Pete Hoekstra has become the focus of a growing public outcry after an online petition attracted almost 30,000 Canadian signatures demanding his expulsion from Ottawa. The petition, which will be tabled in the House of Commons this fall, asks the Liberal government to declare the U.S. ambassador persona non grata and to request his removal.
Petition details and political backing
Launched by a Calgary resident, the petition accuses Hoekstra of statements that undermine the Canada‑United States diplomatic relationship and of repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse that breach diplomatic protocol. It also calls for a parliamentary committee to examine what it describes as U.S. interference in Canadian affairs.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May has agreed to present the petition to Parliament. While Members of Parliament may table petitions without endorsing their contents, the move signals a willingness among opposition parties to scrutinise the ambassador's conduct.
Comments that sparked the backlash
Hoekstra, appointed by Donald Trump, drew attention last summer when he suggested that an annexation discussion between the United States and Canada would be "a great discussion" for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the American president. In September, speaking to a crowd in Halifax, he complained about what he called an "anti American" tone in the recent federal election campaign and warned that describing the United States tariff measures as a trade war was dangerous for Canadian leaders.
He has also criticised Canadian politicians for discouraging travel to the United States and for removing American liquor from Canadian shelves. When pressed by reporters, Hoekstra said his role is to present the president's views.
Diplomatic precedent and Canadian response
Canada has previously used the persona non grata tool under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to expel foreign envoys, most recently Chinese and Indian diplomats accused of interference. The 2023 expulsion of a Chinese diplomat followed an intelligence report linking the envoy to surveillance of a Conservative MP's family. In 2024, six Indian officials were expelled after the RCMP alleged a covert campaign targeting Canadian citizens, a case tied to the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on the petition, noting only that the embassy is aware of it.
Implications for Canada‑U.S. relations
If the Liberal government were to declare Hoekstra persona non grata, it would mark a rare escalation in diplomatic tension between the two neighbours. Such a step could reverberate through joint initiatives ranging from the Gordie Howe International Bridge project to defence cooperation under NATO and NORAD. Canadian businesses that rely on smooth cross‑border trade may watch the development closely, as any deterioration in relations could affect supply chains and regulatory alignment.
For now, the petition remains a symbolic expression of public frustration, but its large signature count suggests a notable segment of Canadians view the ambassador's conduct as beyond acceptable diplomatic bounds.
Based on reporting by Global News.