Barb Higgins

If Premier Danielle Smith believes Alberta’s challenges can be reduced to immigration and constitutional theatrics, she is choosing distraction over responsibility. Blaming population growth for strained services ignores the deeper reality - years of underinvestment, policy decisions, and governance choices made by this government. Immigrants are not the cause of our housing shortage, health-care wait times, or classroom pressures. They are workers, entrepreneurs, neighbours, and families who contribute every day to the prosperity Alberta proudly claims. Floating the abolishment of the Senate of Canada as a referendum question may generate headlines, but it does nothing to improve affordability, expand access to care, or strengthen economic stability. Political theatrics are not a substitute for competent governance. Albertans deserve leadership grounded in results, not rhetoric. Alberta is strongest when we choose competence over conflict, inclusion over division, and long-term prosperity over short-term politics. We can welcome newcomers, strengthen public services, and demand accountability from our leaders at the same time. Ours is a province, and a nation, built by people who showed up, did the work, and believed in leaving things better than they found them.