Calling alleged illegal political donations shameful and extremely troubling, local opposition party candidates want the 10 Progressive Conservative associations accused named and, if found in violation, made to pay the price.
Last week, the province’s chief electoral officer announced 10 constituency associations were being investigated for accepting illegal campaign contributions.
“We have a law,” said Michael Dawe, Liberal Party candidate for Red Deer North. “We have a law that has been widely publicized. We have had a law where the chief electoral officer has been reminding people what the law is, so why are these donations continuing?”
Dawe said taxpayers do not have a choice whether or not they can pay taxes.
“You’re forcing a donation to a political group which you may or may not support,” he said. “It is just ethically wrong.”
Municipalities, post-secondary institutions and other publicly-funded corporations are banned from using public money as donations to a political party under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.
Allegations of illegal donations came to light last fall.
The Wildrose Party called on the chief electoral officer to investigate contributions after reports that the Town of St. Paul allegedly used municipal dollars to support a PC fundraising golf tournament.
Joe Anglin, a Wildrose candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, earned a seat on Rimbey town council after the heated 2010 municipal election where it was revealed that the mayor and two other incumbents used town money to pay for Tory events.
The 10 accused associations have not been named but opposition parties are calling for full disclosure. Anglin said honest mistakes can happen but there is a systematic problem because the Tory administration has been in power for a long time and they should know the rules.
“When there is nondisclosure, then there is very little in the terms of consequence,” said Anglin.
“There is nothing wrong if an organization made an honest mistake. . . . There is something wrong when an organization deliberately violates the law and there should be a consequence. When you hide this from the public, there’s an attitude of ‘Well, we got away with it.’ ”
Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer, the provincial NDP candidate for Red Deer South, called the situation shameful and in poor judgment.
She said this happens when a party is in power for a long time and feels a sense of entitlement.
“You can almost understand one,” she said. “I think they should be named. If you do wrong, you should be ready to take a public flogging for this. And 10 of them? That’s absolutely shameful. Name them. Name them all.”
Alberta PC association president Bill Smith sent a memo to the remaining 73 associations instructing them to open their party’s books to ensure their books were in order.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com