Thomas Lukaszuk has been invited to Ottawa by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to explain the current situation in Alberta.Lukaszuk, the former deputy premier of Alberta and the leader of the successful Forever Canada petition, which asked Albertans if the province should remain part of Canada, told Postmedia that he wasn’t surprised that the prime minister and his government were paying attention to the growing implications of the independence movement, saying that it came with the possibility of national security risks.“I met with the Prime Minister’s Office and with the federal caucus and most of the Senate last week,” Lukaszuk said.“I found that they’re following what’s happening in Alberta very closely... I think not only is [Carney] concerned about just having an angry province,” he said.“But in any country, you cannot have a large cohort of angry white men.”Last week, Elections Alberta confirmed that Lukaszuk’s petition had been signed by over 400,000 Albertans (roughly 14% of eligible Albertan voters).Now that the tally is official, Premier Danielle Smith can decide to either call for a yes/no referendum question or have all of Alberta’s MLAs vote on a new government policy or law affirming Alberta’s desire to stay in Canada.Lukaszuk told Postmedia that the latter option was always his goal.“We gave [Smith] a choice,” Lukaszuk said.“She gets to decide.”.He said he originally started the pro-Canada petition when he heard that the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) intended to submit a referendum question this past July, saying he has since raised close to $400,000 for Forever Canada.Jeffrey Rath, of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), had a blunt reaction to the news of the meeting.“I think it’s awesome that Thomas Lukaszuk has come out of the closet as one of Carney’s minions,” Rath told the Western Standard.“It’s kind of like those old Scooby-Doo cartoons where they pull the mask off the monster at the end and there’s some villain underneath. Well, pull off Lukaszuk’s mask and you see Carney’s leering face.”Rath also argued that Lukaszuk’s talk of “national security risks” was simply a pretext.“It’s the new messaging, right? They want to label all of us as a national security risk so they can justify throwing us in jail,” he said.“I’m sure that’s the next step. It’s kind of like the lead-up to the [Freedom] Convoy.”He also rejected Lukaszuk’s suggestion that the independence movement is driven by “angry white men.”“Check out my Twitter feed — our indigenous supporters are coming out of the woodwork, and they’re pissed,” Rath stated.“‘I’m not an angry white man. I’m Treaty 6. I’m Treaty 8. I’m Métis.’”“They’re not white or angry. They just want Alberta out of Canada.”Rath firmly insisted that the independence movement was peaceful and law-abiding.“They’re claiming somehow we’re insurrectionists. We’re not. Some of us are sport shooters, but so what? The very fact that none of us have been charged under the new Trudeau gun laws shows we follow the law,” he stated..“For Lukaszuk to create this phony narrative just shows how desperate they are. This is a non-partisan movement supported by people who can do math. They understand how much better off their family would be without federal income tax, without GST.”Rath also disputed Lukaszuk’s depiction of the Forever Canada petition as proof the province wants to remain in Canada.“Lukaszuk likes to characterize his petition as everybody who signed wanting to remain in Canada,” he said.“I know tens of thousands of APP supporters who signed because they wanted a referendum on independence and thought that was a fun way to do it. Lots of people who want to vote on independence signed that petition — not because they want to stay in Canada, but because they want the option to vote.”Rath also mentioned the standing ovation he received at the recent UCP AGM in Edmonton from party members when he told them to “stand up” for a free and independent Alberta.“Fully at least 85% of the UCP base at that AGM stood for independence,” Rath said.“That was the one thing Danielle [Smith] did not want to see. That’s why they’re worried. That’s why the mothership was calling Special Agent Lukaszuk back to Ottawa to brief them.”Online, the news of Lukaszuk’s meeting with the PMO was met with bemusement from some commentators..Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley took to X, saying, “There are smart Liberals, there are dumb Conservatives and vice versa. Not sure which camp Thomas Lukaszuk falls into, but given his political track record, he's not someone I would turn to and ask to explain Alberta to non-Albertans. Not sure he gets his own province politically.”.Erik Thorvaldsson, a known voice online in the independence movement, said, “I thought we were a small minority of no more than 10% of the population... I guess not.”The Western Standard has reached out to Lukaszuk for comment.
