Public money for UCP event a concern, says M LA
Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips echoed her party’s stance on Monday regarding inappropriate use of public money for a partisan event by the United Conservative Party in February.
On Monday, the NDP Caucus called for an investigation and a repayment of a $7,245 expense by Calgary Greenway MLA Prab Gill for a February event featuring Jason Kenney as a speaker, saying the banquet was expensed to taxpayers.
At that event, Kenney asked the audience to join the UCP. Legislative rules state MLA funds are not to be used for partisan activities.
“It certainly appears that Mr. Kenney has allowed this to happen, and it appears that Mr. Kenney is encouraging this sort of thing to happen,” Phillips said on Monday.
“His speech at that event that was paid for by taxpayers included a pitch to sign up to his party.
“We will be looking for an investigation into this matter. Certainly, with $7,000 worth of Albertans’ money should be paid back if this is the case.”
A short time after the NDP caucus released its statement, the UCP issued a statement of its own, saying using the money was “an error” and that the full amount would be repaid.
The issue comes amidst several other problems the UCP is being forced to deal with, including a decision not to release an internal report on voting irregularities which led to the resignation of Gill from the UCP caucus.
Over the weekend, a UCP nomination committee disqualified a Brooks-Medicine Hat UCP candidate from its nomination race because of antiIslam statements made on social media.
Another candidate was nominated in Chestermere-Rocky View last month in a disputed contest amid allegations of favouritism and abuse of membership lists.
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