OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa will “not budge” from its goal of making immigration intake numbers sustainable and the federal government is “getting them to that level now.”
Carney says he’s been in talks with the provinces about getting immigration “to the right levels” as well about how new Canadians can be most effectively distributed across the country and the economy.
His comments come after just over a million Albertans voted yes to 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.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday the Liberals have let immigration run “totally out of control” and provinces should have more control over immigration numbers because they have to deliver services for newcomers.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab did not respond to reporters’ questions when she walked into the weekly Liberal caucus meeting, but the federal immigration levels are due for an update by next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
