Petition seeking US envoy’s removal in Canada passes 100,000 signatures

A petition calling for US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra to be declared “persona non grata” and removed from his post has attracted more than 104,000 signatures, putting the issue before the Canadian government for a formal response.

The petition was submitted through Canada’s parliamentary portal, which allows citizens and residents to bring issues to Parliament, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Under the rules, a petition must receive at least five signatures and have an MP agree to present it before the government is required to provide a written response within 45 days.

The initiative was launched by Leanne Walker of Calgary and is sponsored by Green Party MP Elizabeth May.

It calls for Hoekstra to be removed as ambassador and urges the Canadian government to raise with Washington what it describes as a “pattern of conduct by Ambassador Hoekstra inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”

The petition accuses Hoekstra of normalising remarks by President Donald Trump’s administration about annexing Canada and turning it into the “51st state”. It points to the ambassador’s description of such rhetoric as a “term of endearment”.

Hoekstra has previously shared Trump posts referring to Canada as the 51st state. Asked in June whether Canada was effectively another US state, he replied: “That's a great discussion for the president and the prime minister to have.”

The petition also questions Hoekstra’s reported links to an American voter-identification app that has been used by Alberta’s separatist movement to identify the names and addresses of potential supporters of a referendum. Hoekstra has denied being aware that separatists were using the app.

Published on July 21, the petition will remain open for signatures until November 18. It gained significant momentum this week, with the number of signatures nearly tripling in less than two days.

Speaking to Canadian public broadcaster CBC News on Wednesday, Walker said the response had exceeded her expectations.

She said she did not necessarily expect the government to expel Hoekstra, but hoped the petition would “send a message.”

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov