Alberta Opposition won’t release report on vote dust up, cites privacy

Logo of the Alberta United Conservative Party (Photo By United Conservative Party of Alberta – https://unitedconservative.ca/About, CC BY-SA 4.0)

EDMONTON — Alberta’s United Conservatives say they will not release an internal report on voting irregularities that led to the resignation of a Calgary legislature member.

The caucus also says it will reimburse the treasury more than $7,000 after Prab Gill charged taxpayers for what turned out to be a party event in February.

Gill resigned on the weekend following an investigation into allegations of ballot-box stuffing and other voting irregularities at a constituency meeting in Calgary North East, where Gill had been trying to win the party’s nomination.

Jeff Henwood, speaking for the party, said in a statement the United Conservatives won’t release the report to protect the privacy of people who were interviewed during the investigation but are not public figures.

The NDP caucus says the report should be released because it’s in the public interest.

The United Conservative caucus also says it will repay the $7,245 charged by Gill for a banquet in Calgary where Kenney delivered a speech urging people to run for his party in the next election.

On social media, Kenney called the event a “wonderful evening with UCP supporters.”

Legislature rules make it clear that public money can’t be used for partisan political activities.

The issue had been raised earlier Monday by the NDP caucus, which said both Kenney and Gill should repay the money.

Gill is sitting as an Independent in his current riding of Calgary Greenway.