Over 29,000 people call for U.S. Ambassador Hoekstra to be removed from Canada

Over 29,000 Canadians call for U.S. Ambassador Hoekstra to be expelled

Petition launched by Calgary woman to be presented in House of Commons

Nearly 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for U.S. President Donald Trump's representative in Ottawa to be kicked out of the country.

The online petition, which is set to be presented in the House of Commons in the fall, says Pete Hoekstra should be declared persona non grata and the Canadian government should request his removal as U.S. ambassador to Canada.

The petition accuses Hoekstra of making statements that undermine the Canada-U.S. diplomatic relationship and of "making repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse inconsistent with diplomatic protocol."

It says the Liberal government should also direct a parliamentary committee to review U.S. diplomatic interference in Canadian affairs.

The petition, which was launched by a woman from Calgary, will be presented in Parliament by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. Members of Parliament can table petitions in the House of Commons without endorsing their contents.

The petition also says Hoekstra has normalized the Trump administration's threats to annex Canada.

U.S ambassador to Canada defends U.S. tariffs, CUSMA negotiation strategy

Hoekstra made headlines in June by saying that Canada's annexation by the United States would be a great topic of discussion for Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Hoekstra told a crowd in Halifax last September that he was disappointed and frustrated by the "anti-American" tone in the most recent federal election campaign. He said it was dangerous for Canadian political leaders to describe the Trump administration's tariff campaign as a trade war.

He has repeatedly criticized Canadian politicians for discouraging travel to the U.S. and for pulling American liquor off of shelves.

Responding to reporters in Canada who have challenged his comments, Hoekstra said it's his job to "present the president's views."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on the petition except to say the embassy is aware of it.

Most recent expulsions targeted China, India

A persona non grata declaration is a tool in the UN's Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that allows a government to strip diplomatic immunity from an individual and force them to leave the country.

Canada has expelled diplomats in the past — most recently representatives of China and India over allegations of foreign interference.

Canada expelling diplomat accused of targeting MP Michael Chong's family

Indictments tying Bishnoi to Surrey, B.C., killing detail alleged global criminal network

In 2023, the Canadian government declared Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei persona non grata after an intelligence report accused him of targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong by gathering information about his family in Hong Kong.

A year later, Canada expelled six diplomats and consular officials from India after the RCMP made a stunning public allegation that agents of the Indian government were involved a campaign targeting Canadian citizens.

The police linked the campaign to the June 2023 murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C.

In July of this year, an indictment released by U.S. authorities alleged the infamous Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi ordered Nijjar's assassination.

Under Carney's leadership, the federal government has worked to improve relations with both China and India.