Former Conservative strategist Dimitri Soudas is now echoing claims from Thomas Lukaszuk that the “Forever Canada” citizen initiative was intended for a vote in the Legislature, not a provincewide referendum.

That’s not what the petition process actually does. And that's not what Lukaszuk said. 

The #ForeverCanadian petition and referendum will not be won by money, but they will be won by our love for Canada.https://t.co/44AkqgP2sQ#ableg #cdnpoli

— Hon. Thomas A. Lukaszuk (@LukaszukAB) May 30, 2025

Under Alberta’s citizen initiative law, a successful petition can trigger either a vote in the Legislature or a referendum, depending on the option selected by the applicant at the time of filing.

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And in this case, Lukaszuk explicitly chose the referendum route.

Even sources generally hostile to Alberta independence acknowledge that fact. 

I'm not a separatist and wish it weren't true, but it's obvious the guy screwed up and handed the separatists a back-up petition. He chased the cameras before engaging his brain. What's worse, lots of people warned him. A big ego got the better of him. https://t.co/T5JVPVfKcj

— Dwayne Chomyn (@Citizen004) May 21, 2026

Once signatures were gathered and verified, it would “force a referendum,” and cites the petition question itself: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”

Based on how today transpired, I’d like to offer my gratitude to @LukaszukAB for getting the referendum loose ends tied up.

Thanks, Tom.

Looking forward to ongoing contributions from yourself, Nenshi, & Kenny that will undoubtedly strengthen the case for Alberta Independence! pic.twitter.com/jG9uNC1K82

— John Tomkinson (@johnwtomkinson) May 21, 2026

So the claim now circulating on CTV panels — that the petition was only ever intended for a legislative vote — leaves out a fairly important detail: the actual petition application.