Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is eyeing a $1,900 annual fee for temporary residents seeking access to the province's public health care system — a figure that has sparked immediate pushback from opposition leaders and business advocates ahead of Alberta's October 19 referendum on the issue.
Speaking at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday, Smith referenced comparable health-care premiums charged in the United Kingdom, where temporary workers pay roughly $1,450 annually for student visas and approximately $1,950 for other immigration applications.
"I gave you the idea of what we're looking at ... $1,900 per person," Smith told the business audience, framing the proposal as a way to ensure temporary residents contribute to the health care system they would access.
The floated fee comes as Albertans prepare for a referendum question asking voters whether the province should charge certain non-permanent residents a "reasonable fee or premium" for health care and education services — part of a broader UCP government initiative on immigration policy.
Business Leaders Express Caution
Calgary Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Deborah Yedlin, who conducted the fireside chat with Smith, cautioned that such a fee could add unnecessary burden to Alberta's already competitive business environment.
"That's an extra cost on the worker or the business," Yedlin told reporters following the event. "And to be honest, that adds to the cost structure that businesses are already dealing with as they have faced rising supply chain costs, energy prices, etcetera."
Yedlin's concerns highlight the tension between government revenue goals and employer competitiveness in a province already grappling with workforce recruitment challenges.
Opposition Challenges Math and Policy
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi swiftly criticized the proposal, accusing Smith of being "out of touch" and suggesting the focus on temporary resident fees distracts from deeper failures in Alberta's health care system.
Nenshi also challenged the government's underlying logic. "The temporary workers pay taxes," he emphasized. "So if Smith says that every temporary worker, who pays the same taxes as every other Albertan, is sucking out money from the health care system, guess what? That means every Albertan is sucking money out of the health care system."
When pressed about whether the $1,900 fee might become prohibitive for businesses hiring skilled workers, Smith suggested that truly competitive employers would absorb the cost. "If you're hiring a high-skill worker and we're asking them to pay $1,900 to pay for their own health care, if that's a make or break, I'd need to be persuaded of that," the premier responded.
She indicated the province's priority was directing low-wage positions toward youth employment, framing temporary worker restrictions differently based on skill level.
What's on the Ballot
The October 19 referendum will ask Albertans four questions related to immigration, equalization, and other policy matters. The health care and education premium question represents one of the more directly consequential proposals, as it could reshape how the province finances services for temporary residents including international students and temporary foreign workers.
This article is based on reporting from CBC Calgary. For full coverage of Alberta's upcoming referendum, visit CBC News.