UCP Government buys more than $35,000 worth of alcohol from prominent Kenney donor

“Minister Leela Aheer needs to explain why her ministry made bulk alcohol purchases with a business owned by one of Jason Kenney’s wealthy donors,” (File Photo: Leela Sharon Aheer/Facebook)

EDMONTON — Alberta’s Ministry of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women has purchased $35,608.77 worth of alcohol from a company named Prestige Liquor, owned by a long-time conservative donor and financial supporter of Premier Jason Kenney’s 2017 PC leadership campaign.

Prestige Liquor is owned by Keshav Pareek, who has donated to the PC party, conservative MLAs, candidates and riding associations dating back to 2004. He also donated $4,250 to Jason Kenney’s 2017 PC leadership campaign.

Prestige Liquor has never done any business with the Government of Alberta before the election, and has only been in business for less than two years.

“Minister Leela Aheer needs to explain why her ministry made bulk alcohol purchases with a business owned by one of Jason Kenney’s wealthy donors,” said Nicole Goehring, NDP Official Opposition Critic for Culture. “This contract reeks of corruption.”

Several corrupt contracts have already come to light in the Kenney government: Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer’s handpicked public inquiry commissioner handed a $905,000 no-bid contract to his son’s law firm. Minister of Finance Travis Toews approved a $73,500 no-bid contract for photography to Vek Labs, a small Calgary company that made campaign ads for the UCP and a short documentary film about Jason Kenney.

“Seniors, students, and Albertans with disabilities are taking brutal cuts to pay for a $4.7-billion corporate handout,” Goehring said. “Meanwhile, Jason Kenney’s donors and cronies are getting rich at the Alberta taxpayer’s expense.”