Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is hiking the cost to apply for a citizen-initiated referendum by 5,000 per cent, saying it’s about making sure applicants are serious.
It’s the latest in a series of rule changes that one petitioner – country singer Corb Lund – characterizes as exhausting.
A cabinet order released late Wednesday afternoon upped the fee to $25,000 from $500.
Heather Jenkins, press secretary to Justice Minister Mickey Amery, says the cost will be refundable if the applicant meets the required threshold of signatures and completes reporting requirements.
“Citizen initiative petitions are costly,” Jenkins said Thursday in a statement.
“That is why a higher application fee was chosen, to discourage frivolous applications and protect Alberta taxpayers.”
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The move comes despite previous efforts by Smith’s United Conservative Party government to make it easier for citizens to apply for a policy initiative or a constitutional referendum, including efforts to put Alberta separation on the ballot.
Lund may not have to pay the higher fee.
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Elections Alberta confirmed Thursday his prior application to launch a referendum to stop new coal mining in Alberta’s Rockies will have a grace period.
The new fee would be waived if Lund files his paperwork by Jan. 11.
Lund, in an interview, said it’s disturbing to see Smith’s government make sudden rule changes for what he views as “random, self-serving reasons.”
“The chaos and confusion and exhaustion is very similar to the same confusion, chaos and exhaustion that we’ve seen from the government on how they’ve been handling the coal situation for the last six years,” Lund said.
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“It just keeps changing.”
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He said no matter what else might shift, he won’t be deterred from completing a process that’s already been cancelled by recent election law changes, forcing him to start again.
“We’ll fill out as many forms as they make us fill out if it means we can keep the coal mines out of the headwaters of the rivers that provide our drinking water.”
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Premier Smith has long championed the merits of direct democracy.
In late November, when asked about Lund’s petition, she said, “I support citizen-initiated referenda. I think it’s really important that people have their say. The rules are out there, and I will watch with great interest.”
Earlier this year, Smith’s government significantly lowered the thresholds for citizens to apply for a referendum, including the number of signatures required.
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Earlier this month, her government passed a new law to clear further legal hurdles faced by those aiming to hold a separation referendum.
A pro-Confederation petition organized by former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk is not affected. Elections Alberta has already certified that petition as having the required signatures. Lukaszuk seeks to spike separatist sentiment by forcing a decision to reaffirm Alberta staying in Canada.
Another application has already received the green light to proceed. It seeks to gather signatures to ask whether Alberta should end spending public money on independent schools.
Alberta NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir says the fee increase shows the UCP government doesn’t have any respect for the democratic process.
“This change is clearly meant to stifle democratic action,” Sabir said in a statement.
Chief electoral officer Gordon McClure told a legislative committee earlier this month it cost $340,000 to verify Lukaszuk’s petition and that holding a subsequent provincewide referendum would cost more than $3 million.
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