Conservative political fund raised $1 million
A conservative political action committee was a fundraising powerhouse in its first year of operation but says its activities are being curtailed by a restrictive new law as Alberta heads into an election year.
According to year-end financial disclosure forms submitted by third-party political advisers to Elections Alberta, the Alberta Advantage Fund raised nearly $1.1 million in 2017.
The document posted on the Elections Alberta website says the organization spent $642,647 on political advertising expenses and $441,097 on transfers.
The total amount slotted under advertising expenses include $490,053 on salaries and honoraria and $93,975 on advertising.
Third-party advertisers are required to file attachments detailing expenses such as transfers, advertising and remuneration to Elections Alberta but those documents are not made public.
Jonathan Wescott, the Alberta Advantage Fund’s founder and director, declined to shed further light on its political operations.
“The details of what we’re doing, we’ve disclosed to the relative standards as set forth by Elections Alberta and it’s an operational decision at this time until further notice that we’re not going to do so,” said Wescott, an Edmontonbased lawyer and lobbyist who is a former executive director of the Wildrose party.
The Alberta Advantage Fund was registered with Elections Alberta in May 2017 to support candidates and political entities in favour of big-tent conservatism, free enterprise and limited government.
Wescott said the fund’s activities focused on the formation of the United Conservative Party and the new party’s first leadership race, which saw the election of Jason Kenney.
There was a broad range of ac- tivities — “anything that would engage the Alberta electorate in helping to make an informed choice” — but selling memberships and party fundraising were part of the group’s work as it backed Kenney, he said.
But Wescott noted that legislation by the NDP government that came into effect on Jan. 1 means the group can no longer undertake membership sales or fundraising.
The NDP also introduced a new $150,000 spending limit for thirdparty advertisers in the period that kicks in on the Dec. 1 prior to an election year and ends when the writ is dropped.
By law, the next provincial election must be held between March 1andMay31,2019.
Third-party groups already face a $150,000 spending cap during the election period.
Wescott said the new rules have meant a substantial change in the fund’s activities.
“It is the most restrictive regime in North America and restricting in a non-writ period or leading up to an election is pretty much unheard of,” he said.
He said the difference is reflected in the group’s recent fundraising efforts.
While the Alberta Advantage Fund took in over $1 million last year from deep-pocketed donors such as Edmonton philanthropist Stanley Milner and companies such as NTL Pipelines and PCL Construction, it raised only $51,000 in the first quarter of 2018, he said.
The government is making no apologies for the legislation, with the NDP’s minister for democratic renewal, Christina Gray, saying in a statement that the rules “improve transparency and confidence in our elections.”
“Our new rules carefully balance the right of free speech with Albertan’s right to know who is trying to influence their elections.”