Danielle Smith unclear about next steps for Water Not Coal petition

Singer Corb Lund, centre, speaks to the media on land proposed for coal mine development in the eastern slopes of the Livingstone range south west of Longview, Alta., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Premier Danielle Smith says she’s not sure what’s next for the Water Not Coal petition.

Last week, volunteers dropped off boxes of signed petitions.

The group has been collecting signatures to stop coal exploration and mining on the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

Opponents say mining puts water at risk.

Smith had previously said she would be prepared to put the questions on the October referendum ballot.

But on her radio show, Your Province, Your Premier, Saturday morning, Smith said she isn’t sure if that can happen in response to a question from host Wayne Nelson, who asked, “If the signatures are verified by July 1, will you commit to honouring the exact wording of his petition or are you going to alter and rephrase it?”

“I looked at the petition and it says a legislative proposal so I have to figure out what that means,” she said. “It has to go to a committee just like (the) Forever Canada [petition] and that means members of the opposition and members of the government and they will do the review, talk to justice and figure out exactly what that would mean and then make a recommendation.”

“There’s a process that is outlined in the act – that’s the process and we’ll follow that process on this one (petition) too.”

Thursday, country singer Corb Lund, who has been the public face of the petition, spoke with Alberta Primetime’s Michael Higgins, where he recounted a recent meeting with the premier and Laura Laing, a rancher near Nanton, Alta., who recruited Lund six years ago to help rally Albertans against a proposed coal mining project in the Rockies.

“I said the main thing I’m asking from you guys is just assurance that you won’t mess with our question because we’ve put a lot of work into it, and 200,000 people will have signed it,” Lund said, “so please if we are on the referendum, use our verbatim question.”

CTV News has reached out to Corb Lund for further comment

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Shelby Clarke