Alberta changes voter list rules, eyes new legislation after privacy breach

The change comes after a separatist group published a database in the spring that elections officials said included private information of nearly three million Albertans.

Investigators traced the database to a copy of the list given to a fringe political party.

The new policy is in effect until the end of this year.

Christina Gray, Alberta NDP House Leader, says that once again, the UCP changes the rules in an unprecedented way, at the last minute, to help their separatist friends.

“We are worried the UCP is opening the door for voter fraud. Parties like ours scrutineering the vote won’t have enough information to know who those voters are,” says Gray in a statement released Friday. “We won’t even know if there were 24 voters claiming the same address.

“And you can see why,’ continued Gray. “Danielle Smith won’t lift a finger to fight for Canada. Naheed Nenshi and our team are rallying proud Canadians to save Canada. We won’t stop, no matter what barriers the UCP throws in our way.”

Public Interest Alberta also released a statement in resposne on Friday, saying this move takes the unprecedented step of restricting legitimate access to electoral data by MLAs and political parties.

“Never before has a government blocked MLAs and political parties legitimate access to electoral data,” said Brad Lafortune, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “They thought they could quietly pass this order in “corruption” without anyone noticing, gaming the system in favour of separatists, but we are onto her deception and Albertans have had enough.”

Justice Minister Mickey Amery’s office says the government plans to introduce the legislation this fall and that Albertans should have confidence that their personal information is being protected.

(The Canadian Press, with files from rdnewsNOW)

by Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press

Alberta changes voter list rules, eyes new legislation after privacy breach

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