In Alberta, important public servants such as city councillors, school boards and university officials are routinely invited to donate taxpayer money or participate in partisan political fundraisers for the governing Progressive Conservative Party. These public servants feel immense pressure to comply for fear of losing provincial government support for their communities. In effect, powerful government MLAs are acting as warlords, intimidating local officials to toe the party line.

For the next several weeks, the Official Opposition will release documents suggesting which organizations felt pressured into using taxpayer dollars to fund partisan Progressive Conservative activity.

Athabasca County/Town of Athabasca
According to the November 8, 2005 minutes of the regular county council meeting, five councillors were authorized to attend the Athabasca-Redwater PC association dinner in Thorhild. Council also approved a motion to provide an item for the dinner’s silent auction.

Nearly a year later, the town council of Athabasca considered an invitation from former PC minister Mike Cardinal to attend his fundraising supper. A motion to pay for tickets for any councillors wishing to attend the supper, as well as to provide an item for the silent auction, was defeated by council. Town council did the right thing, but the fact that they received an invitation from the minister shows that the PC party was openly soliciting illegal donations. 

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Attached: Minutes of Town of Athabasca Council Meeting NOTE: technical difficulties prevent us from uploading the County of Athabasca minutes at this time. Reporters can request the minutes by phoning Earl J. Woods.

For further information, contact:

Earl J. Woods, Senior Communications Advisor
(780) 904-5430

Denis Lapointe, Director, Southern Alberta Liberal Caucus Office
(403)

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