‘Reaping what she has sowed’: Lukaszuk says premier stoked flames of separatism

Former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about his efforts to ensure any referendum on separation is framed with a pro-Canada question.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: You filed an application with Elections Alberta for a petition.

What’s the question you’re pushing and why?

Thomas Lukaszuk: I’m of the opinion that if we are going to have a referendum anyway on Alberta’s place in Canada, that conversation must be led by Canadians, loyal Canadians, and it must be based on facts, not disinformation.

So I chose to ask a question whether you agree that Alberta must remain in Canada and any form of separation must be rejected, to which the answer should be yes. I want to have that kind of a positive, constructive, nation-building conversation, as opposed to a question that, in my opinion, is contrary to First Nations treaties, to our Canadian Constitution, but that is premised on a whole bunch of disinformation.

MH: How close are you to a response from Elections Alberta?

TL: I think we’re very close. We made sure that we did the due diligence to make sure that the application is filed properly, that the question is within the parameters of this never used before legislation, this Private Citizens Initiative Act.

I’m expecting Elections Alberta to respond to us in a short order of time and approve the application.

MH: You’re not alone in this. Pro-separatists are queuing up at as well.

What’s at stake in this race to be first to land a question?

TL: The first question that is asked and properly filed with Elections Alberta is the question that will be asked. You can’t have two referenda on a similar or opposite question. So if our question gets approved, I firmly believe that that will be the question on the referendum. The other question, separatist question, simply falls off the ledge.

But as I said earlier, I think it is important that we have this constructive talk and actually talk about what would it mean if Alberta somehow was to separate from Canada. I am convinced that the vast majority of Albertans are proud Canadians that want to stay in Canada.

There are issues with Ottawa, no matter who is in government in Ottawa, but those issues can be resolved. Most Albertans don’t want to even consider separation. I am more considerate about the damage that this conversation is having on Alberta and our Canadian economy. We saw what happened in Quebec during the FLQ crisis.

There’s a reason why Bank of Montreal has its headquarters in Toronto right now, not in Montreal, and this could be devastating to our internal economy while we live in such a turbulent world.

MH: Let’s say your application wins out, and it is a pro-Canada question that ends up on the ballot.

Where does that leave the Smith government? What kind of position does that put the premier in?

TL: It puts her exactly where she belongs. She’s finally reaping what she has sewed.

She has at least 14 MLAs in her caucus who are openly talking about separatism. So she is now dancing this really awkward, uncomfortable dance where she says, ‘I’m pro-Canadian, but at the same time, we have to give separatists a chance to speak out’, and she’s making the rules easier on them by passing Bill 54.

She’s playing very dangerous politics and she now will be confronted, and I hope that she will be the first one to sign our petition, the pro-Canadian petition, if she really claims that she is pro-Canadian.

But she has another political issue because there are new political formations, new political parties coming about who are very much pro-separation, that are taking away from her UCP support. So her political future, there’s a big question mark over it.

MH: How much of a battle are you prepared to wage, especially if it is that that the other side comes to the game with a with a pipeline of funding behind it?

TL: Separatists have a pipeline of funding, and I know where the pipeline ends. It ends here in Alberta, I have no idea where it starts. That is a good question to ask, but you know what? We will be fundraising. We will be launching a massive campaign. We will have to raise 600,000 signatures in three months. I know that it’s doable and I judge it just by the response I’m getting right now.

I can’t walk down the street right now without somebody saying, ‘Good on you. Where do I sign? How do I volunteer?’ We’re getting a lot of that.

The petition will be made available across Alberta in every town, hamlet and county, and I know that Canadians who happen to live in Alberta are eager to sign this particular petition.

Our petition will not be won by money but it will be won by the love for Canada.

MH: If it is that you don’t win out, that it’s not a pro-Canada question that’s on the referendum ballot, assuming there is a referendum, do you switch gears?

If you’ve got organization, do you then get active against separation?

TL: We then will be encouraging all Albertans to vote no to a pro-separatist question, of course, but I don’t think it takes a lot of convincing. When I have a 90-year-old lady from a nursing home in Lamont calling me, and I’ve never met this woman, saying, ‘I’m infirm, I’m in a nursing home, but my husband fought in the war, and I want to sign the petition.’

When people are this passionate about signing a petition I don’t think there is a real competition. But the other side is very vocal, they’re very militant, they’re well organized. These are the same people that fought us on COVID vaccinations. They have their infrastructure in place, so we will hear a lot from them, but I’m convinced that sanity shall prevail.