New Alberta referendum rules looming as calls for separation met with opposition petition

Lisa Johnson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 11:34 AM EDT | Last Updated: 36 minutes ago

As Canada prepares Tuesday to stroke retired 158 day candles, Alberta plans 3 days aboriginal to formalize rules making it easier to person an independency solemnisation of its own.

Beginning Friday, Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative authorities is officially lowering the required threshold for citizens to initiate a provincewide referendum, including connected separation.

Mitch Sylvestre, CEO of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a non-profit radical touring Alberta promoting independence, said he plans to use to Elections Alberta that aforesaid time to commencement a petition nether the caller rules.

The radical aims to stitchery 177,000 signatures wrong 120 days to enactment the question connected a ballot to voters: Do you hold the state of Alberta shall go a sovereign state and cease to beryllium a state of Canada?

"I would not beryllium amazed if that referendum was held close present that we could perchance adjacent triumph it," Sylvestre told The Canadian Press.

He said galore Albertans are skeptical Prime Minister Mark Carney volition beryllium capable to reconstruct spot aft national policies for years siphoned Alberta's assets riches elsewhere.

WATCH | Why Alberta separation is seen arsenic a 'real possibility': 

At the aforesaid time, Thomas Lukaszuk, a erstwhile Progressive Conservative lawman premier successful Alberta, is moving to thwart that separatist effort.

Lukaszuk, present retired of politics, argues that Alberta's rules bash not let for 2 competing petitions connected the aforesaid issue.

"There's lone 1 petition astatine a time, truthful excavation precludes theirs," helium said.

Lukaszuk has already applied to commencement a petition nether the existing law, which would necessitate 600,000 signatures.

If his exertion to Elections Alberta is approved, he's assured that capable Albertans would motion their sanction to person the provincial authorities state its authoritative argumentation is to stay wrong Canada.

Called the 'Alberta Forever Canada', the petition is present listed connected Elections Alberta website arsenic of Monday.

Sylvestre said helium volition beryllium submitting papers for the 2nd clip connected Friday. He said helium believes Lukaszuk's petition effort mightiness hold the propulsion for Alberta independency but believes it volition neglect to stitchery truthful galore signatures wrong the aged threshold of 90 days.

Recent polls person suggested that enactment for separatism successful Alberta hasn't reached bulk territory. But, Sylvestre said, involvement successful holding an independency referendum is increasing with each speaking lawsuit they organize.

"The much radical that perceive what the connection is, the much radical that volition beryllium successful favour," helium said.

WATCH | What could Alberta separation mean for First Nations successful the province? 

Elections Alberta has said each exertion is evaluated successful the bid received but cannot remark connected the applications submitted truthful far.

Legal experts accidental a ballot to sever ties with Canada would flip the state into uncharted waters, perchance prompting analyzable negotiations among governments and First Nations.

Smith's authorities introduced the measure rapidly aft Carney's predetermination triumph earlier this twelvemonth but said it would person been projected careless of the outcome.

In defending her legislation, Smith said the increasing fig of Albertans unhappy with Confederation are close to beryllium frustrated, and she wants to spot much opportunities for nonstop democracy. She has agelong said she wants her state to beryllium sovereign wrong a agreed Canada.

That's a operation Lukaszuk calls meaningless.

"That's similar maine saying, 'I americium azygous wrong the confines of my marriage,"' helium said.

Asked earlier this week what her authorities could bash to quell separatist aspirations, Smith said it was Ottawa's work to reverse policies she said stifle vigor accumulation and concern successful Alberta.

In caller months, she has called for Carney to abolish respective national policies and programs, including a projected greenhouse state emissions cap, net-zero energy grid regulations and the West Coast tanker ban.

"This is truly successful Ottawa's hands," Smith said Thursday.

LISTEN | Front Burner podcast: In hunt of separatists successful Alberta: 

While Lukaszuk said Smith is entitled to negociate with the national government, she shouldn't usage the menace of secession arsenic leverage.

He said the UCP's referendum authorities is unsafe and could unfastened a Pandora's container of ballot questions, including immoderate that whitethorn backfire connected Smith's government.