A citizen-led petition​ questioning Alberta’s continued participation in‌ Canada is rapidly approaching its signature target, possibly forcing a debate within the provincial legislature. The “Alberta Forever Canada” petition, spearheaded by former Progressive Conservative deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, has garnered approximately ‍230,000 signatures as of Friday, October 27th.

Launched in June, the petition requires roughly 294,000 valid‍ signatures from eligible Alberta voters by October 28th to trigger a legislative response. according to Lukaszuk,speaking at a press ⁤conference,the campaign is currently at⁢ approximately ‍80% of⁢ its required total.

elections Alberta confirms that citizen initiative petitions allow⁤ Albertans to propose legislative ‍or policy changes, or even request a constitutional referendum. Lukaszuk strategically ⁣filed the petition under the legislative proposal option, aiming to have Premier Danielle Smith bring the question ⁣before the legislative assembly for a vote by Alberta’s Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

“We don’t need to have a referendum,” Lukaszuk ‍explained to CBC in July. “That is why we very strategically filed this petition under the policy stream, not the constitutional ‍stream.”

The petition’s success is fueled by a dedicated volunteer base. Lukaszuk⁣ reported on Friday ⁢that around 5,000 volunteers are actively collecting​ signatures across the province.