Thread by @JulieRohrYEG

Okaaaay let's just go over this, shall we? Just your friendly neighbourhood politico over here, pointing out a few things Albertans SHOULD be awfully concerned about.

(TBH, there are MANY things you should be awfully concerned about regarding this UCP government.) #UCP #AbPoli

Don't get me started on Bill 22 and outrage fatigue. But TODAY, I'm just going to highlight TWO THINGS: 1) In case you didn't notice, last week the UCP voted (after limited debate, within four days, while the premier was off in texas so he didn't have to face critics) ...

...to fire Lorne Gibson, the elections commissioner, who had -to date- issued more then $200,000 in fines to UCP folks for failing to abide by election laws. He was IN THE MIDDLE of an investigation. He has said his office had received more than 800 complaints about...

...the leadership process / kamikaze candidate that occurred when Kenney won the leadership of the party. You can't follow up on 800 complaints quickly & haphazardly.

Now, you'll hear UCP talking heads saying "but that investigation can be continued by the Chief Elections Officer." Sure, it CAN be, but will it be? Really? What happens to the boxes and boxes of files Gibson had on this matter? Do they REALLY all make it over to the CEO?

"The chief electoral officer could rehire Mr. Gibson, although there is no timeline for filling the position and no requirement to continue any investigation." theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta…

AND, worse, the Chief Electoral Officer himself- Glen Resler- has a contract which ENDS in six months. Then the UCP can appoint whoever they want, and you can be sure no elections office investigation will ever be completed.

You'll hear UCP talking heads say "Gibson was a Notley plant! She handpicked this guy, he's a leftie! He was biased!" Did you know that Lorne Gibson served as Chief Electoral Officer from 2006-2009, under a PC government?

Did you know that Gibson's "contract was not renewed after he spotlighted problems with the electoral process, including that the PCs were appointing officials who monitored ballot boxes at voting stations"...? nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/c…

Huh. Well THAT'S interesting history there, isn't it?

This brings me to my second point today.

2) RECENTLY, as of last week, there was a hearing in the courthouse which was, strangely, "not posted on the electronic display board at the Edmonton courthouse." #UCP #AbPoli

Hmmm. What was the hearing about? "At the hearing, a lawyer representing Justice and Solicitor General Minister Doug Schweitzer unsuccessfully attempted to persuade a judge to postpone a constitutional challenge of the election finances act... (cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…)

...The court challenge of 55 sections of the election finance act had been brought by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) and other parties. The CTF is challenging a fine it received for failing to register as a third-party advertiser."

Okay, so the JUSTICE MINISTER OF ALBERTA has a lawyer who is trying to convince a judge (which he failed to do) that they should postpone a constitutional challenge of the election finances act- and get this -because this lawyer says that the UCP government...

...has "plans for new legislation that will narrow the scope of this application, if not void it entirely."

UM, PARDON?
Let's unpack this -

Read this article. He's saying that not only did the UCP FIRE the commissioner INVESTIGATING their party, but come spring 2020, they're also planning to CHANGE THE RULES PROACTIVELY so that they are no longer in contravention of said rules.

Are you hearing this?
Are we hearing this?
Are we letting this happen beneath our noses?

The UCP continues to say "this is normal. This is allowed. There's nothing strange here. We're allowed to do this."

#UCP #ABPoli #AbLeg

Really? Really - you think it's cool to quash an IN-PROGRESS investigation into your OWN party corruption, and then go back and CHANGE THE RULES regarding illegal campaign donations so you don't have to pay the fines, and moreover, don't have to follow those rules in the future.

GET LOUD. CALL YOUR MLAs. This is insanely ridiculous. We cannot let this be our new normal, or we're sliding into the territory the USA is already in. The territory where democracy actually doesn't matter anymore.

#AbPoli #AbLeg

/Fin.

(Obviously I meant “change the rules retroactively,” not proactively, geeesh. I’m all worked up.)

Should you HAPPEN to want to contact @doug_schweitzer's office with your thoughts regarding this, here's the #yyc info:

Constituency Office
Unit 205, 5005 Elbow Drive SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T2S 2T6
403.252.0346
Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

@doug_schweitzer And the #yeg contact info:

Legislature Office
424 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: [phone]
Fax:[phone]

(If your call is long distance, dial 310.0000 then the area code & phone number to receive toll free access.)

@doug_schweitzer Allow me to add @danicamclellan's info: "investigations begun by the Office of the Election Commissioner will continue under Elections Alberta’s statutory mandate."

Let's hope so, but I'll quote Ms. Notley: "He knows full well that when you fire...

elections.ab.ca/current-news/2…

@doug_schweitzer @danicamclellan "the guy leading the investigation, and then you pass it on to another guy whose whole position is up for renewal in about five months, that there is not a court in the land that would not call that anything other than political interference with the administration of justice.”

@doug_schweitzer @danicamclellan OKAY. This is all extremely convoluted & tiring, but I'm going to add this to the end of this long thread, as well, because it's important I include it.

So it's possible that the repeal of the electoral finance rules may not be retroactive legislation, according to @markusoff.

@doug_schweitzer @danicamclellan @markusoff But it's STILL terrible optics, and why should the electoral finance rules be changed in any case, especially while the sitting party is under investigation for breaking said electoral finance rules?

All of this stinks to high heaven, no matter how you slice it.