Lukaszuk is misinterpreting a clause in the Alberta Citizen Initiative Act that prohibits beginning a petition to invoke a referendum within one year before or after a scheduled general election.
In a podcast interview with Laura Babcock, Forever Canadian founder Thomas Lukaszuk said that the independence debate will continue to rage in Alberta for at least two more years after the October 19 referendum date if voters choose option “B”.
He is suggesting Alberta would be hung up for years in uncertainty due to the delay in holding the second referendum.
Lukaszuk is misinterpreting a clause in the Alberta Citizen Initiative Act that prohibits beginning a petition to invoke a referendum within one year before or after a scheduled general election. Alberta is expected to have a general election held in October 2027.
The clause only applies to citizen-initiated referenda. The office of the premier has the authority to schedule a referendum at any time. Smith could even have a referendum ballot presented during the general election.
There has been no timeline suggested by Premier Danielle Smith for a binding referendum if Albertans should choose that option. She is not bound to sit on the issue until late 2028 as Mr. Lukaszuk has implied.
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