EDMONTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today announced a petition campaign in support of the Citizens' Initiative Act, a Bill which would give Albertans the right to propose legislation on a provincial issue of their choice, and have it voted on in a province-wide referendum. Sponsored by Conservative MLA Tony Abbott (Drayton Valley-Calmar), the Citizens' Initiative Act will go to a Second Reading vote when the Legislature reconvenes in November, and to an internal PC Party caucus vote prior to that.

The petition to Premier Ralph Klein quotes him as telling the United Alternative convention in Ottawa in 1999 that "We need practical approaches to issues such as recall, referenda, plebiscites, and other ways of increasing accountability." Petitions will be delivered to the Premier's Office when the Legislature reconvenes in November.

The petition campaign comes in the wake of a poll, released earlier this week, showing that 79% of Albertans support legislation to allow citizen-initiated referendums, with only 15% opposed and 6% undecided. The poll of 1,004 Albertans was commissioned by the CTF and conducted by Environics.

CTF-Alberta director John Carpay stated, "The Citizens' Initiative Act is a practical approach to increasing accountability in Alberta, by giving taxpayers an opportunity to have a direct say on specific issues."

"The poll's message to undecided MLAs is very clear: 'your constituents want this legislation'."

Citizens in Switzerland, in many US states, and in British Columbia have the right to gather signatures to put an issue on the ballot, to be voted on in a referendum. For Alberta, the Citizens' Initiative Act would require a number of signatures equivalent to 10% of the number of people who voted in the most recent provincial election - over 100,000 signature. The referendum would be held at the same time as a provincial election, or province-wide municipal elections.