A petition titled “Alberta Forever Canada” is approaching its signature goal, with nearly 80% of the required signatures obtained. As of now, the petition has garnered approximately 230,000 signatures, according to Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Progressive Conservative deputy premier and the organizer of the initiative.
Petition Details
The “Alberta Forever Canada” petition aims to determine if Alberta should remain a part of Canada. It was launched in June and has until October 28 to collect around 294,000 valid signatures from eligible voters. This effort is part of a citizen initiative, which allows residents to request legislative proposals or referendums.
Signature Collection Progress
- Current signatures: 230,000
- Required signatures: 294,000
- Percentage of goal achieved: 80%
- Deadline for signatures: October 28
Lukaszuk emphasized that he opted for the legislative proposal route, believing that a legislative vote is sufficient for the cause. He stated, “We don’t need to have a referendum.” His goal is to present the petition’s question in the legislature for a vote by Alberta Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
Volunteer Support
To facilitate the signature collection process, there are approximately 5,000 volunteers actively engaging with the public throughout Alberta. This grassroots effort underscores the strong community involvement supporting the petition.
According to Elections Alberta, citizen initiative petitions allow eligible voters to influence legislative decisions directly. This petition by Lukaszuk could set a significant precedent in how policy proposals are introduced in the legislative assembly.
