Petition to oust U.S. ambassador from Canada gains thousands of signatures

Nearly 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for the removal of U.S. President Donald Trump's representative in Ottawa, Pete Hoekstra. The petition, set to be presented in the House of Commons in the fall, accuses Hoekstra of undermining the Canada-U.S. diplomatic relationship and interfering in Canadian political discourse.

The Liberal government is urged to direct a parliamentary committee to review the matter. Hoekstra made headlines earlier this summer when he suggested Canada's annexation by the United States would be a "great discussion" for Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Trump. He has also criticized Canadian politicians for discouraging travel to the U.S. and pulling American liquor off shelves.

The petition, launched by a Calgary woman, will be presented by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and accuses Hoekstra of normalizing the Trump administration's threats to annex Canada. A persona non grata declaration, as per the UN's Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, would strip diplomatic immunity and force Hoekstra to leave the country.

Canada has previously expelled diplomats over allegations of foreign interference, most recently from China and India.