2012 Provincial Election

Vote Compass – see how your values align with the political parties

About Every Vote Counts! 2012

We successfully held an all-party forum on “Socio-Economic and Integration Issues” on Saturday, April 14, 2026 at the Genesis Centre of Community Wellness, in Calgary. The organizing partners wish to thank all Albertans who attended the forum and all the candidates and volunteers who made it successful!

On April 23rd, we encourage all who are eligible to take part in the democratic process by going to vote. In addition, we hope you will consider this:

One in four Albertans were born outside of Canada. Albertans are increasingly diverse in terms of ethnic affiliation, religious beliefs and language. Immigrants and ethno-cultural community members are crucial to our vibrant economy and culture.  We ask you to consider the issues related to immigration and integration in this provincial election.

At our forum, we posed the questions below to the political parties. We invite you to ask these questions to political candidates in your area.

1. Immigration is identified as a key strategy for labour force growth in Alberta, across Canada, and globally. However there is much evidence to suggest immigrants face barriers to both labour market entry and career advancement in Canada.
   
   What is your party platform to ensure successful integration of immigrants in the labour market?
   
   
   
2. In 2011, Alberta had close to 60,000 Temporary Foreign Workers, which has doubled since 2003. Concerns have been raised about the working and living conditions for Temporary Foreign Workers.
   
   What would your party do to ensure the rights of Temporary Foreign Workers are upheld by employers and the wider community? 
   
   
   
3. With few exceptions, both recent and established immigrant renter households face affordability challenges greater than non-immigrant households. Currently, almost half of the immigrant population spends more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
   
   What initiatives would your party take in the provision of adequate and affordable housing in Alberta?
   
   
   
4. English as a Second Language (ESL) students have higher drop-out rates than their native-born counterparts. Teachers play a powerful role in students’ school engagement, better school performance, and positive social behavior. However, many teachers in Alberta have limited experience working with diverse populations and little or no training in adapting curriculum content for a culturally diverse population.
   
   What leadership role will your party take to develop cultural competencies in our next generation of teachers?
   
   
   
5. Immigrant and refugee older adults are falling between the cracks and their needs are being overlooked when it comes to the public policy agenda.
   
   What would you do to ensure that the increasing number of diverse older adults will not be further isolated as they age?
   
   
   
6. Women, visible minorities, people living with disabilities, LGBTQ populations, immigrants, and individuals of all ages may experience differing forms of discrimination.
   
   What will your party do to ensure that all Albertan’s have effective means to address systemic and individual cases of discrimination?
   
   
   
7. Research over the last decade has consistently identified lower high school graduation rates for students who are enrolled in ESL programs. 
   
   What changes would your government make to improve high school graduation rates for immigrants and students requiring ESL? 
   
   
   
8. Many issues faced by Calgary’s immigrants involve multiple stakeholders, sectors, and levels of government.
   
   What would your party do to improve inter-governmental relations on issues affecting immigrants?
   
   

Additionally…
Many agencies providing services and programs accessed by immigrants and newcomers are funded by Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program. FCSS has not seen an increase to its provincial grant since 2008, despite the growing demand for these services over the past year. We encourage you to ask the political parties:

1. Where do you see preventive social services work sitting in the social policy framework?
   
   
2. If you are (re)elected, can we count on you to:
   
   a) Ensure adequate funding for FCSS programs so that we can continue to provide vital services to nearly 3.58 million Albertans?
   
   b) Help create a social policy framework that prioritizes prevention?