Alberta can limit provincially-funded health, education and social services to citizens, permanent residents and approved-status residents.

Summary

Provinces run health care, education and social services and set the eligibility rules for their own programs, so Alberta has real authority here. That authority is not unlimited. Federal health transfers under the Canada Health Act are conditional on covering insured persons, defined as residents of the province who are lawfully entitled to be in Canada and make their home there, on uniform terms and without barriers. Tying eligibility to citizenship or immigration status could place some lawful residents outside coverage and raise questions about meeting those funding conditions, and schooling for resident children is generally provided regardless of a parent's status. So the province can set eligibility for its programs, but doing so by immigration status interacts with the Canada Health Act's conditions and existing access rules, which is the context the bare claim leaves out.

Evidence

• Health, education, and social services fall under provincial jurisdiction, so a province administers these programs and sets their rules.

  Library of Parliament (distribution of powers)

• The Canada Health Act defines an insured person as a resident lawfully entitled to be in Canada who makes their home in the province, and conditions federal health funding on covering insured persons on uniform terms without financial barriers.

  Canada Health Act (definitions, Justice Laws)

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