Elections Alberta has completed the verification of the Forever Canadian petition and has determined all requirements have been met and the petition was successful.
The petition was initiated by former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk to make it an official policy for Alberta to stay in Canada following a rise in conversations around separation.
In order for the petition to be legitimate under the Citizen Initiative Act, 293,976 Albertans were required to sign in just 90 days. The total number of valid signatures counted reached 438,568, Elections Alberta said Monday.
“We collected about 40 per cent more signatures than required, so we were elated,” Lukaszuk told CTV News Edmonton. “Half a million Albertans have spoken out: We don’t want anything to do with separatism.”
Lukaszuk’s petition proposed the question: Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?
Thousands of volunteers travelled across the province collecting signatures.
“We congratulate the group on gathering so many signatures in support of remaining in Canada,” said Justice Minister Mickey Amery in a statement Monday afternoon.
The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) proposed a counter-petition seeking to ask: Do you agree that the province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?
A new law from Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government following Lukaszuk’s application submission significantly lowered the number of required signatures, which means APP only needed about 177,000 signatures. They also have four months to gather signatures instead of three.
What’s next?
The policy proposal is to be brought before the legislative assembly, where the government will bring forward a motion to have the proposal referred to a committee within 10 sitting days.
Within 90 days, the committee may either table a report on the policy or refer it to the lieutenant governor for the purpose of a referendum.
If the report is tabled recommending a referendum, it must be held on or before the fixed date of the next provincial general election.
Lukaszuk said he purposely chose the route that gives Smith the opportunity to do the right thing by going the legislative route.
“It gives her an opportunity to ask this question in the legislature and have all MLAs vote on it and put this issue to bed once and for all.”
