More Than 29,000 Canadians Sign Petition Calling for Removal of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra

More than 29,000 Canadians have signed an online petition calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra over allegations of political interference in Canada and controversial public statements.

The petition is expected to be presented in the House of Commons this fall by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. It was launched by a Calgary woman, who alleges that Hoekstra’s statements have undermined Canada’s sovereignty.

The petition calls on the Canadian government to declare Hoekstra persona non grata under the rules of the Vienna Convention and remove him from Canada. It also calls for a parliamentary committee to investigate what it describes as his diplomatic interference in Canadian affairs.

The controversy comes after Hoekstra, shortly after becoming U.S. ambassador to Canada, supported comments by U.S. President Donald Trump referring to Canada as the 51st state of the United States.