Despite his opposition, Alberta voters backed all five immigration- and citizenship-related questions in preliminary results.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa will consult provinces on immigration after Alberta voters backed proposals he urged them to reject ahead of Monday’s referendum.
Seven of nine proposals are leading in preliminary results, including five addressing immigration, public services and citizenship requirements for voting.
“This government has recognized from the start the need to take back control on immigration, and we’ve done so,” Carney told reporters Tuesday. “You know the numbers.”
“We’re moving to a more sustainable pace of immigration,” he added.
Carney acknowledged that immigration levels had yet to stabilize and called for provincial cooperation on future targets.
Federal and provincial immigration ministers discussed immigration targets in June, though Carney did not say whether Alberta’s referendum would influence those talks.
