A bill that would stop conflict of interest investigations from happening during elections is making its way through the legislature.
Tabled under Bill 8, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, the legislation will keep unproven allegations from influencing the democratic process, according to the province.
But Marie Renaud, NDP MLA for St. Albert, believes the amendment is retaliation for the conflict of interest investigation into Premier Danielle Smith during the May 2023 election.
“[It’s] just the latest UCP move to remove independent oversight,” Renaud said.
Alberta ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler found that Smith breached the Conflict of Interest Act during a conversation Smith had with former justice minister Tyler Shandro about criminal charges against Artur Pawlowski, a Calgary pastor who participated in the Coutts border blockade.
Although the UCP said they are making amendments to the Conflict of Interest Act based on Trussler’s recommendations, they also pushed to have Trussler removed from the ethics commissioner position, according to Renaud.
Renaud sits on the committee that was tasked with deciding whether Trussler would be reappointed or whether she would be replaced in an open competition for the spot. The committee decided on the latter.
“The UCP outnumber us, and obviously they want her gone,” Renaud said.
The legislation would deprive voters of information they should be entitled to when casting their ballots, Renaud said.
“Are they voting for someone who thinks they’re above the law? … It doesn’t matter which party you’re from — I say let the sunshine in and transparency rule the day.”
Bill 8 will also amend rules around how non-monetary gifts to politicians are managed by allowing cabinet to independently set dollar limits and change rules for gifts without any oversight from MLAs.
Alberta has a cap of $200 for non-monetary gifts, and politicians can take tickets worth no more than $400 from one source.
Smith argued that the change is needed because politicians are often gated from attending events where they could be representing Albertans.
Renaud called the legislation “galling.”
“Ministers and MLAs are well-paid and there is no need for them to get more,” she said. “Life is not affordable for so many people, and here we have a government focused on making life more comfortable for themselves.”
She’s also concerned that the legislation would allow politicians to accept high-value gifts without having to report the amount they received to the public.
“It’s just more corruption,” she said. “It’s one more move away from the sunshine.”
Amendments may benefit politicians more than the public
Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said that ethics complaints could be created maliciously to dissuade voters from a particular candidate during an election.
“But these are the kinds of questions that will come up anyway, and the ethics commissioner can decide whether to look into them or not,” Williams said.
The amendment appears to serve only politicians, and not the public, she said.
Passing legislation that clouds the goings-on of government “raises questions about integrity, about principles, and around values,” Williams said. “Particularly for more moderate conservatives, I think this could erode support for the conservatives and eventually have an impact on electoral outcomes.”
The Justice Statutes Amendment Act had its first reading on Nov. 9.
