EDMONTON, AB (November 5, 2015): Today, Wildrose called on Premier Rachel Notley to bring in the Ethics Commissioner to investigate an NDP event that sells exclusive access to Cabinet.
The event asks for $250 to “join Premier Rachel Notley, Cabinet, and MLAs for the evening to discuss issues facing the province that are important.”
In 2012, NDP House Leader Brian Mason spoke out against former Washington envoy Gary Mar using his government post for a partisan fundraiser saying, “I think that the important principle here is that you don’t trade on government jobs to raise money for political parties.”
“If you run a business, or are just an ordinary Albertan, this invitation sends the message the only way to get a meeting with a member of cabinet under an NDP government is to fill up NDP party coffers,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said. “The previous government rightly made the distinction between government and party for their ‘leader’s’ dinners. It’s shocking the NDP can’t do the same.”
In 2007, Mason also called for an investigation into former Premier Ed Stelmach and other Ministers for the appearance of allowing exclusive access to a partisan fundraising event. Ethics Commissioner Don Hamilton ruled that if the tickets had not been refunded, the event would have been in violation of provincial legislation.
“When the Premier was in opposition, she understood that it was wrong for governing parties to use the Premier’s Office and access to Ministers as a fundraising tool,” Nixon said. “Everyone knows it’s wrong. Federal parties can’t fundraise like this. The NDP should put a stop to these bad practices immediately.”