PJ The Belt - July 05, 2025


Alberta INDEPENDENCE BEGINS! - Update： REFERENDUM To Leave Canada Has STARTED


Episode Stats

Length

11 minutes

Words per Minute

145.6337

Word Count

1,611

Sentence Count

89

Misogynist Sentences

1


Summary

There is a ballot initiative and the paperwork has been filed. How does all this affect the push for sovereignty in Alberta? In today's report, we will be providing an update on the latest developments having to do with Alberta's independence. We will also be covering a second petition, which has been approved by Elections Alberta, a document filed by opponents of Alberta independence and federal government operatives seeking to undermine the efforts of those working to gain their independence and distract Albertans in hopes to protect those in power and the status quo.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 There is a ballot initiative and the paperwork has been filed.
00:00:04.320 And listen to the date.
00:00:06.100 Today, July the 4th.
00:00:11.080 Today, July the 4th.
00:00:14.260 Your neighbors to the north have filed individual petitions for referrals for withdrawal from the Canadian government.
00:00:27.400 Hey everybody, PJ here.
00:00:30.000 In today's report, we're going to be providing an update on the latest developments having to do with Alberta independence.
00:00:36.500 We will be commenting on a recent video from the YouTube channel, The Common Sense Show,
00:00:41.640 where they talk about the fact that the Alberta Prosperity Project has now officially filed an application
00:00:47.220 to get the referendum question approved with Elections Alberta and how this all happened on Friday, July the 4th, ironically.
00:00:55.360 We will also be covering the fact that there's a second petition, which has been approved by Elections Alberta,
00:01:01.120 a document filed by opponents of Alberta independence and federal government operatives
00:01:05.720 seeking to undermine the efforts of those working to gain their independence
00:01:09.940 and to distract Albertans in hopes to protect those in power and the status quo.
00:01:15.200 How does all this affect the push for sovereignty?
00:01:18.760 Let's get into it.
00:01:20.020 Beginning today, the number of signatures needed for citizens to initiate a province-wide referendum is dropping.
00:01:25.600 Hannah Lapine is in this morning.
00:01:27.100 Hannah, that includes a potential vote on separation.
00:01:30.000 Right, Jefferson.
00:01:30.780 The new threshold is 177,000 signatures collected within four months.
00:01:36.420 People who want to stay in Canada and those who want Alberta to leave have already started applying for petitions.
00:01:42.600 The Alberta Prosperity Project, a non-profit group promoting independence, plans to launch one under the new rules.
00:01:48.820 At the same time, Thomas Lukasik, former Progressive Conservative Deputy Premier, is working to stop that effort.
00:01:55.120 He argues separation would threaten the Canadian as well as the Alberta economy.
00:01:59.320 The treaty rights for First Nations and would have many other negative consequences.
00:02:05.100 On Monday, Elections Alberta approved his application and since he applied before the new rules took effect,
00:02:11.040 he'll need to collect 600,000 signatures.
00:02:13.980 Smith's government introduced Bill 54 quickly after Carney's election win,
00:02:18.120 but said it would have been proposed regardless of the outcome.
00:02:21.260 Smith has said she wants Alberta to stay in Canada and is blaming federal policies for the separatist sentiment.
00:02:27.460 Jefferson's citizen initiative petitions can be found on the Elections Alberta website.
00:02:32.960 So the Alberta Prosperity Project filed their application with Elections Alberta yesterday under the new rules,
00:02:39.100 which provide more time for the collection of signatures at 120 days as opposed to 90 days and only requiring 177,000 signatures.
00:02:49.300 The APP has stated previously that they're working with a database of around 250,000 Albertans who have signed their intention to vote yes in a referendum,
00:02:59.060 more than exceeding the requirement.
00:03:02.120 You obviously have this competing referendum application from a former politician who conveniently popped out of nowhere to try to sabotage the independence movement.
00:03:12.200 I don't doubt that he's going to have the entire leftist machine and the federal government behind his campaign,
00:03:17.640 as well as those in the government paid media promoting this sabotage petition and trying to manipulate Albertans into signing it.
00:03:25.920 As you can see,
00:03:26.740 they're already running a campaign against independence that is mostly based on fear and falsehoods,
00:03:32.280 as opposed to actual facts or debating the merits of independence versus the status quo.
00:03:38.140 Their objective is to capitalize on people's tendency to stick with what they know and be reluctant to new ideas and change.
00:03:45.460 And that is where sharing the facts on independence comes in.
00:03:49.340 We need to educate those in the middle and those who are still open to it and possibly willing to listen.
00:03:56.160 And the final question,
00:03:57.280 can you please comment about Thomas Lukasik's petition and how it affects the APP's petition?
00:04:05.100 All right,
00:04:05.660 so that's a really good question.
00:04:06.860 Okay,
00:04:07.900 so Thomas Lukasik is obviously someone who's not in favor of Alberta sovereignty.
00:04:15.620 And he's drawn a hard line in the sand and he's been doing his thing with the elections Alberta.
00:04:21.540 And he submitted numerous questions,
00:04:23.420 but he submitted the most recent one,
00:04:25.680 which got approved under the current legislation.
00:04:28.720 Now,
00:04:30.240 when you look at the Citizens Initiative Act,
00:04:32.820 you see that you can have a petition
00:04:35.400 that forces change of policy or legislation,
00:04:41.580 but does not change the Constitution.
00:04:45.980 And so,
00:04:47.060 what we're after with APP is a change to the Constitution.
00:04:50.820 And that change to the Constitution means that Alberta is removed from the Constitution because we're a sovereign country.
00:05:00.480 That's what it means.
00:05:01.800 So,
00:05:02.260 with respect to Thomas Lukasik's question,
00:05:08.000 his question is along the lines of,
00:05:10.100 do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?
00:05:13.180 Okay,
00:05:13.600 so that's a policy question,
00:05:15.460 or it could be a legislative question.
00:05:17.580 So,
00:05:18.840 he has to collect about 270,000 signatures in 90 days.
00:05:24.300 Now,
00:05:24.560 he may be able to do that,
00:05:25.980 and if he does that,
00:05:26.960 then in 2026,
00:05:28.560 there will be a referendum on that question.
00:05:31.940 Because the Premier has said,
00:05:33.520 we will respect the result of the petition,
00:05:36.680 and we will respect the result of a referendum.
00:05:39.120 However,
00:05:39.620 the provincial government has the latitude also to say,
00:05:43.380 to change the question.
00:05:45.160 And they may change the question to,
00:05:47.580 something along the lines of,
00:05:49.580 do you agree that Alberta should become a sovereign nation and cease to be a province of Canada?
00:05:54.400 Which,
00:05:54.880 actually is a question that aligns with the Clarity Act.
00:05:57.480 You see,
00:05:57.740 Thomas Lukasik's question doesn't align with the Clarity Act.
00:06:01.580 What he wants to do,
00:06:03.040 is he wants to change policy,
00:06:05.060 or have the government put in legislation,
00:06:07.520 that will prevent a referendum on sovereignty.
00:06:10.480 That's what he's trying to do.
00:06:11.820 Now,
00:06:12.740 we're going to be submitting,
00:06:13.880 because on Friday,
00:06:15.280 February the 4th,
00:06:17.380 Elections Alberta,
00:06:18.880 or sorry,
00:06:19.640 Bill 54,
00:06:21.440 the changes to the Citizens Initiative Act,
00:06:23.700 will be proclaimed into law.
00:06:25.580 So,
00:06:25.920 that lowers the threshold for constitutional change,
00:06:29.380 from 600,000 to,
00:06:31.300 sorry,
00:06:33.300 from 600,000 to 10% of the number of people who voted in the last election,
00:06:39.020 which is 177,000.
00:06:40.820 That's a number that many of you have probably heard.
00:06:43.320 So,
00:06:43.580 we'll be submitting our question on Friday,
00:06:46.300 at the time that the law,
00:06:49.180 that Bill 54 is proclaimed into law,
00:06:51.640 which lowers that threshold to 177,000.
00:06:54.520 Then it's going to be really interesting,
00:06:56.700 folks,
00:06:57.040 it's going to be really interesting to see,
00:06:59.060 how Elections Alberta handles two questions.
00:07:03.280 One question from Lukasik,
00:07:05.080 deals with policy,
00:07:06.260 and potential legislation change.
00:07:08.380 Our question deals with constitutional change.
00:07:11.580 I'm honestly glad that question was asked,
00:07:13.640 because now we have two competing petition campaigns,
00:07:16.380 before Elections Alberta,
00:07:18.020 so everybody's probably wondering,
00:07:19.880 what's going to happen.
00:07:21.360 Dr. Dennis Modry,
00:07:22.660 from the Alberta Prosperity Project,
00:07:24.220 explains that the referendum question posed by the APP,
00:07:28.480 asking Albertans if they want to see the province become a sovereign nation,
00:07:31.880 and separate from Canada,
00:07:33.320 is a constitutional question,
00:07:35.720 and therefore,
00:07:36.720 should be prioritized over the opposing question,
00:07:39.640 which hopes to maintain the status quo,
00:07:42.520 by enacting policy,
00:07:44.040 as opposed to a real constitutional change,
00:07:46.860 such as the secession of a province from Canada,
00:07:49.740 which goes on to become its own country,
00:07:51.880 in this case,
00:07:52.940 Alberta.
00:07:53.320 In fact, Saskatchewan's filed papers,
00:07:56.100 with their federal government,
00:07:58.260 in Ottawa,
00:07:58.960 and has said,
00:08:00.380 what's ours is ours,
00:08:01.800 and keep your nose out,
00:08:03.060 our energy belongs to us,
00:08:05.000 you will not control it,
00:08:06.580 or regulate it.
00:08:08.720 That's about as bold a statement,
00:08:10.380 as I've seen.
00:08:11.700 I almost would have more expected,
00:08:13.740 that to come from Alberta,
00:08:14.940 that's farther along,
00:08:16.060 in what we call a separation movement.
00:08:18.660 Now,
00:08:18.840 separation can take two forms.
00:08:21.580 It can be like what Texas was,
00:08:23.740 when they became their own independent country for 10 years,
00:08:28.000 after the Texas War of Independence.
00:08:31.660 Then later they joined the Union.
00:08:36.480 You look at this,
00:08:37.760 and you're saying,
00:08:38.340 will they do that?
00:08:39.140 That's a real possibility,
00:08:40.420 and some people think this is the most likely possibility.
00:08:44.080 Now,
00:08:44.420 what President Trump wants,
00:08:45.880 and what the energy people in America,
00:08:49.440 primarily Texas,
00:08:50.500 what they want,
00:08:53.000 is for Alberta,
00:08:55.180 Saskatchewan,
00:08:56.180 Manitoba,
00:08:56.880 and break off half,
00:08:58.480 the eastern half of British Columbia,
00:09:01.060 and make them states,
00:09:03.960 or a state,
00:09:05.300 in the United States.
00:09:09.700 Probably following the West Virginia model,
00:09:12.240 if you know your history.
00:09:15.440 I don't know how long this would take,
00:09:17.720 but the government's already trying to counter it.
00:09:20.500 There is a ballot initiative,
00:09:22.360 and the paperwork has been filed,
00:09:24.520 and listen to the date.
00:09:26.480 Today,
00:09:27.620 July the 4th.
00:09:31.740 Today,
00:09:32.540 July the 4th.
00:09:34.640 Your
00:09:35.160 neighbors to the north
00:09:37.600 have filed individual petitions
00:09:40.600 for referrals,
00:09:41.960 for withdrawal from the Canadian government.
00:09:44.760 It's a separation agreement.
00:09:46.320 Now,
00:09:47.560 the federal government
00:09:49.260 is playing a lot of tricks.
00:09:51.260 They have control of the state-run media,
00:09:53.860 and so they're running propaganda pieces,
00:09:56.540 how dangerous this is,
00:09:57.900 and then they're trying to fool people.
00:10:01.180 And they have a secondary petition saying,
00:10:04.520 do you think we should stay in,
00:10:07.400 do you think people in the provinces should stay in the Canadian government?
00:10:12.680 And it's worded to be tricky,
00:10:14.760 and it's hard to interpret.
00:10:17.100 It's one of those things where sometimes a yes vote can actually mean no,
00:10:20.920 and no can mean yes.
00:10:22.380 Usually grassroots movement along these lines don't work very well.
00:10:26.440 But this has big money behind it.
00:10:30.900 The biggest corporations in these provinces are behind it.
00:10:36.540 And now you've got a vested interest from Texas,
00:10:39.780 where 11,000 direct jobs and 110,000 indirect jobs depend on energy from Alberta and Saskatchewan.
00:10:50.980 All right.
00:10:52.700 Thanks for watching.
00:10:53.780 Thank you for subscribing.
00:10:55.280 Special thanks to those of you who have donated to this project.
00:10:58.260 It is much appreciated,
00:10:59.840 and it helps me continue making videos.
00:11:02.060 See you on the next one.
00:11:03.320 Peace.