UCP names new ethics watchdog over objections from the NDP

A committee of MLAS has recommended that Shawn Mcleod become Alberta's next ethics commissioner, although Opposition New Democrats (NDP) say his prior efforts to seek a United Conservative Party (UCP) nomination creates a perception of bias.

Mcleod filed papers to seek the UCP nomination for Edmonton-riverview ahead of the 2019 election but the party says he withdrew from the process. He was not the party's candidate on the ballot on election day, and the riding was won by incumbent New Democrat MLA Lori Sigurdson.

Select special ethics commissioner and chief electoral officer search committee chairman and Fort Mcmurray-wood Buffalo UCP MLA Tany Yao said he is confident in the committee's decision.

“Mr. Mcleod has decades of experience in executive and leadership roles, and I think he'll perform very well in this position,” Yao said.

“He's just basically the right candidate. I think that the committee made a good decision.”

On Wednesday, all five UCP committee members voted in favour of Mcleod's five-year appointment with all four NDP members voting against.

Opposition justice critic Irfan Sabir said Wednesday that the public would have no faith in Mcleod given his effort to run for the UCP and characterized him as a “party insider.”

“The position of ethics commissioner should be someone who is non-partisan, someone who has no previous political ties to the parties that make up the government of Alberta or the official Opposition,” he said. “(The UCP) want someone who can shield them from accountability.”

Yao disputed that and said Mcleod's record speaks for itself.

“I don't think we should be discouraging people from getting active in politics because these are things that shape and mould our society,” he said. “He's demonstrated years of experience in high-level roles and non-partisan positions and he's performed exceptionally well.”

Mcleod, a member of the St'uxwtews First Nation, has worked as a lawyer and is former counsel to the Alberta Labour Relations Board.

He also worked for four years as the deputy minister for labour and immigration beginning in 2019, and since June as an adviser on special projects.

Last May 18, the day of the televised leaders debate, then-ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler released a report that found Premier Danielle Smith violated ethics rules around a discussion she had with then-justice minister Tyler Shandro regarding criminal charges faced by Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski.

She ruled the purpose of the call was to influence a decision of the Crown to prosecute Pawlowski, and that the premier discussing an ongoing criminal case with her justice minister was not acceptable.

Last June, Smith apologized in the legislature to MLAS for the ethics breach.

Last November, the government introduced legislation that would suspend ethics commissioner investigations during election campaigns, something Trussler recommended in her report.

The same committee is also set to decide on the next chief electoral officer, a process that will resume in the summer.