, the UCP's efforts to blame their policy shortcomings on immigration, as though immigration is somehow a) something new, and b) something that only Alberta is dealing with.
This question is asking for carte blanche to decrease immigration, using the economy as a justification.
I vote NO. And here's why:
Giving the UCP carte blanche for ANYTHING is a risky bet, because this party takes a mandate for ANYTHING as a mandate for EVERYTHING. Didn't campaign on that specific policy? Doesn't matter - we won the election, so most Albertans support whatever we come up with. We see it over and over with the replacement of the RCMP, the Alberta Pension Plan, Coal Mining on the Eastern Slopes, the 47-and-counting overhauls of the health system, stripping of rights away from teachers - they feel, in their bones, as though they're entitled to do ALL of these things, because Albertans "gave them a mandate".
Let's not ignore the obvious flaw with this proposal on its face: It's just not doable in any reasonable way. Let's say you've got a construction worker with a small family who wants to move from Regina to Medicine Hat to find work, and he's originally from El Salvador. Does he need to apply for permission from the Government of Alberta before renting an apartment in the Hat? Or does his foreman need to check his immigration status before handing him the hammer? What about my cousin in Saskatoon? If we need him to come out and work on the farm, does he need to ask the UCP if he's allowed to run a combine in Alberta?
Using the provided justification - that our social services and economy are overburdened with all these "newcomers" who haven't been paying into Alberta's provincial treasury - then this question should be universally applicable whether the person is coming from Fredericton or Burkina Faso. "We would *never* discriminate against our fellow Canadians!" cries the party that came up with "Alberta is Calling", literally BEGGING Canadians to move here. Fine. So then you admit your issue isn't with the lack of payment into the provincial treasury. So what is it?
What separates the "undesirable" immigrant to Alberta from the "desirable" one, if not their economic contribution?
Skills? Then we shouldn't let in burger-flippers from Kelowna. But we will. So again: what is it?
Values? Faith? Race? If you're a conservative Christian from Ivory Coast are you okay? What about a rabble-rousing, far-left socialist best-selling author from Portland? What about an ultra-conservative Imam from Toronto, who became a Canadian Citizen in 2006?
I have LESS than zero interest in letting the same people who decided to buy off-brand Turkish tylenot or who championed the Best Summer Ever make decisions about who belongs in Alberta and who doesn't.
In 1990, Soviet Political Officer Vasili Borodin famously mused on living in the free west: "I will live in Montana. And I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck... maybe even a "recreational vehicle." And drive from state to state. Do they let you do that?"
No papers, Vasili. State to State.
Even in 1990.
The UCP can't be trusted with this power.
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