A conservative MLA says Alberta's daylight saving time debate should go to a referendum.

Richard Gotfried, who represents Calgary-Fish Creek, called for a referendum on Wednesday, after the government revealed an online survey had received about 14,000 submissions this summer.

Seventy-five per cent of respondents said they want to get rid of the bi-annual ritual of changing the clocks behind or ahead by one hour. Only 25 per cent of respondents wanted to keep it.

However, a few big organizations such as WestJet, the Edmonton and Calgary airport authorities, the Alberta Construction Association, and the Edmonton Oilers warned that changing the status quo will have negative business impacts.

The submissions represented a record amount of feedback to the legislative assembly.

But the standing committee on Alberta's economic future, which commissioned the survey, will now run through another round of public consultations around the province this fall. The follow-up consultations will include sessions with key groups, such as construction and aviation groups.

Gotfried said the conservative members of the standing committee voted against more consultation this fall.

Referendum most democratic, says MLA

"If we really want to hear the voices of Albertans, this issue needs to be taken back in front of Albertans in a referendum to ensure that all voices are heard," Gotfried said.

"If the committee feels it's important to hear Albertans' voices, there's a really, really awesome democratic way to achieve that, and that's through a referendum."

Gotfried said people need to make the decision based on more than personal preferences.

"We need to really to drill down in some deeper detail... not just talking about preferences but talk about impacts on business, impacts on people lives, impact on organizations that will be dealing with some of the issues and in some cases some costs on this."

Is this November the last for DST?

The standing committee must report back to the legislature in October, and MLAs will then debate Bill 203. It was initially introduced by NDP MLA Thomas Dang as a private member's bill in April 2017.

If passed, daylight saving time would be replaced with Alberta standard time.

"The proposed bill ... would basically create Alberta standard time that would parallel us with the province of Saskatchewan," said Graham Sucha, MLA for Calgary-Shaw and chair of the standing committee.

Saskatchewan and parts of Ontario and British Columbia do not use daylight saving time.

Twice a year when the clocks are switched, Alberta MLAs get angry calls from their constituents, Sucha said.

"We typically get quite a few emails from people wanting us to change and reform this," he said. "This is a topic that's very important to Albertans."

Sucha said the extra public consultations are necessary.

"It's important for us to ensure we get additional follow up and additional feedback, especially now that respondents have been able to hear both sides of the story," Sucha said.

"We want to make sure we get it right. That's the number one thing the committee members have outlined, is that we want to make sure it's extensive and there's no unintended consquenes."

If Bill 203 passes, Alberta would eliminate daylight saving time on Nov. 2, 2018.