Overview
- The official petition, authorized by Green Party leader Elizabeth May and introduced on July 21, topped roughly 171,000 signatures on Saturday and now must be presented to the House of Commons for consideration.
- The petition asks Parliament to declare Ambassador Pete Hoekstra persona non grata under the 1961 Vienna Convention and to request his removal, though such a public petition is non-binding and any expulsion would be a political decision by the government.
- Organizers cite Hoekstra’s public defense of President Trump’s '51st state' remarks, repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse, and reported contacts between U.S. officials and Alberta separatist organizers, and Hoekstra has denied knowledge of the alleged ties.
- The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa has referred questions to the State Department, which has not publicly commented, while some business leaders say Hoekstra is a blunt but effective interlocutor on trade and regulatory issues.
- Beyond the immediate push to remove the ambassador, the petition reflects wider Canadian distrust of the Trump administration and could prompt a parliamentary committee review, diplomatic pushback from Ottawa, and new strains on cross‑border cooperation.