NEWS

The Warlords of Alberta, Part Two: Big Lakes

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.

Municipal District of Big Lakes
According to the April 11, 2007 minutes of the Municipal District of Big Lakes council meeting, council voted unanimously to send acting CAO Renaud and any interested councillors to the Lesser Slave Lake PC association dinner in High Prairie with Ed Stelmach held later that month.

Two years later, council voted to contribute $200 to the Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock PC association toward the purchase of a gift to celebrate the 30th anniversary of service by MLA (and Speaker) Ken Kowalski – a $200 illegally taxpayer-funded gift for an MLA who will receive a $1.27 million transition allowance when he retires this year.

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Attached: Minutes of the Municipal District of Big Lakes council meeting for April 11, 2007 and April 22, 2009.

For further information, contact:

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

Denis Lapointe, Director, Southern Alberta Liberal Caucus Office
(403) 860-4330