Alberta’s former deputy premier, Thomas Lukasuk, is accusing the UCP government of preventing the “Forever Canadian” petition from being voted on in the legislature.
More than 430,000 people signed the petition that asks the question, “Do you agree that Alberta should remain within Canada?”
Lukasuk has always maintained that he wanted to see a vote on the question take place in the Alberta legislature, before the end of the spring session on Friday.
But following a meeting on Monday by a legislative committee studying the petition, Lukaszuk accused the government of “ducking accountability.”
“Our premier, or duly elected MLAs just don’t have the fortitude, frankly — don’t have the guts to stand up in the chamber, in the legislature and declare whether they’re separatist or not,” said Lukaszuk.
While Lukaszuk maintains he always wanted the Forever Canadian petition to be put to a vote on the floor of the legislature, UCP MLAs have expressed confusion over his motivation behind the petition.
Source: Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Premier Danielle Smith and some other UCP MLAs have expressed confusion over the motive of the petition, saying, to them, it appears it was meant to be a referendum vote.
“What did the 400,000 people that went across the province, Albertans, when they signed their paperwork, what was presented to them?” asked UCP committee member Jason Nixon during the committee hearing on Monday.
Former Alberta Deputy Premier and the organizer behind the “Forever Canadian” petition, Thomas Lukaszuk, took to social media on Monday to reiterate that he wants a vote in the legislature, not a referendum on Alberta remaining in Canada.
Source: X/LukaszukAB
Lukaszuk reacted to the government’s confusion by saying if he wanted a referendum he would have asked for a referendum, but he did not.
He has also expressed frustration that he hasn’t been called to speak to the committee to address their questions, despite the NDP calls for him to be invited.
Despite the UCP’s confusion over what Lukaszuk wants, the organizers of the Forever Canadian petition, questions why he has not been invited to testify before the legislative committee.
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The legislative committee is supposed to meet again, but so far no date has been set.
If the committee fails to table a report on the petition before the end of the current sitting, it would come back in the fall sitting, which is scheduled for late October, after the government’s planned referendum.
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