Alberta increases fee for citizen-led initiatives to $25K to discourage ‘frivolous applications’

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Alberta has increased the fee to submit a citizen-led initiative to $25,000 from $500.

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The changes to the Citizen Initiative Act via regulation were approved on Wednesday. The amendments would make key changes that apply financial, contribution and reporting rules to the notice of intent and application phases of the initiative petition process.

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The new changes would prohibit electors from accepting contributions during the notice of intent, application or initiative petition until a notice of intent is filed by the chief electoral officer. It also increases the application fee to $25,000 from $500 and make it refundable if the applicant meets the required threshold of signatures and completes reporting requirements.

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In a statement to Postmedia, Heather Jenkins, press secretary to Justice Minister Mickey Amery, said the new application fee would ensure that only applicants with a “serious interest” in proposing a legislative or policy initiative, or constitutional referendum question, can apply.

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“Citizen initiative petitions are costly and that is why a higher application fee was chosen to discourage frivolous applications and protect Alberta taxpayers,” Jenkins said.

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The regulations are not retroactive and will not apply to existing citizen initiatives like the Alberta Forever Canada or the Alberta Funds Public Schools petitions, since the applications have already been approved and are either before the legislature or are in the signature collecting phase.

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However, for applications that were previously submitted like Corb Lund’s anti-coal mining initiative which was cancelled due to Bill 14, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, Jenkins said if Lund re-applies within 30 days of the bill reaching royal assent (Dec. 11) he would not be subjected to the increased fee.

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This would also apply to the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), who’ve submitted a new petition on a separation referendum, if it re-applies within that 30-day window. The group previously submitted an application in July but the group’s question was referred to the Court of King’s Bench by the chief electoral officer to gauge its constitutionality. 

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Justice Colin Feasby ruled the initiative laws did not allow for a citizen-led separation referendum, however, his decision was negated by changes to those laws introduced a day earlier in Bill 14 that had the effect of giving the Alberta Prosperity Project’s referendum push new life.

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If someone were to decide Thursday they wanted to submit a citizen-led initiative and did not previously apply, they would be subjected to the new $25,000 fee and, under the amendments in Bill 14, would have 30 days to fundraise to cover the cost, beginning immediately after the chief electoral officer files notice of the applicant’s intent to apply.