Thomas Lukaszuk has spent years popping up in Alberta politics like a jack-in-the-box nobody ordered.Loud. Dramatic. Unkillable. And now, after all that, he’s finally done it. He has forced the system to take his referendum question seriously..BORG: NDP’s ‘French’ debate wasn’t bilingualism — it was a national embarrassment.Just not on his terms.On December 1, Elections Alberta announced Lukaszuk’s “Alberta Forever Canada” citizen initiative petition is successful, with an estimated 404,293 verified signatures, well above the 293,976 needed under the rules that applied when he filed.That triggers a process in the legislature. And that is where Lukaszuk’s victory lap ends, and the real politics begin.Lukaszuk's familiar with the legislature given he was deputy premier under Alison Redford. He is known for being on the left-wing of the PC Party and an open NDP supporter..Because this is the part Lukaszuk can’t control.Elections Alberta didn’t “call a referendum.” It sent a copy of the policy proposal to the legislature's speaker, as required. Then the legislature must deal with it. .WHISSELL: Has Carney pivoted to revamping Alberta oil?.That includes a motion to refer it to a committee, and a committee report that can recommend a referendum or simply report on the proposal. In other words, the Alberta Legislature has to clarify what the question will be, and whether it even gets to a vote.That’s not a technicality. It’s the whole ball game..Lukaszuk’s proposed question was blunt: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” He likely imagined that forcing a “Remain” question onto the ballot would box in the independence movement, embarrass the Alberta Prosperity Project crowd, and maybe even put Premier Danielle Smith in a tight spot.But citizen initiatives don’t work like a drive-thru. You don’t just place an order and get exactly what you asked for..SIMS: Alberta must fight the debt.Once the matter lands in the legislature, MLA and committee members start doing what they always do. They will start changing language, adjusting the scope, and making sure the political hit lands on the other guy.So yes, Lukaszuk may get a referendum question. But don’t be shocked if it’s not the biased, pro-federal question he dreamed up on Facebook..Here’s the part many activists miss, which is that the question can’t be loaded. Elections Alberta’s own description of the citizen initiative application requirements says proposals must be “clear and unambiguous,” and for constitutional questions must be “factually accurate” and require a “yes” or “no” answer. The Chief Electoral Officer can also provide advice on the “form and substance” of a proposal. Call that “neutral,” “balanced,” or “not designed by a campaign intern at 1:00 am.” .OLDCORN: Religious freedom is not a bargaining chip for Carney's minority government Liberals.The point is the same, that the ballot question can’t read like a bumper sticker.But neutral does not mean harmless. The government has leeway in how it frames a question while staying within a yes-or-no format. Alberta has already shown this in past referendums. .In 2021, the daylight saving time question wasn’t just one sterile line — it included explanatory wording (“which is summer hours”) right in the question. (Elections Alberta referendum page) That’s perfectly legal voting-language reality. And it matters now.A neutral independence-related question could be framed in ways that do not try to tilt the field to one side or another. .BLACKETT: The poisoned chalice — the ‘anti-woke’ bill that actually authorizes woke rule.Likewise, a “remain in Canada” question can be tweaked into something broader, colder, or more conditional-sounding.Lukaszuk pushed a boulder up the hill. Now the legislature gets to decide where it rolls.The right thing to do now is for the legislature to rewrite the obviously biased question presented by Lukazuk into one that is genuinely neutral and passes the "clear question" test required by the Clairity Act. For example: "Should Alberta remain a province within Canada or become an independent country?" Simple, fair, and neutral. Neither side could complain that the question stacks the deck for the other. Under the citizen initiative process outlined by Elections Alberta, if a committee report recommends a referendum, one must be held “on or before” the next fixed general election date, which is October 18, 2027. .That is the outside limit. It is not a target.If the Alberta government is serious about cooling down the independence movement, it should commit now to a referendum in 2026.Why 2026? .MACLEOD: Pipeline promises, political games: Why Ottawa’s ‘lifeline’ to Alberta oil always ends in betrayal.Because waiting until the doorstep of the 2027 election turns the whole thing into a campaign weapon. Every nomination battle becomes a loyalty test. Every town hall becomes a shouting match. Every other serious issue gets shoved aside, including inflation, crime, healthcare, and energy..A 2026 vote would do something rare in politics: settle an argument while there’s still time to govern afterward.It also sends a message to other Western governments watching the independence movement in Alberta, including Saskatchewan. Alberta can debate big constitutional questions without letting them swallow the calendar.Lukaszuk wanted to outsmart the independence movement by forcing a “stay in Canada” vote.Instead, he has handed the legislature a live grenade with a timer that runs to 2027 and a government with the power to write the label on it..JOHNSON: Remember the ArriveCAN scandal? New ‘bait and switch’ report exposes systemic problem in federal procurement.That doesn’t mean the final question will be pro-independence. It might not even reach a referendum. But it does mean Lukaszuk is no longer the author of this story. He’s a character in it. And in Alberta politics, that’s usually where the comedy starts.
