Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews. (Supplied by Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

UCP members voting on Bill 22 could be in conflict of interest: Ethics Commissioner

Nov 21, 2019 | 12:10 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Alberta’s Election Commissioner is warning that there could be consequences for MLAs in the United Conservative Party voting on Bill 22, Reform of Agencies Boards and Commissions and Government Enterprises Act, 2019.

It is an omnibus bill that was introduced by Finance Minister Travis Toews earlier this week.

One of the provisions in it would cancel the contract of Elections Commissioner Lorne Gibson, who is currently investigating the UCP’s 2017 leadership campaign. Gibson has already issued more than $200,000 in fines for fundraising violations.

NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley said the proposal to fire Gibson “reeks of political interference” and “reeks of corruption”, adding that she believes it is “an abuse of power.”

She wrote to the province’s Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler about the matter, alleging that Premier Jason Kenney and Calgary-East MLA Peter Singh are in direct violation of the Conflicts of Interest Act and that several of the party’s ministers are witnesses as well.

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As of the writing of Trussler’s letter dated November 21st, no MLAs had voted on Bill 22, “as a result I do not have sufficient particulars to investigate at this time.”

She added that “those individuals who are in the process of being investigated by the Elections Commissioner or the RCMP would be in breach of s. 2 (1) of the Conflicts of Interest Act if they were to discuss the portions of Bill 22 pertaining to the Office of the Elections Commissioner or vote on the bill”

“For those individuals who have close associates (as opposed to direct associates), eg. people they work closely with, or who work for them, in the process of being investigated, it is likely that they would be improperly furthering another person’s private interests under s.3 of the Conflicts of Interest Act if they were to discuss any aspects of Bill 22 or vote on the bill,” adds Trussler.

Kenney, along with Ministers Leela Aheer, Prasad Panda, Josephine Pon, and Doug Schweitzer, as well as MLAs Joseph Schow and Jordan Walker are currently being investigated by the RCMP for this matter.

Trussler says that investigation is being carried out separately to any she would conduct herself so she would need further information about the affected officials.

As far as any UCP MLAs that were not specifically mentioned in Notley’s letter, Trussler says their situation is not straightforward.

“However, every Member has an obligation, each time the Member debates and votes on a bill before the Legislative Assembly, to be completely satisfied that the Member is not contravening s.2 or s.3 of the Act before engaging in debate or voting.”

Trussler does not have the power to delay the proceedings of Bill 22 and says it would be improper of her to interfere with the political process.

Below, you can read the full text of the letter from Trussler to Notley.

Page 1 of the letter from Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler to NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley. (Supplied by Alberta NDP)

Page 2 of the letter from Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler to NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley. (Supplied by Alberta NDP)

Page 3 of the letter from Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler to NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley. (Supplied by Alberta NDP)

Page 4 of the letter from Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler to NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley. (Supplied by Alberta NDP)

Page 5 of the letter from Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler to NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley. (Supplied by Alberta NDP)

Page 6 of the letter from Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler to NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley. (Supplied by Alberta NDP)