EDMONTON — Forever Canadian leader Thomas Lukaszuk has publicly called on Canadians outside Alberta to donate to his group, saying campaign money matters. "This is not only an Alberta issue; this is a Canadian issue because Alberta is a vital part of Canada, both socially and economically," said Lukaszuk during a recent interview on The OShow. "So, if you don't want to lose Alberta, if you have family and friends in Alberta, if you believe that Canada cannot simply sever one part of itself and still be healthy, help us out.""Call your friends. Call your relatives that live in Alberta. You know, just insist that they vote during the referendum, and if you can send some money to a campaign like ours, you know that will be greatly appreciated." .Forever Canadian receiving donations from outside Alberta would directly violate Alberta's Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, which prohibits advertising groups from receiving contributions from individuals or groups who are not ordinary residents of Alberta. The group has registered as a referendum third-party advertiser with Elections Alberta, but has not disclosed any contributions because he claims they are campaigning for Canadian unity, not the referendum. Lukaszuk updated host Laura Babcock on the current status of Forever Canadian's campaign. He told her the group has distributed over 70,000 lawn signs, begun distributing large signs and bumper stickers, and intends to host free public concerts in both Calgary and Edmonton. "But that's costing us money: the lawn signs, the bus on the road," Lukaszuk said. "So, we are begging for donations from across Canada to go onto our website, forever-canadian.ca. But that's what allows us to do the work that we do. Most of the work is done with volunteers, but resources are still needed." .The Forever Canadian leader will not tell individuals how to vote in the referendum because he respects the wisdom of Albertans, but he will be definitively voting in favour of Alberta remaining in Canada and "no" to the other nine questions.However, regardless of how an individual intends to vote, he wants all Albertans to participate in the referendum. "When I say all Albertans, I'm actually speaking literally to all Albertans, because I want the turnout to be so high that no one can question the validity of this referendum," Lukaszuk said. "However silly the referendum is, I want to win decisively and make sure that there is a massive turnout." He told Babcock that he respects independence supporters more than people who are not taking a position in the debate. Lukaszuk took issue with members of the federal and Alberta governments. "That’s simply cowardness and and its complicity,” Lukaszuk said. “And they're trying to create a situation where, later, when we know the results of the referendum, they can say, 'Oh yeah, we were on your side with the winners.'"Premier Danielle Smith and some members of her caucus have publicly stated on numerous occasions that they support "a sovereign Alberta, within a united Canada." Smith has also said she is fighting for Alberta to remain in Canada by trying to prove to Albertans that the confederation can work. Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre and other party members have also said they support Alberta remaining in Canada. The group recently registered as a TPA.
