An online petition calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra has drawn more than 60,000 signatures, driven by accusations that the American envoy has repeatedly interfered in Canadian domestic affairs and normalized threats of annexation.
House of Commons Presentation and Demands
The digital petition, launched by a Calgary resident, is scheduled to be formally presented in the House of Commons this fall by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. According to the text of the petition cited by the CBC, signatories are urging the federal government to declare Hoekstra persona non grata under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and to direct a parliamentary committee to review U.S. diplomatic interference.
Momentum behind the initiative accelerated rapidly through the week, with signatures nearly doubling over a 24-hour period to reach nearly 60,000 by Wednesday morning.
Annexation Remarks and Political Interference
The petition specifically targets comments made by Hoekstra that critics argue cross the line into domestic political interference. In June, Hoekstra made headlines when he suggested that Canada’s annexation by the United States would serve as a fitting topic of discussion between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the petition, Hoekstra’s rhetoric has effectively normalized threats of annexation from the Trump administration. The document further accuses the ambassador of undermining the broader bilateral relationship through repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse that are inconsistent with standard diplomatic protocol.
Halifax Address and Trade Policy Debates
The friction builds on previous tensions. Last September, during an address in Halifax on the eve of the United States’ 250th birthday, Hoekstra publicly expressed disappointment and frustration regarding what he characterized as an "anti-American" tone during the most recent federal election campaign. He also asserted that it was dangerous for Canadian political leaders to describe the Trump administration’s tariff campaign as a trade war.
Beyond trade policy debates, Hoekstra has frequently criticized Canadian politicians for discouraging travel to the United States and for removing American liquor products from retail shelves. When challenged by Canadian reporters over his public interventions, Hoekstra maintained that his official responsibility is to articulate the views of the U.S. president.
Weighing Diplomatic Expulsion Precedents
A persona non grata designation strips an individual of diplomatic immunity, compelling them to leave the host country. While such a move represents a severe diplomatic sanction, the federal government has exercised the mechanism in recent high-profile disputes.
In 2023, Ottawa expelled Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei following a Canadian intelligence assessment that linked the official to efforts targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong and his family in Hong Kong. A year later, Canada ordered the expulsion of six diplomats and consular officials from India. That decision followed a public Royal Canadian Mounted Police allegation connecting Indian government agents to a campaign targeting Canadian citizens, including the June 2023 murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. An indictment unsealed by U.S. authorities in July further alleged that Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi had ordered the assassination.
While Members of Parliament frequently table public petitions in the House of Commons without endorsing their specific contents, the mounting signature count places renewed scrutiny on Ottawa’s management of its southern diplomatic channel. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on the petition beyond acknowledging that embassy officials are aware of it.
