Forever Canadian committee meeting ends in chaos after UCP release sent in error

A special committee reviewing Thomas Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian petition devolved into chaos on Wednesday after members learned the UCP caucus issued a news release on the results of a vote that had yet to take place.

The bipartisan committee, with a majority UCP members, had been scheduled to debate the petition’s future but was instead thrown off course when UCP members introduced a motion asking Premier Danielle Smith to add the question to the province’s fall referendum ballot.

Lukaszuk has been seeking to have his petition voted on by MLAs in the legislature rather than go to a referendum.

The motion was still being debated on Wednesday when NDP deputy leader and committee member Rakhi Pancholi flagged a public media release with quotes from committee chair and UCP member Brandon Lunty announcing the recommendation and claiming the motion had passed, despite no vote having taken place.

“I understand the UCP have already issued a release about a referendum being called,” she said. “A little awkward since we are still debating the motion.”

“Perhaps that is because this committee has always been treated like a sham by the members opposite,” Pancholi added.

Shortly afterward, the UCP caucus issued a notice stating that the earlier statement had been “distributed in error.”

“This is spitting in the face of democracy,” said NDP committee member Christina Gray. “To see that the UCP caucus is already announcing their plan….an absolute offence.”

The UCP members voted against escalating the issue after NDP members claimed the premature release tainted the integrity of the process.

“The caucus should not have done that, a clear point of privilege of which the chair has acknowledged,” said UCP MLA and committee member Jason Nixon following the meeting. “But, if we were to go after every member of the legislature every time a staffer makes a mistake, it would be ridiculous.”

Nixon says the employees involved in the error have since apologized.

The meeting ended without a vote on whether to proceed to a referendum. Lunty tried to pass a motion to extend the meeting beyond its scheduled end time, but it required a unanimous vote and was defeated.

What happens next?

It’s still unclear what will happen with the Forever Canadian petition after Wednesday’s meeting ended without a referendum vote, but the committee is scheduled to meet again on Thursday afternoon, according to the Alberta legislature meeting calendar.

The second meeting in two days is scheduled for two-and-half hours.

Lukaszuk’s pro‑federalist petition secured more than 400,000 verified signatures in December. The petition asks Albertans: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain within Canada?”

Meanwhile, Stay Free Alberta submitted its own separatist petition earlier this month, claiming nearly 302,000 names, well above the 178,000 required. However, a judge threw out the petition last week, ruling the provincial government had failed to consult First Nations.

Premier Smith has previously said that if a petition meets the signature threshold, its question would be placed on the fall ballot.

On Tuesday, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi said there is currently no legal path to a separation referendum unless Smith initiates one herself, noting reports that she has purchased airtime for a province‑wide televised address Thursday evening.

The opposition leader speculated that the premier would use the address to announce the separation referendum following Wednesday’s committee meeting. It remains possible the same happens after the follow-up meeting on Thursday.

With files from The Canadian Press