With the spring election a few months away, the gauntlet has already been thrown down in Wood Buffalo.
In a statement issued by the United Conservative Party caucus, Fort McMurray-Conklin MLA Laila Goodridge alleges Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and her husband, Lou Arab, broke the province’s electoral donation laws.
Goodridge’s allegations stem from a speech Lou Arab gave at last October’s Alberta NDP convention, where he stated the couple donated to the provincial party in the 1990s:
“Now Rachel and I moved to B.C. for a while, but we never gave up our attachment to Alberta. Much to my annoyance, Rachel insisted that we continue to make generous monthly donations to the Alberta NDP. She knew it was the right thing to do.”
Although they were residing in Victoria, B.C., at the time, Goodridge believes the donations violate Bill 24, otherwise known as Alberta’s Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.
The allegations were a response to improper residency claims filed against United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney during his time as an MP in Ottawa. Despite the allegations, Goodridge believes the issue should be on the needs of Albertans and the upcoming election.
“Albertans want us focusing on jobs, the economy, getting our oil and gas back on track, not something that happened five, ten or twenty years ago.”
Premier Notley has yet to announce the date for the provincial election, but it’s expected in Spring 2019.
