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Jaws · 08-17-2025, 02:44 PM

I was confused at what the outcome of a successful petition would be. I thought that a successful Forever Canadian petition would mean that there would be a referendum held with the question: "Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?" But then I read a CTV article that mentioned: "The group’s goal is to persuade the provincial government to adopt a formal policy rejecting separatism without requiring a referendum."

So I did some research. Here is an explanation of the Citizen Initiative petitions:

Alberta has two kinds of citizen petitions under the Citizen Initiative Act:

Policy petitions → go to cabinet/legislature, but don’t automatically trigger a referendum.
Constitutional petitions → if successful, must go to a province-wide referendum.

Right now there are two competing petitions about Alberta’s future in Canada (one already collecting signatures, one still in court review):

1. Forever Canadian petition (pro-Canada) - collecting signatures now

Question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
Organized by: former MLA Thomas Lukaszuk and others.
Type: Policy petition.
Requirement: ~294,000 valid signatures (old rules - 10% of all registered voters) in 90 days. Deadline: Oct 28, 2025.
If successful: Once Elections Alberta verifies enough signatures, the petition goes to cabinet. By law, cabinet must refer it to a legislative committee. The committee studies it and issues a report with recommendations. For example, it may recommend that the petition be debated in the legislature, that a referendum be held, or that no further action be taken. Cabinet then decides how to respond to the report. Important note: A referendum is not automatically triggered.

2. Alberta Prosperity Project petition (pro-separation) - under court review, not yet collecting signatures

Question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?”
Organized by: the Alberta Prosperity Project.
Type: Constitutional petition.
Requirement: ~178,000 valid signatures (new rules - 10% of voters from the 2023 election) in 120 days.
If successful: If Elections Alberta verifies enough signatures, the petition must by law trigger a province-wide referendum. Unlike a policy petition, cabinet has no discretion to substitute a legislative debate or let it die in committee.
Current status: filed July 4, 2025, but still under review at the Court of King’s Bench to check if the question is valid. Hearing scheduled for Nov 2025. They can’t collect signatures until that’s resolved.

So, if the Forever Canadian petition is successful in collecting enough signatures, the best case scenario they are hoping for would be:

Cabinet refers petition to a legislative committee
The committee recommends debating/voting on the proposal in the Assembly
Cabinet could table a motion worded along the petition’s question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
MLAs would vote, and if it passed, the legislature would officially be on record affirming Alberta’s place in Canada.
This outcome gives petitioners a clear “win” without the cost and risk of a referendum.

I think there would be a lot of pressure on the UCP to respond to a successful Forever Canadian petition in this way. But I don't have faith that they would do the right thing.

08-17-2025, 02:44 PM	#24
Jaws Draft Pick Join Date: Oct 2001	I was confused at what the outcome of a successful petition would be. I thought that a successful Forever Canadian petition would mean that there would be a referendum held with the question: "Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?" But then I read a CTV article that mentioned: "The group’s goal is to persuade the provincial government to adopt a formal policy rejecting separatism without requiring a referendum." So I did some research. Here is an explanation of the Citizen Initiative petitions: Alberta has two kinds of citizen petitions under the Citizen Initiative Act: Policy petitions → go to cabinet/legislature, but don’t automatically trigger a referendum. Constitutional petitions → if successful, must go to a province-wide referendum. Right now there are two competing petitions about Alberta’s future in Canada (one already collecting signatures, one still in court review): 1. Forever Canadian petition (pro-Canada) - collecting signatures now Question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” Organized by: former MLA Thomas Lukaszuk and others. Type: Policy petition. Requirement: ~294,000 valid signatures (old rules - 10% of all registered voters) in 90 days. Deadline: Oct 28, 2025. If successful: Once Elections Alberta verifies enough signatures, the petition goes to cabinet. By law, cabinet must refer it to a legislative committee. The committee studies it and issues a report with recommendations. For example, it may recommend that the petition be debated in the legislature, that a referendum be held, or that no further action be taken. Cabinet then decides how to respond to the report. Important note: A referendum is not automatically triggered. 2. Alberta Prosperity Project petition (pro-separation) - under court review, not yet collecting signatures Question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?” Organized by: the Alberta Prosperity Project. Type: Constitutional petition. Requirement: ~178,000 valid signatures (new rules - 10% of voters from the 2023 election) in 120 days. If successful: If Elections Alberta verifies enough signatures, the petition must by law trigger a province-wide referendum. Unlike a policy petition, cabinet has no discretion to substitute a legislative debate or let it die in committee. Current status: filed July 4, 2025, but still under review at the Court of King’s Bench to check if the question is valid. Hearing scheduled for Nov 2025. They can’t collect signatures until that’s resolved. So, if the Forever Canadian petition is successful in collecting enough signatures, the best case scenario they are hoping for would be: Cabinet refers petition to a legislative committee The committee recommends debating/voting on the proposal in the Assembly Cabinet could table a motion worded along the petition’s question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” MLAs would vote, and if it passed, the legislature would officially be on record affirming Alberta’s place in Canada. This outcome gives petitioners a clear “win” without the cost and risk of a referendum. I think there would be a lot of pressure on the UCP to respond to a successful Forever Canadian petition in this way. But I don't have faith that they would do the right thing.