(File Photo: Minister Don Scott announces land transfer of Willow Square site in downtown Fort McMurray. Nov. 21, 2014. Crystal Laderas/MORNING REPORTER).
Don Scott wants to see some proof from the leader of the Wildrose Party. The PC incumbent for Fort McMurray-Conklin responded to challenger Brian Jean, who claims the government passed fake, secret and bad laws. Yesterday, Jean said the PCs introduced disclosure laws in 2012 that would release all the expenses of senior government officials. Jean also claimed a new expense category was created to hide spending.
“He never backs anything up,” says Scott. “He throws around wild accusations, slings mud, but doesn’t have the ability or the documentation to back it up.”
Scott served as Associate Minister of Accountability, Transparency and Transformation before Premier Jim Prentice shuffled cabinet last September. He noted the introduction of the new whistleblower legislation aimed at protecting workers who expose wrongdoing. Scott says many municipalities adopted it and he encouraged the RMWB to do the same. With Jean’s argument that 66 laws are collecting dust, Scott pointed to work on improving freedom of information requests.
“Those consultations ended, or were near the end, as I was moved into a new portfolio. I think that there’s improvements that can be made to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, but those have not been made yet. They’re still in the process of being acted upon, but we had a lot of great of ideas when we talked to Albertans […] when laws are proclaimed, there’s still a consultation process that takes place with respect to regulation,” says Scott.
Jean is scheduled to speak in Edmonton today about severances given to PC politicians.
