Elections Alberta validates separatist petition that’s tied up in court

Elections Alberta announced Friday that a citizen-led petition looking to force a vote on Alberta quitting Canada is successful.

The agency said it verified nearly 223,000 signatures out of almost 280,000 valid names counted.

It needed almost 178,000 signatures to be successful.

Despite the result, the separatism petition is largely moot.

It was quashed in court in May, although the ruling is being appealed by those behind the petition campaign as well as Premier Danielle Smith’s government.

Smith has cited the separatist petition and a competing pro-Canada petition as the reason why she has put a separation question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum

The question asks Albertans if they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.

The premier has said the court decision throwing out the separatist petition prevented her from holding a binding vote on the issue in the fall.

Elections Alberta started verifying the signatures after a judge ruled last month that the names should still be counted in case the appeal is ultimately successful.

The judge said if the verification process was delayed any longer, it risked the integrity of the petition as those who signed it could move away or even die.

A group of First Nations challenged the petition as being unconstitutional. They argued they were not duly consulted, given the impacts separation would have on treaty rights and how holding a vote could damage the treaty relationship.