A committee of Alberta MLAs has approved a referendum petition asking voters whether the province should remain part of Canada.
Members of the ruling United Conservative Party outnumbered opposition members during Thursday’s meeting, allowing the petition to proceed.
The vote came after the UCP caucus issued a premature statement on Wednesday recommending a referendum before the committee could complete its discussion.
UCP MLA Jason Nixon later said that the communique was sent in error.
During the meeting, opposition members repeatedly questioned government representatives about media violations, but UCP members declined to discuss it further.
NDP MLA Court Ellingson proposed an amendment calling for consultation with First Nations before any referendum.
“The government cannot perform its duty to advise,” Ellingson said during the meeting. The amendment was ultimately defeated.
Last week, a court ruled a secession petition led by Stay Free Alberta was unconstitutional because First Nations were not consulted. The group has since appealed the decision.
NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi also expressed concern over the recent data breach involving the personal information of millions of Albertans.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her cabinet will now review the petition.
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