PACs face uncertain political future
Province weighing tougher rules for third-party advertising groups
The political action committee affiliated with United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney is likely to close shop, while other PACs that sprung up in connection with conservative politics in Alberta are contemplating their own future course as the NDP government eyes tighter rules for the organizations.
The Alberta Victory Fund was registered with Elections Alberta on May 31, with Kenney’s campaign manager John Weissenberger listed as the primary contact.
Weissenberger did not return phone messages but a spokesman for Kenney, Blaise Boehmer, said the expectation is that the Victory Fund will shut down.
“As I understand it, the Victory Fund will likely be wound down, but that depends on what legislative changes are made,” he said in an email.
Premier Rachel Notley said last week that the government would beef up legislation on so-called political action committees to the greatest extent possible. Her comments followed the release of the chief electoral officer’s 201617 annual report, in which Glen Resler warned that third-party groups could skirt existing election financing law in the next provincial election without tougher rules similar to those in place for political parties.
Liberal MLA David Swann also intends to introduce a privatemember’s bill that would define political action committees — there currently is no such legal entity in the province — as well as expanded restrictions on PAC activities and fundraising.
Under existing legislation, thirdparty political advertisers are required to file quarterly reports with Elections Alberta outlining the donations used for advertising. The organizations, which also include labour and business groups such as the Alberta Federation of Labour and Merit Contractors, must also submit an annual report outlining their advertising activities.
The Alberta Victory Fund raised $23,005 through the end of September. Boehmer said the group’s activities were focused on political advertising, providing as an example a brochure sponsored by the Victory Fund that highlighted Kenney’s “grassroots policy plan.”
The Victory Fund was just one of a number of PACs that have sprung up over the past year and a half — including Kenney’s former group, United Alberta — due to the flurry of activity in conservative politics in Alberta.
That included the founding of the UCP through an agreement of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties that was ratified by a referendum of each parties’ members in July. Kenney was elected the party’s first leader last month, beating out former Wildrose leader Brian Jean and Calgary lawyer Doug Schweitzer.
Each of those candidates also had political action committees affiliated with them.
The Alberta Fund, associated with Jean, raised $32,365. David Yager, chair of the fund, declined to comment on the organization’s activities during the unity referendum and leadership race.
Yager said the Alberta Fund is currently putting together its yearend filing for Elections Alberta and no decision has yet been made about whether it will continue.
Robert Kulhawy, chair of the Balanced Alberta Fund — connected with Schweitzer — said the organization will carry on but is still trying to define its role as it advocates for a “fiscally conservative and socially moderate” style of politics in affiliation with the UCP.
“We want to be a voice of reason, a voice of balance, a voice of where we really believe most Albertans are,” he said in an interview.
Kulhawy said that during the leadership campaign, the group hosted meetings and telephone town halls for Schweitzer.
He said the group worked with Elections Alberta to ensure it was in compliance with provincial rules.
Other PACs formed in the past year include United Liberty, affiliated with now-Independent MLA Derek Fildebrandt; Alberta Can’t Wait and the Alberta Advantage Fund. The latter, an independent group supportive of Kenney, has disclosed by far the greatest amount of contributions after raising $813,510 by the end of September.
Alberta Advantage Fund founder Jonathan Wescott, a former executive director with the Wildrose Party, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Critics of PACs such as the provincial Liberals are concerned that third-party organizations are not subject to rules forbidding contributions from corporations and unions. There is also no cap on donations and disclosure rules are limited.
Elections Alberta spokesman Drew Westwater said the independent body did not closely monitor the activities of the PACs during the UCP leadership race but it was not aware of any concerning activities by the groups.
He said the groups are essentially unregulated beyond political advertising, though they are not allowed to do anything that could be considered a contribution to a political party or leadership campaign, whether it be goods, services or money.
In his annual report, the chief electoral officer said legislation needs to be strengthened to ensure there is no collusion between thirdparty advertisers and political parties. He said under current law, there is the potential for donation rules to be circumvented, with prohibited contributions from corporations and unions potentially being funnelled through third-party groups to political parties.