Alberta MLA quits party amid allegations

CALGARY— An Alberta legislature member has resigned from the United Conservative Party caucus following an investigation into allegations that stemmed from a constituency association meeting l ast month.

Calgary-Greenway MLA Prab Gill’s announcement comes a day after UCP Leader Jason Kenney told reporters he’d received a report from a probe the party launched into the Calgary-North East annual general meeting on June 30.

Kenney said Friday he hadn’t had a chance to see the completed report by former Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Ted Carruthers, as he’d only received it minutes before.

A video posted online earlier this month alleged voting irregularities at the meeting.

Gill says in a statement that while he may not agree with everything in the investigation, he accepts the findings and recognizes the party went through a “fair and independent process.”

He says he has also informed the party he will not be contesting a United Conservative nomination, although he will serve out the remainder of his term as an Independent MLA.

“I wish my former colleagues all the best in the future. I greatly respect all that they are trying to achieve as Alberta heads to the 2019 election, and I certainly would never want to be a distraction to those critical efforts,” Gill said in the statement, adding that he will now “focus on spending some much-needed time” with his family.