Require consultation for provincial referenda
Petitioners ask Parliament to require any provincial referendum on leaving Canada to trigger the Crown’s duty to consult at commencement, protect taxpayers and Treaty, Aboriginal and Charter mobility rights, be transparent, and respect the Constitution’s high threshold.
Why we would sign this petition
- It adds fiscal and legal safeguards by requiring consultation and protecting taxpayers, reducing financial and governance risks from unilateral referendum actions.
- It affirms that treaty and section 35 rights trigger early Crown consultation, helping ensure Indigenous peoples are consulted before referendum processes proceed.
- It demands transparency and adherence to the Constitution’s high approval threshold, strengthening legitimacy and reducing polarizing or unlawful secession attempts.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Similar safeguards may already exist under constitutional law, so new legislative measures could be redundant or legally overlapping.
- It could limit provincial democratic initiatives and be seen as constraining political debate, complicating legitimate local expression on constitutional questions.
- Enforcement and scope are legally complex; the measure may create litigation, administrative costs, and may not address underlying political grievances that drive separatist movements.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons Alberta’s Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 facilitates referenda on leaving Canada; Constitutional change is a high-cost process requiring a minimum of seven provinces/50% population consent, and likely unanimous 10/10 consent, which several provinces already oppose; The movement has caused significant social harm, stoking polarization and fueling hateful rhetoric against Indigenous peoples and immigrants that undermines community trust and democratic integrity; Treaties 6, 7, and 8 were made with the Crown, and no province has the standing to act alone on matters flowing from these constitutional agreements; Section 35 rights belong to peoples, not territories, and any change must honour these rights for all First Nations and Métis people regardless of where they reside; and Under the UNDRIP Act, Canada is committed to free, prior, and informed consent before making decisions affecting Indigenous peoples. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to: 1. Protect taxpayers from fiscal risks and uphold all Treaty, Aboriginal, and Charter mobility rights; 2. Affirm that the Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples is triggered by the commencement of any referendum process, including the approval and certification of initiative petitions; and 3. Mandate that any referendum process be transparent and respect the high constitutional bar required for any change to Confederation.
Government response
No government response is available yet.