By Troy Gillard

conflict of interest

Alberta NDP asking for special prosecutor to oversee investigation into UCP leadership race

May 2, 2019 | 6:14 PM

EDMONTON, AB — Alberta Opposition Leader Rachel Notley is asking for a special prosecutor to oversee the RCMP investigation of the United Conservative Party leadership race.

The NDP leader made the announcement Thursday afternoon, noting she has sent a letter to the Deputy Attorney General asking for the prosecutor from a different jurisdiction to be appointed. She has also sent a letter to the Ethics Commissioner, asking to investigate whether the Conflict of Interest Act has been violated.

“Given the statutory authority of both the Premier and the Attorney General in relation to Alberta’s Crown Prosecution Service and the RCMP, it is absolutely critical that robust independence of both the prosecutorial and investigatory roles of these agencies be preserved,” Notley writes in her letter to Deputy Attorney General Philip Bryden. “It is our view that this can only be achieved through the assignment of oversight to a special prosecutor from a different political jurisdiction.”

RCMP are currently investigating irregular donations to the campaign of UCP leadership candidate Jeff Callaway in 2017.

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Callaway is alleged to have run as a “kamikaze” candidate in the 2017 leadership race, which included Premier Jason Kenney, Brian Jean and Doug Schweitzer, recently appointed as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for the province.

It is alleged Callaway ran to attack Jean, the former Wildrose party leader, during the campaign, then step down before the vote and endorse Kenney. Both Kenney and Callaway have repeatedly denied the allegations.

“It is our view that the proximity of the Premier and Attorney General to this matter present a reasonable apprehension of bias and conflict of interest,” Notley writes. “As you know not only must justice be done; it must be seen to be done. The public trust of Albertans in the system of justice must be maintained. The appointment of an extra-jurisdictional special prosecutor is a necessary step to ensure that goal is met.”

In her letter to the Ethics Commissioner, Notley is arguing there is a potential breach of the Conflict of Interest Act by Kenney and Schweitzer, noting both were contestants in the leadership race.

“Although the facts remain unclear in this matter, it has been publicly reported that Mr. Schweitzer requested a suspension of voting amid allegations of voting irregularities during the UCP contest,” Notley writes. “There has also been public reporting of documents that show campaign workers for Mr. Kenney engaged in conduct that may be the subject of investigation. Although neither of these pieces of evidence are conclusive, they are enough to raise questions about the involvement of both of these members of Executive Council in this matter.”