Thomas Lukaszuk has, yet again, drawn the ire of Alberta independence supporters after appearing to have admitted that he is campaigning in the ongoing Alberta independence referendum debate.This has made independence supporters particularly upset due to the recent controversy surrounding Elections Alberta confirming that Lukaszuk's group, Forever Canadian, will not be classified as a third-party advertiser.In a recently published BBC article about the impact that the independence debate was having on the Calgary Stampede, Lukaszuk is quoted as saying, "We will do everything we possibly can to win this referendum."This comment, though ostensibly benign, has garnered traction amongst independence advocates who say this is proof that Lukaszuk is campaigning against the referendum questions and, as such, Forever Canadian must disclose its finances to Elections Alberta."If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Thomas Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian group is clearly campaigning in the upcoming referendum," wrote independence advocate Corey Morgan in his article about the situation..This recent controversy stems from the fact that Elections Alberta has refused to recognize Forever Canadian as a third-party advertiser because its messaging does not fall into the classification to be described as such.Because Forever Canadian does not explicitly reference or campaign on the referendum question, it is not considered to be subject to the same financial disclosure arrangements that other third-party advertisers are subjected to.Independence advocates say these recent comments from Lukaszuk prove that he, and Forever Canadian, are inherently campaigning against the October 19 referendum question and should therefore be subject to the same financial disclosure arrangements as all other third-party advertisers.Despite the frustration from independence advocates at the perceived double standard that Elections Alberta has towards Forever Canadian, it is unlikely that these comments will move the needle in any meaningful way.
