The federalists have beaten the separatists to the punch on having their petition approved.
According to the Elections Alberta website, they have approved a citizen’s initiative for a “legislative or policy proposal” which calls for a referendum on the question “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
The petition was filed by Thomas Lukaszuk, who represented Edmonton-Castle Downs in the provincial legislature as a member of the Progressive Conservatives from 2001 to 2015. He served as a cabinet minister for both premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford.
“My question meets all the legislative and constitutional requirements, and it's going ahead. Now, the only thing that we're waiting for is for Elections Alberta to figure out which rules we're going to be running this campaign by,” said Lukaszuk.
With the passing of Bill 54, a successful citizens’ initiative petition needs signatures from 10 per cent of voters in the last general election within 120 days. Previously, signatures were needed from 20 per cent of voters in two thirds of ridings within 90 days. Lukaszuk’s application was received June 5 and approved on the eve of Canada Day, June 30.
According to the regulations, only one referendum on a topic can be held at a time.
The Alberta Prosperity Project said they filed their petition on May 23, along with a letter requesting it be put in on the day Bill 54 is proclaimed as law. The APP is asking for a referendum on the question “Do you agree the Province of Alberta shall become a Sovereign Country and cease to be a province of Canada? Yes or No.”
Jeff Rath, the lawyer for the APP said Lukaszuk is “making mischief”, and the petitions are not on the same topic.
“We’re pursuing a constitutional question. Lukaszuk’s petition is a policy question. So it’s not the same topic. … We’re not the least bit concerned with what Lukaszuk is doing,” said Rath.
“I’d like to ask him how many people he has in this so-called group, because there’s no way that he has the organization and capacity that he needs,” said Rath.
According to Lukaszuk, the response to his application being approved is overwhelming. He calls the federalist movement in Alberta ‘Forever Canada’ and said they will be launching a website in the coming days for volunteers to register.
“We haven't even launched the campaign, and we now have people from I would say virtually every municipality across Alberta, saying ‘I want to collect signatures,’” said Lukaszuk.
“I've been in politics for nearly 15 years, and I ran leadership campaigns, election campaigns. I ran federal campaigns, I have never seen such a momentum … the momentum is driving our campaign as opposed to our campaign driving the momentum,” said Lukaszuk.
