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Premier Danielle Smith’s effort to loosen rules around citizen-led referendums may be backfiring.
Former Progressive Conservative deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk filed a competing petition that blocks a planned vote on Alberta separatism.
The United Conservative Party government passed legislation this spring to make it easier for Albertans to trigger a referendum.
The changes, part of the Improving Consistency and Fairness in Alberta’s Democratic Processes Act, lowered the threshold for petition signatures and were widely seen as an attempt to appease far-right elements in the party.
Some supporters had hoped to use the tool to force a vote on Alberta leaving Canada.
In a political twist, Lukaszuk submitted a referendum petition first under rules established in 2021, calling on Alberta to declare its official policy is to remain within Canada.
With Alberta law allowing only one active referendum petition per topic, his move effectively kills any competing question on separation from being placed on the ballot.
Lukaszuk’s petition was approved by Elections Alberta just days before the new rules take effect. This means he must gather nearly 600,000 signatures in 90 days under the old, stricter legislation. Still, Lukaszuk says he’s excited by the process. “They used to call me Landslide Lukaszuk for achieving a narrow win,” he said, “but our grassroots movement is coming together.”
Lukaszuk sent letters to every First Nations and Indigenous Leader in the Province seeking their support. He will be launching a website in the coming days, with a logo designed by a renowned Canadian artist.
At the same time, the government accepted a last-minute amendment from MLA Todd Loewen that further limits the scope of any referendum. It allows only one question per vote and restricts questions to existing or proposed provincial legislation. This shuts out advocacy groups seeking broad or symbolic referenda, including those pushing for Alberta to become a sovereign country within a united Canada.
Lukaszuk said the UCP’s decision to open the door to citizen referenda was reckless and politically shortsighted. “The government may not have considered the implications of the move,” he said. “They expected it would only be used for pro-separation advocacy, but instead it has exposed how easily that power can be turned against them.”
Premier Smith has long promoted the idea of direct democracy, saying Alberta should have more tools to push back against federal policies. Lukaszuk says she now finds herself boxed in by her own legislation. “Danielle and her separatists were playing checkers, while her opponents are playing chess”. Lukaszuk believes that separation should not be used as political leverage. “The UCP’s referendum legislation is dangerous,” he said. “It could open a Pandora’s box of ballot questions, including some that may backfire on this government.”
“They want to create and govern a new country, but they didn’t figure out how to file an application,” add Lukaszuk
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