Alberta justice minister cleared in ethics case

Alberta’s ethics commissioner says Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer did not break the rules when he hired Steve Allan to run a public inquiry into whether foreign money is bankrolling anti-oil protests in Canada.

Marguerite Trussler, in a report issued Monday, said Allan was on balance a good choice in a small pool of qualified candidates.

The commissioner also noted that while Allan and Schweitzer knew each other in passing and Allan had contributed to Schweitzer’s political campaigns, he gave money to other parties as well.

“They were simply acquaintances in Calgary who occasionally communicated about issues such as economic strategy and flood mitigation,” said Trussler in the report, adding that Allan had seen his home destroyed in the 2013 Calgary flood.

“They were not friends and their relationship was not close.”

Trussler said the roster of quality candidates with forensic accounting experience who were able to work within the inquiry’s then-$2.5-million budget was limited.

Schweitzer’s spokesman, Jonah Mozeson, said in a statement Monday, “I’m glad the ethics commissioner confirmed what we always knew was true: no conflict.

“It’s unfortunate that some choose to ignore facts to tar their political opponents.”

Trussler launched the investigation after a complaint was laid late last year by a third party, Democracy Watch.

The complaint centred around Schweitzer’s role in hiring Allan, who had an office in Schweitzer’s former Calgary law firm, Dentons.