Premier Danielle Smith weighed in on the federal budget Saturday, giving a thumbs-up to the commitment to major project development as well as tax changes that she hopes will spur investment from the private sector. Speaking on her Saturday radio program Your Province, Your Premier, Smith responded to a caller’s question, saying she was happy to hear the federal government will move to solidify some of its major projects commitments, including the Pacific Link pipeline pitch. Smith said she’s concerned about the changes to immigration will be made without consulting the province. The government’s updated immigration plan looks to maintain broad targets for permanent and temporary resident admissions while offering permanent status to up to 200,000 longtime temporary residents who have already applied. The government says its 2027-2029 immigration levels plan will admit 380,000 permanent residents and 370,000 temporary residents each year. New temporary resident targets are split between 220,000 workers and 150,000 students for each year of the plan. Those targets for 2027 and 2028 are the same as they were in the plan released last year. The goal is for more than 64 per cent of new permanent resident admissions to be economic immigrants, according to a document provided by the department. “We just had a major referendum where five questions were asked saying we want to have a Quebec-style (federal-provincial) agreement and we got brand new (immigration) targets that are announced,” she said. “Frankly I always worry the federal government is not going to match the (arriving) newcomers into Canada with the (skilled training and educational) needs of our economy,” she added, “That’s the reason we want a Quebec-style system -- to make sure if a business says ‘look I need more welders and pipefitters and plumbers’ -- that those are the folks that we’re recruiting (as immigrants).” Smith said she would like to take a closer look at the caregiver tax credit and see if there is anything the province can do to match that federal program. With files from The Canadian Press
