Something funny is happening in Alberta. People in the province are complying with the law, and it’s driving the government bonkers.

The roots of this affair go back to June of 2021, when two bills introduced under then premier Jason Kenney received royal assent. They’re key to this story.

The first was the Citizen Initiative Act, which allowed any voter in Alberta to launch a petition for a proposed policy change, a proposed legislative change, or a proposed referendum, provided they gathered enough signatures within ninety days (10 percent of voters for policy and legislative proposals and 20 percent for referendums).

The second was its sister legislation, the Recall Act. It allows citizens to organize formal petition drives to recall municipal politicians, school board trustees, and members of the legislature. Alberta had something similar in 1936 but dropped it the next year after an attempted recall of premier William Aberhart.

Fast-forward to spring 2025. Danielle Smith is leader of the United Conservative Party and premier of Alberta. An organization called the Alberta Prosperity Project is travelling the province pitching its plan for a referendum on an independent Alberta. The UCP, which counts some would-be separatists among its ranks, tinkers with the Citizen Initiative Act. The government lowers the number of required signatures on constitutional initiatives to 10 percent of eligible voters and increases the timeline for collecting signatures to 120 days. This makes it easier to meet the bar for a referendum and paves the way for a vote on separation.

The first citizen initiative drive comes from an unexpected player. Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier in Alberta under the Progressive Conservatives, files an application. His campaign is called Forever Canadian. His question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”

Over the next ninety days, his canvassers pop up........

© The Walrus