Alberta Tories deregister constituency associations

The remnant of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party has deregistered all 87 of its constituency associations after fewer than half responded to a plea to help pay off the party’s debt.

Following the July vote of PC and Wildrose members to join together in the new United Conservative Party, party treasurer William Stevenson sent a memo to Tory constituency association presidents and financial agents asking for their help to settle an outstanding party debt of around $684,000.

But in an email sent Monday to local PC officials, Stevenson said the UCP’s interim joint board — which now administers the UCP, PC and Wildrose parties — voted at its Oct. 14 meeting to deregister all the constituency associations as of Monday.

Constituency associations must pay off any outstanding debts of their own and then any remaining funds must be forwarded to the PC party, said Stevenson.

“The IJB did not make this decision lightly. Unfortunately, several constituency associations made the decision to give away funds to charity or to spend excessively on volunteer appreciation without consideration of the obligation to pay off the party debt,” he wrote.

“As a result, it is estimated all remaining constituency funds will be required to retire (PC party) financial obligations.”

In his email, Stevenson thanked 38 constituency associations who had handed over their funds to the party, saying it had reduced the amount by $217,000. The party estimates that the other constituency associations have about $350,000 in financial assets, which will cover most of the remaining debt.

However, he noted the Tories also have an additional $72,000 obligation on a long-term lease.

UCP executive director Janice Harrington said in an interview that constituency associations did not hold as many funds as the party originally anticipated.

Harrington said she couldn’t

As a result, it is estimated all remaining constituency funds will be required to retire (PC party) financial obligations.

specify how many constituency associations had given their funds to charity or volunteer appreciation. She said no constituency associations told the party they would not hand over the funds.

“The real issue for us right now is that some constituency associations had responded to us, some have not, and we don’t know what that means,” she said.

Stevenson’s original letter said constituency associations had other options beyond giving their financial assets to the party. However, Harrington said Elections Alberta clarified that constituency associations have an obligation to help deal with the party’s debt as it winds down.